Reviews

With Xerxes the S.F. Opera could not have assembled a finer cast, nor chosen a more consistently delightful production for one of Handel’s masterpieces.

A smartly laid out program of violin works, old and new, dexterously conveyed emotion while it purveyed lofty musical ideas.

The Berkeley Symphony, in its third season under Joana Carneiro, continues to celebrate young talent in a concert that was a victory for composer, performers, and audience.

Alan Gilbert led the S.F. Symphony in a brief concert that was long on good graces, establishing close and effortless contact with the orchestra, and polishing off the two similar classics with panache.

A recital by Baritone Simon Keenlyside offers a handsome voice and an audience that leaves smiling at the lovable character with a rare gift for song.

You probably haven't heard the music on these two CDs, but the high quality of the compositions and the playing will make you sit up and pay attention.

Art at its finest not only engages the mind and heart, but also impels us to sink deeper into the truths of who we are. Desdemona a collaboration by Toni Morrison, Rokia Traoré, and Peter Sellars that runs at UC Berkeley’s Zellerbach Playhouse through Oct. 29, demands to be seen.

Creative performances and unusual music choices highlight a program of antique Gypsy music.

Alongside Haydn and Schubert, the St. Lawrence Quartet comes up against a Golijov work that’s intriguing but unfinished.

Immaculate playing, with eloquence in all the right places, distinguishes violinist Charlie Siem’s latest CD.