The Opera Tattler
Reviews of Performances and their Audiences
Category: Cal Performances
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* Notes * Bass-baritone Bryn Terfel is currently in California for performances at LA Phil this week, but he stopped by Berkeley for a recital presented by Cal Performances last night. The first half of the program was devoted to Schumann, and Terfel sang Belsatzar, Liederkreis, "Die beiden Grenadiere" from Romanzen und Balladen, and Mein Wagen…
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Tonight I am off to the third performance of San Francisco Opera's The Makropulos Case. It is so wonderful, I regret not being able to attend every performance. During the fourth performance on next Saturday I will be in Berkeley hearing Bryn Terfel sing Schumann, Finzi, and Ibert. Since I have never heard Terfel before,…
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* Notes * Kremerata Baltica is touring North America and performed in Berkeley yesterday as part of the current season of Cal Performances. The first piece, Šerkšnytė’s De Profundis, did not include artistic leader and soloist Gidon Kremer. The playing had much fire, and one could feel an intense commitment to the music from all the…
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* Notes * Cal Performances presented a lecture from Alex Ross entitled Chacona, Lamento, Walking Blues: Bass Lines of Music History last Thursday in Berkeley. The talk is based on the second chapter of his new book, Listen to This. We started off with the chaconne, a Spanish dance popular in the early 17th century. The…
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Here are some of the videos from Cal Performances that were presented at the press conference for the 2010-2011 season. The first is of tenor Ian Bostridge speaking on Händel, the second on the Britten operas being presented, and the third of soprano Jessica Rivera and composer Mark Grey discussing Atash Sorushan. Subscriptions go on sale today at noon.…
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September 24 2010: Bayanihan Philippine National Dance Company September 26 2010: Fall Free for All: Open House at Cal Performances September 30- October 3 2010: Mark Morris Dance GroupOctober 7-10 2010: Circus OzOctober 10 2010: David Finckel, cello & Wu Han, pianoOctober 14 2010: Alex RossOctober 15 2010: Jerusalem QuartetOctober 22 2010: Gamelan Çudamani October 24 2010:…
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* Notes * Tenor Ian Bostridge is currently finishing a US recital tour with pianist Julius Drake. As part of this, Bostridge sang Schubert's Winterreise in Berkeley last Sunday, and it was clear he has a fine rapport with his accompanist. Both Bostridge and Drake were quite intent on the work at hand, rapt even, and…
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* Notes * Jordi Savall’s Hespèrion XXI performed a sold-out concert in Berkeley last Tuesday. The program, entitled Lux Feminae (900-1600): Seven Portraits of the Woman in Ancient Hesperia, featured soprano Montserrat Figueras (she also accompanied herself with the cithara); Pierre Hamon on woodwind instruments including the ney, gaita, and flutes; Dimitri Psonis playing the stringed…
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* Notes * The Tallis Scholars started their latest US tour in Berkeley yesterday evening. The first half of the program consisted of Josquin's Missa De beata virgine, which was sung with remarkable clarity. The nine singers were perfectly synchronized under the direction of Peter Phillips. After the intermission we heard impeccable singing of Nesbett's Magnificat.…
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