Reviews | San Francisco Classical Voice

Master and Commander

Heuwell Tircuit - October 21, 2008

Pianist Leon Fleisher returned to his native San Francisco for a celebration of his 80th year, with both hands working beautifully after a nearly 40-year layoff, due to his right hand, which partly died on him. The cause was a focal dystopia that brought on the dysfunction of two of his fingers.

Review

Accepting Carmen's Challenge

Jason Victor Serinus - October 21, 2008

Why do so many folks disparage Bizet's Carmen? While certain pre-Freudian elements of its plot strain credulity, like Corporal Don José's instant obsession with the Gypsy woman Carmen and her final quest for death, Henri Meilhac and Jacques Halévy's libretto is far more believable than many.

The Song Remains the Same

Michelle Dulak Thomson - October 21, 2008

Some "regional orchestras" settle down to the comfort levels of their audiences and their all too often exhausted players. During Jeffrey Kahane's tenure as music director, the Santa Rosa Symphony distinguished itself repeatedly as the one stop on the "Freeway Philharmonic" circuit where players and audience alike were encouraged, or rather commanded, to stretch their ears.

Review

Triumph in Sonata Form

Jerry Kuderna - October 21, 2008

András Schiff continued his traversal of the 32 Beethoven sonatas Sunday with a program that included two of the high points of the composer's middle period. At one end was the Sonata Op. 57, the "Appassionata" (1805), the work that surely marks the peak of the "heroic" Beethoven's piano output. At the other end was the less heroic and more vulnerable work, Sonata Op. 81a ("Les Adieux"), dating from 1810.

Review

Vocally Compelling

Kathryn Miller - October 21, 2008

Mozart’s Idomeneo tells a tale of love, sacrifice, shipwreck, and war. Add to that a gorgeous score, stunning costumes, and good singing, and you should have all of the ingredients of a successful opera. The opening night of San Francisco Opera’s production, on Wednesday, however, was less than satisfying.

Power of Synergy

Jessica Balik - October 21, 2008

The performance I attended Saturday night began with a single performer, dressed in a white tunic, dancing on the stage while waving a flag. Immediately I grew nervous. I knew the performance was supposed to convey spiritual ascension, or even transcendence.

Review

Subtly Superb

David Bratman - October 21, 2008

Economic crisis. Unedifying political campaigns. Fires, droughts, and earthquakes. What better to do with your anxieties on the night of the third presidential debate than spend the evening with Dmitri Shostakovich, whose problems were greater than yours? Wednesday's encounter with Shostakovich at Dinkelspiel Auditorium, under the auspices of Stanford Lively Arts, was hosted by the talented musicians of the Emerson String Quartet.

Family Ties

Kaneez Munjee - October 21, 2008

The San Francisco Bach Choir began its 73rd season last weekend with a concert titled “Before Bach: A Family Portrait,” paying homage to Johann Sebastian’s musical predecessors. As the program notes explained, Sebastian himself was interested in his genealogy, and in 1735 drew up a family tree dating back to the 1500s, which is the most reliable document we have today on the entire Bach family.

Soldiering On

Jules Langert - October 21, 2008

This year, Composers Inc. marks its 25th anniversary as an active, vital musical presence in the San Francisco Bay Area. Over the years, its loyal, supportive audiences have been grateful for the broadly eclectic programming and consistently high level of performances they have heard. Although a listener might not always agree with their choice of music, Composers Inc.

New Views of Bach

Joseph Sargent - October 21, 2008

If you're one of those Bach devotees who can quote Brandenburg Concerto themes or name all the movements of an orchestral suite, Philharmonia Baroque's new twist on several orchestral classics might be just up your alley.