ArtsSF

BERKELEY—I don’t know if it was more revelation or intoxication. But American Bach’s lucid performance of the St. John Passion offered gobs of both. Yes, even Bach can be intoxicating with his lesser-known Passion oratorio—–usually running in 2nd place to the St. Matthew Passion, which for me is the greatest baroque opera of all, even in a sacred-concert version. The St. John came much earlier, dealing with the suffering/death of Christ in a more detached, consolatory and lyrical way. Clearly,…

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BERKELEY—Dramatize the ancient Mayan saga, and do so at your own risk. The intrepid and ageless faculty composer Cindy Cox is a risk-taker, creating a dazzling oratorio-like version of the epic Mayan myth “Popol Vuh,” a generous concert portion of which was unveiled at Hertz Hall by the Eco Ensemble Feb. 3. It’s an animist story of man versus the evil forces of the Lords of Death that threaten to wipe out every one. This could well be the oldest…

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BERKELEY—-Enterprising local forces brought together a far-reaching program of “Voices of War,” including a trudging Tippett oratorio and a world premiere by the Australian Sam Wu. The ambitious concert under Ming Luke spotlighted the Berkeley Community Chorus and Orchestra, with more than 100 (off-campus) singers and a full instrumental ensemble. The highlight was BCCO competition winner Wu’s “the wind blows full of sand,” a sensitive 12-minute outpouring with poetry of Li Po. If the latter sounds familiar, the eighth-century Chinese…

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STANFORD, CA—A touring concert version of John Adams’ Christmas oratorio showed both strengths and weaknesses as presented here by AMOC, alias the Julia-Christian show. The touring version, “El Niño: Nativity Reconsidered” had to be streamlined, deleting the original film supplement to “El Niño,” along with some of its impact portraying the plight of today’s migrating Latinos as seen through the lens of the Bible. It is a close-to-the-vest neoclassical piece crying out loudly for a choral component. Adams’ closest “relative”…

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BERKELEY, CA—-With soprano Joyce DiDonato, it’s never just another glowing recital by a Met star. It’s a talk, it’s a tribute, it’s a message, it’s a staged monodrama, this time it’s even a postlude by an inspired youth choir. Breaking the bonds of the elderly recital medium, she is an object lesson for aspiring vocalists who absolutely need to tune in on her trajectory—a mandatory master class for conservatory students, whether they’re violin, kazoo, piano or piccolo specialists planning their…

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BERKELEY—Are our migrants heroes or opportunists? Decidedly heroes, in composer Jimmy López’s view. He made a strong case for them in his evocative world premiere oratorio “Dreamers,” featuring a sensitive libretto by Nilo Cruz. With the amazing maestro Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting, the 41-minute oratorio was unreeled at Zellerbach Hall March 17. “Dreamers” traces all migrants, from pre-history around the world, in an abstract story-telling. As it turns to the specific plight of the Dreamers and their followers across our frontiers…

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“Don’t grab the frog!” Invaluable advice for any string players joining a period-instruments ensemble like Philharmonia Baroque, who hopefully knows better than to hunt bullfrogs down in the water-soaked reeds. No, young people, it’s all about the handle of the violin bow (called the frog), which you leave untouched, grasping the bow further up, as in the days of Bach, thereby getting a mellower, less metallic and more supple sound. That was one of many lessons in hearing the PBO…

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