Previews

Chailly, Gewandhaus, History

Janos Gereben - February 8, 2010

On Feb. 20, the day before Riccardo Chailly conducts the first of two concerts with Leipzig’s venerable Gewandhaus Orchestra at Davies Symphony Hall, he will turn 57.

His return to San Francisco will come 33 years after his participation in a historic event that took place in the War Memorial Opera House:

New American Chamber Music Mashup

Michael Zwiebach - February 3, 2010

The composers' collective CMASH presents the third annual New American Chamber Music concert, again focusing on voice and small ensemble. The young, San Francisco Conservatory-trained Picasso String Quartet joins forces with the One Art Ensemble and soprano Ann Moss to present new music by composers Vartan Aghababian, Wesley Brown, Matthew O'Malley, Miriam Miller, and Liam Wade.

Preview

The Marriage of Figaro in San José

Michael Zwiebach - February 2, 2010

Opera San José opens its production of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro this weekend. Relying on young singers has proved to be a winning formula for this company, especially when they're able to pick up hot talents like Khori Dastoor, who sings Susanna in the first cast, and Daniel Cilli (Almaviva in the second cast).

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Come, See, and Conquer

Michael Zwiebach - February 2, 2010

There are far too many events at the San Francisco Conservatory to mention on SFCV, even if we restricted ourselves to the free ones. But when they do an entire opera for free, there's reason to open a space on your calendar to see it. The performances may not be in the elite professional category, but they're close enough that you won't mind, especially when all you have to pay for is a coffee at intermission.

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New Esterházy and Haydn

Michael Zwiebach - February 2, 2010

The New Esterházy Quartet has just finished a busy two-and-a-half year traversal of the complete quartets of Joseph Haydn. But that doesn't mean that this HIP (as in “historically informed performance”) group is resting on its laurels.

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Czerny’s “Fantasia” a Walk in the Park

Michael Zwiebach - February 1, 2010

The Bay Area is blessed with a cornucopia of chamber music series, most of which seem to be invisible to all but the most serious classical fans.

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Ruehr’s Novel ‘Response’ to Cypress’ ‘Call’

Jeff Kaliss - February 1, 2010

For its “Call & Response” program this year, San Francisco’s Cypress String Quartet is returning to a composer friend whom they’d commissioned earlier in the program’s 11-year history. That’s Elena Ruehr, who came out from Boston last month to work with the ensemble on her String Quartet No. 5, premiering at the end of February at Herbst Theatre.

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Brahms? A Bit Baroque?

Jonathan Rhodes Lee - January 26, 2010

On Valentine’s Day weekend, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra will present an all-Brahms program, featuring the Russian virtuoso violinist Viktoria Mullova in the composer’s great D-major violin concerto. The association of this composer with this orchestra might raise some eyebrows: Doesn’t the B in the orchestra’s name stand for Baroque?