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November 29, 2005
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CONTEMPORARY MUSIC
A Gift to Be Cherished CHORAL MUSIC
A
Splendid Messiah LISTENERS' BOX Responses to Last Week's Issue MUSIC NEWS MTT a Revolution? QUESTION OF THE WEEK Responses to Our 11/22/05 Question of the Week
By Heuwell
Tircuit
Volti
(11/21/05)
By Michelle
Dulak Thomson
San Francisco
Symphony & Chorus
Harry
Christophers
(11/27/05)
By Janos
Gereben
Mickey Butts, Executive Director/Publisher
|
Music can turn any old day into a celebration, but the holiday season is a special time for concerts, with Messiah, Messiah & Messiah (not a law firm), dancing Sugar Plums, and other traditions that often provide a significant first experience of classical music.
Any guide to holiday music in the Bay Area is fraught with difficulties: No such list can ever be complete, and the choice of what’s most important is subjective. San Francisco Classical Voice has deftly sidestepped these pitfalls by disclaiming anything approaching completeness, and listing events in chronological order.
Just to keep things interesting, we also present three categories of concerts: traditional, offbeat, and coincidental. The first two relate to the holidays, to various degrees. But the third category contains events that just happen to take place in December, while also promising some jolly good musical merrymaking. For more information about tickets, locations, phone numbers, performance times, and other details, please visit the Web sites listed.
And if this guide doesn’t satisfy, you’ll find a comprehensive listing of classical music performances, many holiday-related, at SFCV’s Performance Calendar.
- Lorraine Hansberry Theatre: Black Nativity gospel
celebration, through Dec. 24, various times, $16-$27. www.lorrainehansberrytheatre.com
- San Francisco Conservatory of Music: Final performance of the
school's traditional "Sing-It-Yourself Messiah," conducted by
Bruce Lamott, Dec. 2, 8 p.m., Davies Symphony Hall, S.F. $20-$49. www.sfcm.edu
- California Bach Society: Britten’s A Ceremony of
Carols and selections from Piae Cantiones of 1582, Dec. 2, 8
p.m., St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Berkeley; Dec. 3, 8 p.m., All Saints'
Episcopal Church, Palo Alto; Dec. 4, 4 p.m., St. Gregory of Nyssa
Episcopal Church, S.F. $10-$25. www.calbach.org
- American Conservatory Theater: A new musical version of A
Christmas Carol, Dec. 2-24, various times, Geary Theater, S.F.
$18-$80. http://act-sf.org/
- San Francisco Ballet: Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, Dec.
2-29, War Memorial Opera House, S.F. $10-$175.www.sfballet.org
- San Francisco Bach Choir: "Psallite," a candlelight
Christmas, Dec. 3, 8 p.m., St. Ignatius Church, S.F.; Dec. 4, 4 p.m.,
Calvary Presbyterian Church, S.F. $15-$26. www.sfbach.org
- Sacred & Profane: Christmas and Advent motets by
Rheinberger and Poulenc, Dec. 3, 8 p.m., Trinity Lutheran Church, Walnut
Creek; Dec. 10, 8 p.m., St. Ambrose Church, Berkeley; Dec. 11, 2 p.m.,
St. John the Evangelist Church, S.F. $12-$15. www.sacredprofane.org
- UC Berkeley Chamber Chorus: Concert of French Christmas music
and carols, Dec. 7, noon, Hertz Hall, Berkeley. Free. Also, "Holiday
Music with a French Accent and Southern Twist," Dec. 10, 8 p.m., St.
Mary’s College, Moraga. $12-$25. www.berkeley.edu
- San Francisco Guitar Ensemble: A holiday guitar concert, Dec.
9, 8 p.m., Old First Church, S.F. $12-$15. http://www.oldfirstconcerts.org/
- Voci: "Psalms and canticles of praise and comfort," Dec. 9, 8
p.m., Lake Merritt United Methodist Church, Oakland; Dec. 10, 3 p.m.,
St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Berkeley. $15-$20. www.coolcommunity.org/voci/
- Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra: Handel's Messiah, as
orchestrated by Mozart, Dec. 8, 7:30 p.m., Herbst Theatre, S.F.; Dec. 9,
7:30 p.m., First United Methodist Church, Palo Alto; Dec. 10, 7:30 p.m.
