Reviews

Major Schubert

Lisa Hirsch - March 10, 2009

On Sunday, at Hertz Hall, the Takács Quartet played the second of their two Berkeley concerts this season. As with the first concert, an eminent guest joined the quartet. This time, we were lucky enough to hear Peter Wyrick, associate principal cellist of the San Francisco Symphony.

Review

Ideas Many, Meals Few

Jeff Dunn - March 10, 2009

The Other Minds Festival of New Music should rightly be proud of its track record of bringing many "other" ideas of composers from all corners of the globe to the musical table. However, an interesting idea for an ingredient is one thing; a decent musical meal, another.

Review

Music of Light and Shadow

Michelle Dulak Thomson - March 10, 2009

The seventh season of the San Francisco Conservatory's BluePrint Project had a deliberate political cast to it.

Review

A Significant Find

Jeff Dunn - March 9, 2009

Valentine's day is past, and the bloom is off the rose. Thirty years past my first deep acquaintance with Brahms and Dvořák, after repeatedly relishing in their many sublime creations, and enjoying flings with even the least of their compositions, my Don Juan for them is waning.

Until now.

Review

A Marvelous Curio

Heuwell Tircuit - March 9, 2009

Although the music of Olivier Messiaen is extremely popular these days, his songs are rarely encountered in live performance. Little wonder, for they're so overly demanding. Dramatic soprano Heidi Melton and pianist John Parr took on the major beast of the field, his largest cycle, Harawi, Sunday afternoon in Old First Church, and pulled off a triumph.

Review

Wondrous Mechanism

Jessica Balik - March 9, 2009

Who is László Klangfarben, and what is a Schick Machine? Those were the two burning questions on the minds of audience and protagonist alike during Schick Machine, a theatrical and musical work commissioned by Stanford Lively Arts and premiered Saturday evening at Stanford’s Dinkelspiel Auditorium.

Review

Charming Communicator

Jason Victor Serinus - March 9, 2009

How many tenors who hail from New Zealand can put across the Neapolitan songs of Francesco Paolo Tosti as if born and raised in southern Italy? James Benjamin Rodgers can.

Review

The Music of Sounds, Apotheosis of the Piano

Janos Gereben - March 6, 2009

Recession be damned: for the second week, new, complex, "heavy" music and Ravel have filled the 2,743-seat Davies Symphony Hall.

Review

Honoring a Pioneer

Scott Cmiel - March 3, 2009

The Spanish guitarist Margarita Escarpa offered a recital notable for finely wrought emotion, beautiful sound, and flawless technique on Saturday at the Green Room of San Francisco’s War Memorical Veterans Building.