Classical Music Reviews

Every week, our professional critics attend concerts throughout the Bay Area to let you know what went well...and occasionally what didn't. Let their insights enrich your musical experiences, and feel free to share your own views!

Recording Review
May 26, 2020
Square Peg Round Hole Makes Music All the Day Long
BY Lou Fancher

The trio’s Silo Songs EP explores a lockdown day in four musical phases.

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Recording Review
May 23, 2020
Alana Youssefian Revives a Brilliant 18th-Century Violinist’s Music
BY Jonathan Rhodes Lee

Louis-Gabriel Guillemain turns out to be ripe for rediscovery in this valuable recording.

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Recording Review
May 23, 2020
Come for the Beethoven, Stay for the Schumann
BY Steven Winn

Kindra Scharich and Jeffrey LaDeur make musical alchemy on To My Distant Beloved.

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CD Review
May 18, 2020
Zosha Di Castri Lays Many Cards on the Table in Her First CD
BY Richard S. Ginell

A decade’s worth of the Canadian composer’s challenging new music takes time to absorb.

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Book Review
May 18, 2020
A New Biography of Odetta Reveals a Difficult Life Well Sung
BY Lou Fancher

Ian Zack’s engaging book traces the venerated singer’s artistic victory over personal struggles, rampant racism, and professional challenges.

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CD Review
May 12, 2020
Jacaranda Live Launches With Two Revived Julius Eastman Pieces
BY Richard S. Ginell

The adventurous concert series celebrates the early minimalist with an inaugural CD of his challenging music.

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CD Review
May 11, 2020
The Parting Tells a Story That Must Be Heard
BY Jason Victor Serinus

Tom Cipullo and David Mason’s chamber opera celebrates the life and stark poetry of Holocaust victim Miklós Radnóti.

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CD Review
May 11, 2020
Arvo Pärt’s Spiritual Imagination Infuses an Exciting Disc From Gloriae dei Cantores
BY Steven Winn

Stabat Mater reveals the diversity of the Estonian composer’s musical ideas.

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CD Review
May 5, 2020
Jazz Stars Explore Country Music on Sister
BY Jeff Kaliss

A trio of Norah Jones, Sasha Dobson, and Christine Popper write originals in a different key from what you expect.

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Book Review
May 4, 2020
Ellen O’Connell Whittet Shines Light on Ballet’s Hard-Knock Life
BY Lou Fancher

The former dancer’s harrowing memoir traces her journey from a promising career on the boards toward great self-fulfillment.

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