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The last time I spoke with conductor Edwin Outwater was at San Francisco’s Cow Palace last fall, during a break in the rehearsals for the San Francisco Symphony’s highly anticipated performances with Metallica that would serve as the opening concerts of the Golden State Warriors’ new Chase Center.
Outwater was buzzing with energy and excitement as he talked about the challenges of bringing together the 75-piece orchestra and the world’s biggest metal band for these “S&M2” shows, which came 20 years after these two beloved Bay Area institutions first joined forces in the Grammy-winning “S&M” outings at the Berkeley Community Theatre in 1999.
“There are no stressful challenges,” he said, as he caught his breath. “They are all fun challenges.”
Outwater can relive those legendary Chase Center opening concerts – held Sept. 6 and 8, 2019 – with the “S&M2” concert album/video set, which comes out Aug. 28.
Nearly a year after those Cow Palace rehearsals, I caught up with Outwater, a Chicago resident who plans to move to the Bay Area soon for his new job as music director of the San Francisco Conservatory.
Q. What were your thoughts when you first heard about the possibility of working with Metallica on the “S&M2” project?
A. Sign me up! (Laughs) I knew it would be amazing. And I couldn’t believe it was happening. It was a great opportunity. Total enthusiasm, I would say.
Q. Were you a Metallica fan before you got involved?
A. I did like Metallica and listened to it a lot. But this project made me dive much deeper into Metallica — everything they did. I did a crash course when I started (“S&M2”).
Q. Were you familiar with the first album?
A. I had known “S&M,” but listening to it in preparation for “S&M2,” it was just amazing what a great job (conductor/composer) Michael Kamen did in creating a whole ‘nother sound world inside something that has a lot of sound already – meaning Metallica.
Q. Kamen’s orchestral compositions are amazing and work so well with the Metallica songs. Can you tell us about “S&M2”?
A. About half the songs on “S&M2” are the original Kamen. Then there is a bunch of new material. We reworked “Master of Puppets” and “Enter Sandman” – those are different arrangements, done by Bruce Coughlin, who is an incredible arranger. (He) did an incredible job paying tribute to the pioneering work that Kamen did, but also adding his own personality and style. He really hit the bullseye.
Q. What is it about Metallica’s music that lends itself to symphonic accompaniment and collaboration?
A. I think there is space for other music in there. I think it’s not always this pure wall of sound, because that may be some of the Metallica that the fans love the most.
I think there is an incredible sense of songwriting in Metallica. Whether it is a real thrash song or more lyrical song, somehow the words and the music and the melody just mesh as well as anything. I think their melodic sense is something that is not discussed that much. But they have written some tunes and melodies that everyone will remember forever.
I also think there is just this kind of epic sweep to songs like “Outlaw” and “One” that the orchestra can enhance. Even loud bangers like “The Call of Ktulu” – it’s a long song and there is room, inside of that original sonic world, for the orchestra to be a voice.
Not every band works well with orchestra. It’s almost surprising how well Metallica does — it’s kind of a wonderful little miracle.
