San Francisco Classical Voice

Frankenstein!!
Inventive speaker-singer-actor H.K. Gruber brings his cabaret-style version of "children's rhymes," peopled by such figures as Dracula, James Bond, Superman, and the title character, to Davies. Described as a "musical comic book for adults," this work is way out of the ordinary. What's more, most performances also offer fine companion fare: Debussy's Danses sacrée et profane, Thomas Adès' Living Toys, Bizet's Jeux des enfants. May 10 and 13, 8 p.m. and May 12, 6:30 p.m., Davies Hall, San Francisco; also May 11 at Flint Hall in Cupertino, $20-$107, (415) 864-6000, www.sfsymphony.org. (M.V.C.)

Los Angeles Philharmonic
Esa-Pekka Salonen, the Finnish composer and Los Angeles Philharmonic conductor, is a champion of contemporary music. In the Philharmonic's first visit to the Bay Area in five years, it's offering a chance to hear Salonen's take on Beethoven. On May 15, he conducts Beethoven's Symphony No. 8 and No. 5, which bookend a new piece, Eleven Gates, by Swedish composer Anders Hillborg. On May 16, he conducts more Beethoven (Leonore Overture No. 2 and Symphony No. 7), along with Lutoslawski's Symphony No. 4. May 15-16, 8 p.m., Davies Hall, San Francisco, $20-$89, (415) 864-6000, www.sfsymphony.org. (M.B.)

Gil Shaham
Internationally acclaimed violinist Gil Shaham joins MTT and the San Francisco Symphony in an open rehearsal on May 17, then returns that night and subsequent evenings for concerts in Davies Hall. On the program: William Schuman's Violin Concerto, Edgard Varèse's Ecuatorial, and Robert Schumann's Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 97, Rhenish. Open rehearsal at 10 a.m. on May 17; concerts May 17, 19-20, 8 p.m., Davies Hall, San Francisco, $19-$107, (415) 864-6000, www.sfsymphony.org. (M.V.C.)

Left Coast's Evening of Premieres
Left Coast Chamber Ensemble's season-concluding concerts feature the world premiere of Philippe Bodin's st(r)ay, a string quintet commissioned by the Chamber Music Partnership and the Argosy Foundation; the West Coast premiere of Mood Swings for piano, violin, and cello by Paul Moravec, and Franz Schubert's Quintet for Strings in C Major. May 11, 8 p.m., Throckmorton Theater, Mill Valley; May 15, 8 p.m., Green Room, Veterans War Memorial, San Francisco, $15-$20, (415) 642-8054, www.ChamberMusicPartn.org. (J.G.)

American Bach Soloists
The early music masters at ABS perform the St. Matthew Passion, Bach's transcendent stroke of choral genius. May 12, 7:30 p.m., St. Stephen's Church, Belvedere; May 13, 7:30 p.m., First Congregational Church, Berkeley, $10-$40, (415) 621-7900, www.americanbach.org. (M.B.)

Pacific Boychoir
In addition to joining the American Bach Soloists this week in the St. Matthew's Passion, the Grammy-award-winning boys' choir gives a concert of its own at the Oakland Museum in honor of Mother's Day. May 14, 2 p.m., Oakland Museum, Oakland, free with museum admission, (510) 452-4PBA, www.pacificboychoir.org. (M.B.)

S.F. Girls Chorus Spring Concert
The San Francisco Girls Chorus' annual spring concert features guest artists Karen Gottlieb, Emil Miland, Leslie Chin, Elizabeth Freimuth, a program including Charles Loeffler's By the Waters of Babylon, works by Brahms, Kodály, Matsushita, Szymko, Holmes, and the world premiere of David Conte's A Hope Carol, on a text by Christina Rossetti. May 19, 8 p.m., Calvary Presbyterian Church, San Francisco, $18-$24, (415) 863-1752, www.sfgirlschorus.org. (J.G.)

