SHORT TAKES : S.F. Symphony Fetes Stern

SAN FRANCISCO —  Isaac Stern, who has played more than 100 concerts here since his debut more than half a century ago, finally put down his violin to relax while others made music. The occasion: his 70th birthday.

The San Francisco Symphony celebrated the event with a concert here Sunday before a crowd of 30,000, including famed cellist Mstislav Rostropovich , who donned wig, tiara and tutu to perform “The Swan.”

A delighted Stern, who sat with his family during the concert, said the celebration was “the most gallant gesture that I will receive this year, to be able to sit and enjoy.”