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!

Chamber Orchestra/Orchestra Review
September 17, 2019
California Symphony Opens With a Flourish
BY David Bratman

Mezzo Rachel Calloway brilliantly channels Frida Kahlo in a Gabriela Lena Frank song cycle.

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Opera Review
September 16, 2019
LA Opera’s La bohème Dances on the Dark Side
BY Jim Farber

Strong performances bolster Barrie Kosky’s edgy production of the Puccini favorite.

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Chamber Orchestra/Orchestra Review
September 13, 2019
MTT and SF Symphony Summon a Magisterial Mahler Sixth
BY Steven Winn

The dramatic work showcases the powerful 25-year partnership between conductor and orchestra.

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New Music Review
September 13, 2019
L.A. Signal Lab Premiere Raises Cosmic Questions
BY Tamzin Elliott

The new-music group debuts the 14-movement URSA: an interstellar cantata at Monk Space.

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Jazz Review
September 10, 2019
The Ageless Ahmad Jamal
BY Andrew Gilbert

The 89-year-old piano master opens SFJAZZ’s season.

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New Music Review
September 10, 2019
Comedy and Horror and Awkward Parties: Performance Art From People Inside Electronics
BY Tamzin Elliott

Two new-music duos, Aperture Duo and Autoduplicity, engage in wanton acts of performance.

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Opera Review
September 9, 2019
SF Opera Delivers a Near-Perfect Production of Britten’s Billy Budd
BY Nicholas Jones

All the elements coalesce in this provocative interpretation of Melville’s dark novella.

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Opera Review
September 9, 2019
Pene Pati Steps In and Brings Down the House
BY Steven Winn

The local favorite fronts a powerful cast in SF Opera’s Roméo et Juliette.

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New Music Review
September 6, 2019
Resonant Bodies Festival 2019 Flouts Expectations
BY Brin Solomon

Performers of all stripes gather to explore the extremes of contemporary vocal music.

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Chamber Orchestra/Orchestra Review
September 6, 2019
Dazzling Petrushka From LA Phil at the Hollywood Bowl
BY Ben Kutner

Conductor Ludovic Morlot helped make it all sound spontaneous.

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