Volti and San Francisco Chamber Orchestra
The fine new music specialists at Volti combine with the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra to present Benjamin Britten's Cantata Misericordium and Lachrymae, Andrew Imbrie's On the Beach at Night and To a Traveler, Mark Winges' Open the Book of What Happened, and other works. Robert Commanday said this of Bay Area composer Imbrie's works in the April 4, 2006, issue of SFCV: "Imbrie has an unerring and sensitive ear for the chorus as a complex, human instrument and achieves with it a sound that is distinctive and expressive." May 19, 8 p.m., First Unitarian Universalist Church, San Francisco; May 20, 8 p.m., St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Palo Alto; May 21, 4 p.m., St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Berkeley; $8-$20, (415) 771-3352, www.voltisf.org. (M.B.)

Sacred and Profane
The chamber chorus performs an eye-catching program of works by Swiss composer Frank Martin, including Martin's Songs of Ariel and Messe pour double choeur, with organist Jonathan Dimmock playing Martin's Passacaglia for Organ. May 20, 8 p.m., St. Ambrose Church, Berkeley; May 21, 2 p.m., St. John the Evangelist Church, San Francisco, $12-$18, (510) 524-3611, www.sacredprofane.org. (M.B.)

Creative Voices
This promising chamber chorus aims to "introduce audiences to the healing and transforming properties of vocal music." Its next concert, titled "Obscurantism and Englightenment," features such Renaissance works as Josquin Depres' Missa Pange Lingua, Clement Jannequin's Le Chant des Oiseaux and La Guerre, and Mateo Flecha's Ensaladas. May 21, 7 p.m., Dance Palace, Point Reyes Station [and June 3, 8 p.m., St. Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church; June 4, 4 p.m., St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Berkeley], $13-$18, (415) 861-3680, www.creativevoices.org. (M.B.)

Paul Lewis' San Francisco Debut
Award-winning British pianist Paul Lewis makes his San Francisco debut in an all-Beethoven program, featuring three sonatas: No. 25 in G Major, Op. 79; No. 15 in D Major, Op. 28 ("Pastoral"); and No. 29 in B-Flat Major, Op. 106 ("Hammerklavier"). May 21, 7 p.m., Herbst Theatre, San Francisco, $26-$44. (415) 392-2545, www.performances.org. (M.V.C.)

Britten at San Francisco Lyric
Benjamin Britten's complex, intense, and infrequently performed Rape of Lucretia is the stamp-size San Francisco Lyric Opera's next venture, the company's first English-language work, to be performed with supertitles — an excellent idea. Four performances will be conducted by company music director Barnaby Palmer and directed by Heather Carolo. The cast includes Darla Wiggington in the title role, Daniel Cilli as Tarquinius, and Melody Moore and Trey Costerisan as the Female and Male Chorus, respectively. May 12-13, 7:30 p.m., Florence Gould Theater, Legion of Honor, San Francisco, $15-$28, (415) 392-4400, www.sflyricopera.org. (J.G.)

Fresh Voices Bring New Opera
Tne Fresh Voices VI Festival of New Music Theatre announces two weekends of new opera starting May 18. Performances include Lisa Schola Prosek's Leonardo's Notebooks, Steven Clark's Amok Time, and Mark Alburger's The Pied Piper of Hamelin. May 18 at 7:30 p.m., May 19-20 at 8 p.m. [further performances May 25-27], Thick House Theatre, San Francisco, $15-$25, (415) 4001-8081, www.goathall.org/Fresh2006/. (M.V.C.)

At Old First
Violinist Kay Stern, cellist Gregory Sauer, and pianist Joan Nagano perform works by Fauré, Jean-Marie LeClair, de Falla, Takemitsu, Mark Lavry, and Brahms. May 12, 8 p.m., Old First Church, San Francisco, $12-$15, (415) 474-1608, www.oldfirstconcerts.org. (J.G.)

All the Noises in the World
A Korean music concert in the Asian Art Museum presents the world premiere of San Francisco composer Hyo-shin Na's All the Noises in the World, performed by Korean ensemble Jeong Ga Ak Hoe, in their first U.S. appearance. May 18, 7 p.m., Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, free with museum admission ($5 after 5 p.m.), (415) 581-3666, www.asianart.org. (J.G.)