and Dec. 11, 7 p.m., First Congregational Church, Berkeley. $33-$67. www.philharmonia.org
- Magnificat: Charpentier's Nativity Pastorale, Dec. 9,
8 p.m., First Lutheran Church, Palo Alto; Dec. 10, 8 p.m., St. Mark's
Episcopal Church, Berkeley; Dec. 11, 4 p.m., St. Gregory of Nyssa
Episcopal Church, S.F. $12-$25. www.magnificatbaroque.org
- Mark Morris Dance Group: The Hard Nut, Dec. 9-18,
various times, Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley. $32-$60. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu
- Black Repertory Group: They Sing Christmas in Harlem,
Dec. 9-20, various times, Berkeley. $7-$20. www.blackrepertorygroup.com
- San Francisco Girls Chorus: “Et in Terra Pax” concert of
holiday music and sing-along Christmas carols, Dec. 9, 8 p.m.,
Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church, Lafayette; Dec. 16, St. Raphael's
Church, San Raphael; Dec. 21, 8 p.m., Davies Symphony Hall, S.F. www.sfgirlschorus.org
- Oakland East Bay Symphony: Singalong Messiah,
featuring an unusual lineup of soloists, including "American Idol"
finalist LaToya London and Mexican mariachi star Juanita Ulloa, Dec. 10,
8 p.m., Paramount Theatre, Oakland. $15-$28. www.oebs.org
- Pacific Boychoir: "Harmonies of the Season," with the music
of Britten, Elgar, and Rutter, Dec. 10, 7 p.m., First Presbyterian
Church, Oakland; Dec. 11, 5 p.m., St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Oakland;
Dec. 17, 7 p.m., St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Belvedere. $15-$20. www.pacificboychoir.org
- San Francisco Choral Artists: "A Medieval Christmas,"
featuring Britten's Ceremony of Carols and world premieres of
works by Aprahamian and Mollicone, Dec. 10, 8 p.m., St. Mark's Episcopal
Church, Palo Alto; Dec. 17, St. Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church, S.F.;
Dec. 18, 4 p.m., St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Oakland. $12-$25. www.sfca.org
- Piedmont Choirs: Candlelight concert, Dec. 11, 3 p.m., Old
First Church, S.F. $12-$15. www.piedmontchoirs.org
- San Francisco Symphony: Messiah has passed already
(see review in
this issue), but remaining holiday concerts include the Deck the Halls
Children's Party, Dec. 11 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.; Colors of
Christmas, Dec. 13-15 at 8 p.m.; Choral Christmas
Spectacular, Dec. 16-17 at 8 p.m. and Dec. 18 at 2 p.m.; Peter
and the Wolf, Dec. 17 at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.; The Wondrous Sounds
of Christmas, Dec. 18, 2 p.m.; A Gospel Christmas, Dec. 18, 7
p.m.; and the Count Basie Orchestra, Dec. 22, 7 p.m., Davies Symphony
Hall. $18-$77. www.sfsymphony.org
- Chanticleer: Sacred and traditional choral music of the
holidays, Dec. 11-23, in a half-dozen Northern California locations.
$25-$42. www.chanticleer.org
- American Bach Soloists: Messiah, Dec. 14, Mission
Dolores, S.F.; Dec. 15, Grace Cathedral, S.F.; Dec. 16-17, Mondavi
Center, Davis; all at 7:30 p.m. $18-$50. www.americanbach.org
- San Francisco Early Music Society: "El Mundo" — "music of the
season from Italy, Spain, and Latin America," Dec. 16, 8 p.m., First
Lutheran Church, Palo Alto; Dec. 17, 8 p.m., First Congregational
Church, Berkeley; Dec. 18., 4 p.m., St. Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal
Church, S.F. $22-$25. www.sfems.org
- National Jewish Theatre: MeshugaNutcracker, "a new
Chanukah musical," Dec. 1-4, various times, Berkeley Repertory Theatre,
Thrust Stage; Dec. 13-18, various times, University of San Francisco,
Presentation Theater, S.F. $18-$36. www.njtf.org
- Other Minds: A New Music Séance of "spiritual and
hypnotic classical music," Dec. 3, 2 p.m., 5:30 p.m., and 8 p.m. (three
distinct concert sets), Swedenborgian Church, S.F. $20-$50. www.otherminds.org
- San Francisco Conservatory of Music: The Opera Theater
presents Hansel & Gretel, Dec. 10-11, 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.,
Hellman Hall, S.F. Free, but reservations needed. www.sfcm.edu
- Theatre of Yugen: The originator of the memorable kabuki
Christmas Carol some years back now presents the
Tori-no-ichi, or "Lucky Rake" Festival, which is held in Japan
before New Year's. The event features the Kyogen comedy Persimmon
Mountain Priest and experimental Noh dances to Christmas music. Dec.
