Robert P. Commanday

Robert P. Commanday, founding editor of San Francisco Classical Voice, was the music critic of The San Francisco Chronicle from 1965 to 1993, and before that a conductor and lecturer at UC Berkeley.

Articles By This Author

Robert P. Commanday - June 6, 2011

As shown in Götterdämmerung, Francesca Zambello believes that the entire Ring drama can shine the light on the women.

Robert P. Commanday - May 31, 2011

An unknown sacred work by Antonio Vivaldi receives its Bay Area debut, voiced by Chora Nova.

Robert P. Commanday - May 30, 2011

Despite some regrettable directorial and production choices, S.F. Opera’s Siegfried still delivers strong characters that are very well sung, backed by first-class playing from the orchestra pit.

Robert P. Commanday - May 3, 2011

Brahms’ rich choral works rise again, in a fine program by Paul Flight’s California Bach Society; a little Fauré follows, across the street, sung by the UC Alumni Chorus.

Robert P. Commanday - March 22, 2011

The noted Bay Area composer Andrew Imbrie, who would have turned 90 this year, will be celebrated with a series of concerts, a symposium, and a display of his collected scores and manuscripts.

Robert P. Commanday - January 11, 2011

Escaping from “lake-effect” snow and winter, the venerable Cornell Glee Club brought a warm mixture of Romantic-inflected music to its Bay Area concerts.

Robert P. Commanday - December 7, 2010

Jane Hohfeld Galante, a leading chamber musician and prominent San Franciscan, died at her home in San Francisco Wednesday morning. 

Robert P. Commanday - August 14, 2010

Were there the shadow of a doubt of the continuing and historic power of Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde to capture and move its audiences, this summer’s Seattle Opera production dispelled it, two major shortcomings notwithstanding. The leading strength in Thursday’s fourth of seven performances was appropriately the orchestra.

Robert P. Commanday - April 27, 2010

Alan Rich, America’s most outspoken classical music critic, died in his sleep Friday in his home in West Los Angeles at the age of 85. For his entire career, he was as full-out in his enthusiasms and advocacies as he was unsparing and sharp in his assessments, always making a deep impression.

Robert P. Commanday - February 23, 2010
The dust had not even settled after the Green Music Center’s successful acoustical debut on Feb. 12, when a storm blew up in Sonoma County turning that dust into a gray cloud over the entire project. The storm last Thursday, Feb.