Reviews

It was altogether fitting that the San Francisco Symphony had all those climate conditions to simulate in Richard Strauss’ An Alpine Symphony this week.

The New Century Chamber Orchestra plays new works and venerable older ones, to reveal connections and contrasts among composer pairs.

The Festival Jérôme Bel demonstrated new ways we can think across the boundaries of artist and non-artist, performer and spectator, in refreshingly fun shows at Stanford.

The Danish String Quartet, despite a dark and foreboding program, creates a mood of holy light with its brilliant performance.

Amassing to perform Rachmaninov’s Vespers and other sacred works, S.F. Choral Society partners impressively with the Golden Gate Men’s Chorus.

Music-lovers accustomed to regarding Mikhail Glinka as the beginning of Russian concert music got a pleasant surprise from the Philharmonia Baroque.

As far as galas go, the one at Ballet San Jose welcoming the new Artistic Director spoke well for the company’s future.

Its the opera-friendly acoustic of the California Theatre, OSJ's Hansel and Gretel overflows with musical and visual delights, everyone inhabits their role so completely, and with so much relish, that the opera’s smile-filled ending is assured from the very start. 

Porgy and Bess at the Golden Gate Theatre is outstanding on every count — musically, dramatically, and especially by the strength of performances from a cast without a weak link.

San Francisco Opera’s new production of Barber of Seville is a winner from top to bottom.