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David Bratman

David Bratman is a librarian who lives with his lawfully wedded soprano and a wall full of symphony recordings.

Articles by this Author

Chamber Orchestra/Orchestra Review
September 29, 2012
Ringers, Rhapsody, and Rossini at Symphony Silicon Valley
BY David Bratman

Symphony Silicon Valley capitalizes on its popular appeal with a fine mixed program, with one Rossini ringer.

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Season Preview
Bay to Bay: The Concert Scene From North to South
September 11, 2012
Bay to Bay: The Concert Scene From North to South
BY David Bratman

The Mondavi Center has its usual wide-angle season planned, while the Symphony Silicon Valley is focusing on classics with high-profile soloists. Here are the most exciting concert prospects from San Jose to Sacramento.

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Festival Review
August 11, 2012
Menlo Festival: Fun For the Ages
BY David Bratman

Brilliant playing enlivens [email protected]’s final program, in a mix of surprising instrumental combinations, coupled with formidable playing by young performers.

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Festival Review
July 29, 2012
Tales From the Heart of Menlo
BY David Bratman

Expressionism and musical storytelling comes to [email protected], via pungent works by Respighi, Herrmann, Caplet, and Stravinsky.

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Chamber Orchestra/Orchestra Review
June 14, 2012
Yuja on Fire at the S.F. Symphony
BY David Bratman

Yuja Wang tore through Rachmaninov's monumental Piano Concerto No. 3 in her most exciting and unbelievable S.F. performance yet.

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Chamber Orchestra/Orchestra Review
June 2, 2012
Shimmering Program at Symphony Silicon Valley
BY David Bratman

Symphony Silicon Valley is in fine fettle under guest conductor William Boughton, with Ning An as the fine piano soloist.

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Chamber Orchestra/Orchestra Review
May 10, 2012
From the Past, a Blast at the S.F. Symphony
BY David Bratman

A robust celebration of San Francisco's early musical days is, to use an old phrase, a hoot and a half.

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Feature Article
Recordings to Save Classical Music? Cheers to That
April 21, 2012
Recordings to Save Classical Music? Cheers to That
BY David Bratman

A Stanford conference on classical music’s recorded legacy suggests possibilities for the future.

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CD Review
April 6, 2012
Carl Nielsen: Symphonies No. 1 and No. 6
Nielsen's Invigorating Gem
BY David Bratman

In a sort of meditation on the state of the symphony, Nielsen provides a gem in music.

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CD Review
March 26, 2012
Roussel: Le festin de l’araignée; Symphony No. 4
Spider's Feast
BY David Bratman

Colorful stage works by a lesser-known French composer of the ’20s and ’30s are well worth a listen.

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Chamber Music Review
March 16, 2012
Myćka’s Mallets Mix It Up in Marimba Bash
BY David Bratman

Katarzyna Myćka marimba joins sonorous strings in a program of unusual quintets.

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Chamber Orchestra/Orchestra Review
February 17, 2012
Reunion of Rich Sounds: SFS and de Waart
BY David Bratman

Its former music director leads the S.F. Symphony in a novel overture, a grand organ symphony, and a little-known Rachmaninov concerto.

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CD Review
February 3, 2012
Joyce Yang: Collage
Joyce Yang: Everything Relative
BY David Bratman

The strong-fingered, highly rhythmic, and coolly emotional pianist Joyce Yang chooses a crafty program for her debut disc.

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Chamber Orchestra/Orchestra Review
January 28, 2012
Royal Mix From the Across the Pond
BY David Bratman

The Royal Philharmonic and pianist Thibaudet prove that the Hungarian half of its program can stand respectably next to the traditionally weighty Brahms German half.

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CD Review
January 20, 2012
New Babylon
Shostakovich, Scores
BY David Bratman

There’s something for everyone in the music on a new two-CD set that explores a hidden (and openly honest) side of Shostakovich: his movie scoring.

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Chamber Orchestra/Orchestra Review
January 1, 2012
Beethoven at Full Attention
BY David Bratman

The small but powerful S.F. Chamber Orchestra brings the virtues of midperiod Beethoven to top of mind.

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Upcoming Concert
Musicians from the San Francisco Symphony
December 7, 2011
Music at Kohl
Musicians from the San Francisco Symphony
BY David Bratman

Most string quintets, other than Schubert's, don't get played often. The San Francisco Symphony Chamber Musicians have the personnel to do it.

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Chamber Orchestra/Orchestra Review
November 23, 2011
S.F. Symphony Splits the Honors With Shaham
BY David Bratman

Schoenberg does Brahms, reimagining and revoicing a delightful piano quartet.

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Chamber Orchestra/Orchestra Review
November 11, 2011
Evergreen Schubert at S.F. Symphony
BY David Bratman

The S.F. Symphony delivers an excellent program displaying Schubert’s varied moods and idioms.

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Upcoming Concert
Voiceless Wagner in Redwood City
November 10, 2011
Redwood Symphony
Voiceless Wagner in Redwood City
BY David Bratman

The Redwood Symphony offers Lorin Maazel's "symphonic synthesis" of the whole Ring cycle: It's like an hour-long Richard Strauss tone poem, except it's by Wagner.

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