The Grand Seducers
Don Giovanni Meets Xi-men Qing, an "East-West opera" from Gang Situ, will have its world premiere in San Francisco in May. The work deals with the romances and a chance encounter of two legendary Casanovas, Mozart's Don Giovanni and Xi-men Qing of the Water Margin Heroes novel from the 11th century Song Dynasty. Based on a new libretto by Cao Lusheng, the opera is sung in English and Chinese, featuring San Francisco Opera Center singers, under the direction of Isabel Milenski. May 18, 8 p.m., May 19, 8 p.m., May 20, 2 and 8 p.m., Chinese Culture Center, San Francisco, $22.50-$25, (415) 392-4400, www.cityboxoffice.com. (J.G.)

Orinda
Orinda is an ensemble composed of early music standouts Jennifer Lane, mezzo-soprano; David Tayler on lutes; and Hanneke van Proosdij on harpsichord and recorder. The group will perform a concert titled "Paris in the Spring" — a city to celebrate just about anytime — featuring French airs from the 17th century court of Louis XIII. May 12, 8 p.m., First Lutheran Church, Palo Alto; May 13, 8 p.m., St. John's Presbyterian Church, Berkeley; May 14, 4 p.m., St. Gregory's Episcopal Church, San Francisco; $22-$25, (510) 528-1725, www.sfems.org. (M.B.)

New Works From Mills College
When the Mills College Dance Department presents new choreography from the faculty, it uses new music from composers associated with the college. The current program of Four Choreographers: One Connection has Sonya Delwaide, Molissa Fenley, June Watanabe, and Anne Westwick set their pieces to music by Fred Frith, Les Struck, Luis Maurette, and Judy Rosenberg. Participating musicians include cellist Joan Jeanrenaud and percussionist William Winant. The on-campus show travels from Oakland to Sonoma State University this week. May 14, 2 p.m., Evert B. Person Theater, Rohnert Park, $8-$16 (free to SSU students), (707) 664-2353, www.sonoma.edu. (J.G.)

Cal Performances Centennial Celebration
Cal Performances is throwing a California-size party to mark its 100th year, with a smorgasbord of performers who will be familiar to regular concertgoers. On the bill: the Mark Morris Dance Group's V; excerpts from John Adams, Peter Sellars, and June Jordan's theater piece I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky; Michael Tilson Thomas on the piano with Lisa Vroman; and a mammoth chorus drawing from the UC Alumni Chorus, the University Chorus, and the Piedmont Children's Choirs, along with the San Francisco Opera Orchestra, performing choral selections from Wagner's Die Meistersinger and Boito's Prologue to Mefistofele, conducted by Robert Cole, who is celebrating his 20th year with Cal Performances. A separate gala benefiting Cal Performances surrounds the performance. May 12, 7:30 p.m., Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley, $48-$90, (510) 642-9988, www.calperfs.berkeley.edu; gala information available at (510) 643-8783. (M.B.)

Mother's Day Family Festival at the Asian
The annual daylong, museumwide, free event will feature performances by Chinese acrobats, Korean musicians, the Gu-Zheng Youth Ensemble, and much more. May 14, 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, free admission to the museum and all events, (415) 581-3666, www.asianart.org. (J.G.)

Met's Gala Farewell Concert
The Metropolitan Opera is bidding farewell to Joe Volpe, the company's general manager since 1990, and employed there in various capacities for 42 years, with a gala concert to be broadcast over the Met's international radio network on May 20, and taped for a June telecast on PBS. Just a few of the participants: Plácido Domingo, Renée Fleming, Juan Diego Flórez, Mirella Freni, Thomas Hampson, Ben Heppner, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Karita Mattila, James Morris, Luciano Pavarotti (notwithstanding his strained relationship with Volpe). Conductors participating in the concert: Domingo, Marco Armiliato, James Conlon, Valery Gergiev, Peter Schneider, Patrick Summers. May 20, 2:30 p.m., Internet stations, locally the college station KUSF-FM 90.3. (J.G.)