Andriessen’s notes? Whatever musicians please

[...] “Workers Union,” Louis Andriessen’s explosive post-minimalist masterpiece from 1975, works as both a dynamic musical experience and a model of collective action.

“Workers Union,” which formed the centerpiece of Tuesday’s far-reaching concert by the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, is built on an elegant combination of determinism and freedom.

Yet the fact that pitches are not specified creates a dramatic sense of blurriness that contrasts with the regimented rhythmic profile to create a fascinating dialogue.

[...] Andriessen’s ability to wield that double resource in the service of fairly traditional rhetorical effects — forceful oratory, playful witticisms and subdued introspection — makes the piece an expressive marvel.

Tuesday’s performance, led by Artistic Director Steven Schick, brought the music’s rhythmic vehemence but not all of its dynamic bluster (a composer who asks for a “loud-sounding” ensemble probably wants something, you know, loud).

[...] the large ensemble, which featured pairings of members of the Players with students from the conservatory as part of the group’s education program, captured much of Andriessen’s inventive brilliance.