Previews

It's that time: early in the year SFCV advised our readers that the Ensemble Parallèle performance of Philip Glass' Orphée was going to be a highlight of the year. That is still true.

Sexual fixation is par for the course in the operatic universe. Yet, Berkeley West Edge Opera's upcoming production promises a new twist and intriguing insight into the characters.

Don't miss Rafal Blechacz's recital for Chamber Music San Francisco, if you like good pianism. Winner of the Chopin Competition in Warsaw, Blechacz is playing two of Chopin's Ballades here, but also Debussy's L'Isle Joyeuse. Since his last visit, in 2008, he's won three more awards, recorded three albums for DG, and wowed audiences in major venues, receiving rave reviews. He's major.

For choral enthusiasts, the professional Sanford Dole Ensemble is the obvious choice this weekend. The group is giving the premieres of two pieces by local, Bay Area composers as well as the local premiere of David Conte's The Nine Muses.

It's almost sold-out, so if you're an opera fan starving for some all-out singing, you might just see if a few tickets to West Bay Opera's Turandot can be had.

If you're going to go Baroque-music prospecting, Germany is a great place to start digging. So when Les grâces, the trio of Baroque musicians out of UC Berkeley, say they're going to play some of this music in addition to the big guys, just save the date.

The celebrated Vienna Philharmonic is coming to Berkeley. David Bratman looks beyond the mystique at what lies at the core of the Philharmonic's style

Choral enthusiasts are likely to be flocking to Grace Cathedral and Livermore's Bankhead Theater later this week to hear the Vienna Boys' Choir.

Younger chamber music players are an inspiring bunch. They'll try anything, and since these groups have chops to spare, they usually succeed wildly. The Israeli Chamber Project is an example of this diversity.

The Borodin Quartet needs no introduction to chamber music fans. The group is playing two of Shostakovich's most popular quartets in its upcoming concerts, making this is the pick of the litter of this week's chamber performances.