Reviews

War’s savagery is vocally painted in beautifully rendered emotion, in British baritone Christopher Maltman’s songs-of-a-soldier program.

The annual Call & Response concert from the Cypress String Quartet and its educational mission is a success.

Natalie Dessay’s recital in Davies Symphony Hall showcases the singer's considerable gifts while also evincing some vocal decline.

Flamenco’s most-prominent guitar artist, known as Tomatito, performs with his Sextet a stunning program of contemporary music for the art form.

Gustavo Dudamel’s artistic growth has raised the L.A. Philharmonic to a new level, as evidenced in its Davies Hall concerts. But Yuja Wang’s playing was far too spiky.

Though a mite repetitive, Squid, Inc.’s playful set at Berkeley’s Freight & Salvage was full of unconventional pleasures.

The ever-elegant Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra probes some lesser-known composers from the 17th and 18th centuries, to the usual grand effect.

The superb Vienna Philharmonic, with substitute conductor Andris Nelsons, outdoes itself with Mozart, Bruckner and Josef Strauss, even in the acoustically deficient Zellerbach Hall.

The depths of war and the heights of peace are explored in a wide-ranging concert by the vocal ensemble Volti, under Robert Geary’s expert direction.

A joint recital by Leah Crocetto and David Lomelí at Weill Hall offers a golden opportunity to preview what the rest of the opera world can look forward to from the stars.