The Opera Tattler

Reviews of Performances and their Audiences

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Category: Concert Review

  • Gaffigan Conducts Gershwin and Ellington

    * Notes * Maestro James Gaffigan conducted the San Francisco Symphony (pictured, photograph by Stefan Cohen) in a festive program of Carlos Simon, George Gershwin, and Duke Ellington last night at Davies Hall. Hélène Grimaud joined the orchestra as soloist in Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F, which she played with technical skill and relaxed aplomb.…

  • Merola Grand Finale 2025

    * Notes * The 2025 class of Merola is quite strong. The Grand Finale for the program was held last night at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco. Conducted by Maestro Kelly Kuo, the lively orchestra was not always perfectly synchronized with the singers, but for the most part everyone sounded great. The…

  • Schwabacher Summer Concert: It’s Complicated—Love & Opera

    * Notes*The Merola Opera Program presented the first of two Schwabacher Summer Concerts (Baritone Joeavian Rivera as Dr. Malatesta, bass John Mburu as Don Pasquale, soprano Chea Kang as Norina, and tenor Tristan Tournaud pictured, photograph by Kristen Loken ) last night at San Francisco Conservatory of Music. The singers who do not fit into…

  • Mitsuko Uchida and Mahler Chamber Orchestra

    * Notes *Mahler Chamber Orchestra played a couple of Mozart piano concertos with Mitsuko Uchida (pictured with the orchestra, photograph by A. Bofill) as director and pianist at Cal Performances last Sunday. The playing was crisp and animated. Uchida had the orchestra sounding clear and there was a sense of breath in the phrasing. The…

  • SF Symphony Premieres John Adams’ Piano Concerto

    * Notes *San Francisco Symphony gave the world premiere of John Adams’ piano concerto After the Fall (2024) with Víkingur Ólafsson as the soloist last Thursday with two following performances this weekend. The orchestra was very much together with Maestro David Robertson (pictured on the left with Adams in the center and Ólafsson on the…

  • Merola Grand Finale 2024

    * Notes * This year's Merola Grand Finale was held last night at San Francisco Opera. It is always interesting to hear singers on the main stage with the full orchestra, conducted here by Steven White. The set was from Tristan und Isolde, which opens next month. There were lighting effects and two stagehands would…

  • PBO’s Theodora

    * Notes * Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Chorale opened the new season with Händel's Theodora last night at Herbst Theatre in San Francisco. There was much beautiful singing about fruit and lack there of, though not from the brilliant soprano Julie Roset (pictured, photograph by David Noles) in the title role. Maestro Richard Egarr has a…

  • SF Opera Chorus Celebrates Ian Robertson

    * Notes * The San Francisco Opera Chorus is sending off its Chorus Director Ian Robertson (pictured with the chorus, photograph by Matthew Washburn) with two sold-out concerts at the Atrium Theater this weekend. Robertson is ending his distinguished 35-season tenure with these performances, which he is conducting. Saturday evening's performance began with Associate Chorus Master…

  • NCCO Plays Philip Glass’ Piano Concerto, No. 3

    * Notes * Pianist Simone Dinnerstein (pictured left, photograph by Lisa Marie Mazzucco) gave the West Coast premiere of Philip Glass' Piano Concerto No. 3 with New Century Chamber Orchestra last night in Berkeley. The piece is sedate and dreamily meditative, written for Dinnerstein, her sensitive and unflashy playing certainly suits it well. She was…

  • ABS performs St. John Passion

    * Notes * American Bach Soloists finished a run of St. John Passion (1725 version) concerts last weekend, ending with a matinée performance in San Francisco on Sunday. The singing was excellent. Tenor Aaron Sheehan has a bright sound as the Evangelist. Though much of his part is obviously on the declamatory side, he has…