San Francisco Symphony plays Cage's The Seasons

Three visionary 20th-century composers approach classic forms—the ballet and concerto—in unique ways. Conceived as a ballet, The Seasons has some of Cage’s most subtly shaded and gently melodic music. The outer movements of Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1 are dashed with sardonic humor—its finale even irreverently quotes one of Stalin’s favorite songs—but its emotional core is a melancholy theme that recalls the funeral march from Beethoven’s “Eroica” and leads to a breathlessly energetic cadenza. Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra treats color, harmony, and counterpoint with virtuosic flair in a work infused with mystery, humor, and fire.