The Opera Tattler

Reviews of Performances and their Audiences

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Category: Concert Review

  • Adler Fellows Gala Concert 2010

    * Notes *The Adler Fellows Gala Concert at Herbst Theatre last night involved much repertoire in the French language, there were no arias from Wagner or Strauss. It was refreshing to see the orchestra on the stage as they started the concert with the overture from Ruslan and Lyudmila. Maya Lahyani was the consummate singer/actress…

  • Elza van den Heever sings 4 Last Songs

    * Notes * Michael Tilson Thomas is conducting San Francisco Symphony in a program of Schubert and Richard Strauss this week. MTT introduced the Schubert piece, the Entr'acte No. 1 (Allegro molto moderato), from Incidental Music for the Play Rosamunde, D.797, noting it has never been played by SF Symphony before and is in B…

  • Michael Francis & Rufus Wainwright at SFS

    * Notes * Michael Francis is currently conducting San Francisco Symphony in a program of Milhaud’s La Création du monde, Rufus Wainwright’s Five Shakespeare Sonnets, and Weill’s Symphony No. 2. Last night’s performance began with the jazz-influenced piece by Milhaud. The small ensemble did not appear to include a viola. The saxophone, clarinet, and oboe were particularly…

  • Mutter-Bashmet-Harrell Trio

    * Notes * The Mutter-Bashmet-Harrell Trio played a program of Beethoven yesterday night at Davies Hall in San Francisco. The performance started with a charming rendition of the String Trio in C minor, Opus 9, No. 3. Anne-Sophie Mutter, Yuri Bashmet, and Lynn Harrell all have a different shape to their playing, but it seemed they had…

  • Le quattro stagioni at PBO

    * Notes * Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra's latest program features Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, and the first of five performances under Nicholas McGegan occurred last night at Herbst Theatre in San Francisco. The first piece, Corelli's Concerto grosso Op. 6, No. 11 in B-flat major, was played jauntily but seemed a bit flustered. The Pergolesi that came…

  • Carlos Kalmar & Joélle Harvey at SFS

    * Notes * Carlos Kalmar is currently conducting San Francisco Symphony in a program of Schnittke's Moz-Art à la Haydn, Haydn's Symphony No. 97, and Orff's Carmina burana. Last night's performance commenced with the amusing piece by Schnittke, scored for 13 strings and conductor, the ensemble was clear and incisive. The two violin soloists, Alexander Barantschik and…

  • The Seasons Project at SF Performances

    * Notes * The Venice Baroque Orchestra (pictured left) and Robert McDuffie are currently touring the United States in a program entitled "The Seasons Project." Their stop last night at Herbst Theatre was presented by San Francisco Performances. The evening started with Vivaldi's famous Le quattro stagioni (The Four Seasons), which was played with much energy and joy,…

  • Kremerata Baltica at Cal Performances

    * 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…

  • Pablo Heras-Casado & Alice Sara Ott at SFS

    * Notes * This week Pablo Heras-Casado just finished conducting San Francisco Symphony in a program of Mendelssohn’s Fingal’s Cave, Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1, György Kurtág‘s Grabstein für Stephan, and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 12. Yesterday’s performance began with Mendelssohn, and it seemed that Heras-Casado was drawing this music out of the players. The clarinet solo…

  • Daniel Harding conducts the Dresden Staatskapelle Orchestra

    * Notes * Daniel Harding conducted the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden in a program of Schumann, Beethoven, and Brahms in San Francisco on Sunday evening. The performance started with the Manfred Overture. Harding gave many cues, all far in advance of when they were acted upon. The playing was focused, the brass lucid, and the flute sweet.…