11, 2 p.m., NOHspace, S.F. $5 (adults), kids free. www.theatreofyugen.org
- San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus: "Home for the Holidays,"
marking the 40th anniversary of A Charlie Brown Christmas, Dec.
15, 7 p.m., and Dec. 24, 5 p.m., 7 p.m., and 9 p.m., Castro Theatre,
S.F. $15-$20. www.sfgmc.org
- San Francisco Opera Center: "The Future Is Now: Adler Fellows
in Concert," Dec. 1, 7:30 p.m., Herbst Theatre, S.F. $10-$48. www.sfopera.com
- San Francisco Conservatory of Music: Student recitals and
ensemble concerts, Dec. 1-16, various times. Free. www.sfcm.edu
- Trinity Chamber Concerts: Rova Saxophone Quartet, Dec. 3, 8
p.m., Trinity Chapel, Berkeley. $8-$12. www.trinitychamberconcerts.com
- San Francisco Lyric Opera: Mozart's Abduction From the
Seraglio, Dec. 9-17, 7:30 p.m., Palace of the Legion of Honor,
Florence Gould Theatre, S.F. $15-$28. www.sflyricopera.org
- San Francisco Contemporary Music Players: "Dazzling New Music
From France," including U.S. premieres of works by Philippe Leroux and
Philippe Hurel, Dec. 12, 8 p.m., Herbst Theatre. S.F. $12-$27. www.sfcmp.org
- San Francisco Performances: "The Monumental Brahms," with the
Alexander String Quartet and Robert Greenberg, Dec. 17, 10 a.m., St.
John’s Presbyterian Church, Berkeley. $29. www.performances.org
(Janos Gereben, a regular contributor to www.sfcv.org, is arts editor of the Post Newspaper Group. His e-mail address is janosg@gmail.com.)
©2005 Janos Gereben, all rights reserved___________________________________ SFCV is a not-for-profit enterprise supported by foundation grants and individual contributions. If you enjoy what you find here and want to see our work continue, please consider making a contribution. By virtue of a generous matching grant, it will be doubled. Your contribution (tax-deductible) may be made by credit card by clicking here, or by a check made out to San Francisco Classical Voice and sent to the San Francisco Foundation CIF, (San Francisco Classical Voice account), 225 Bush St. # 500, San Francisco, CA 94104.
From September 1, 1998 to September 13, 2005, SFCV has published, in addition to the Music News, feature pieces, and weekly editorials, 2,182 reviews of Bay Area performances by: 52 symphony orchestras (459 reviews), 89 chamber groups (267), 36 new-music ensembles and programs (234), 39 opera companies (306), 29 choral groups (133), 15 music festivals (101), 33 early-music ensembles (170), 24 chamber orchestras (88), 6 musical theater groups (14), as well as numerous world music groups (14), recital presenters (374), youth music ensembles (10), and other organizations (12).
_________________________ Mickey Butts, Executive Director/Publisher
Michelle Dulak Thomson, Editor
Richard Thomas, Associate Editor______________________________________ We welcome commentary, suggestions, and reactions to anything you see on this site. Simply click on editor@sfcv.org to send your response by e-mail. Unless permission is specifically not granted, letters sent to this address may be used in the Listeners' Box. Letters may be edited for length, clarity, grammar, and style.
Both Mickey Butts and Michelle Dulak Thomson read all e-mails sent to editor@sfcv.org. Mickey oversees the overall quality of the site, assigns and edits features, and manages overall operations and all business-related issues; Michelle assigns and edits all reviews, assigns and edits features, selects photos, and edits the main page. (Richard copyedits articles and oversees production.) To reach either Mickey or Michelle individually, click on our names in the list above. (To reach SFCV founder and emeritus editor Robert Commanday, send e-mail only to bob@sfcv.org.) Items relevant to the Music News column should also be directed to Janos Gereben at janosg@gmail.com.
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