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Month: September 2015

ASTONISHING OPERATIC DOINGS AT MILLS COLLEGE

ASTONISHING OPERATIC DOINGS AT MILLS COLLEGE

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Prewar One-Act Milhaud Opera the Highlight OAKLAND—The Bay Area’s most significant September musical event arguably transpired with a small opera in a small hall, well off the beaten track. It was also a night of supreme nostalgia, unfolding with the revival of a Milhaud opera about Medea at Mills College’s arts-encrusted Concert Hall. With many alumnae of early Mills classes reuniting on the occasion, the college paid homage to one of its music stars who had held forth at concerts…

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CHANTICLEER IN MUSIC (VERY) OLD, (VERY) NEW

CHANTICLEER IN MUSIC (VERY) OLD, (VERY) NEW

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BERKELEY—With Chanticleer there’s a musical magic that sweeps you, right along with the perfection of harmonies and tuning. The all-male local chorus of 12, unaccompanied throughout, remains a paragon to compare with the elite European groups. Having in the mix that rarest of all species, male sopranos, enables Chanticleer’s performing a much wider repertoire, including mixed choruses, or choirs of men and boys. “Singing in Chanticleer is basically a young man’s game,” explains the new Music Director William Fred Scott,…

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GRAND AND CHAMBER: OPPOSING CONCEPTS

GRAND AND CHAMBER: OPPOSING CONCEPTS

Overwhelming Voice at the NCCO Opener BERKELEY—-The grand operatic approach can be heavenly with a diva like soprano Ailyn Pérez, who is just back from a starring role at LaScala. But in an intimate church setting as soloist with a small string orchestra, it can misfire. She tackled an ambitious almost-all-Russian program opening the New Century Chamber Orchestra season Sept. 17. The rest of the program of snippets and transcriptions was much more promising, though given the huge repertoire for…

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DANCE INSPIRED BY WRITERS

DANCE INSPIRED BY WRITERS

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Smuin Ballet Pursues a New Tack in Premieres By Paul Hertelendy artssf.com, the independent observer of San Francisco Bay Area music and dance Week of Sept. 19-26, 2015 Vol. 18, No. 15 WALNUT CREEK, CA—Inspiration from writers is the driving force behind two arresting premieres offered by the stylish Smuin Ballet to open its 22nd season. As always, the 16-member company offers an array of extra limber dancers, athletic, yet unified in closely coordinated group moves in a chameleon mix…

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SONDHEIM’S ‘COMPANY’ RETURNS, TRACING WAYS OF LOVE

SONDHEIM’S ‘COMPANY’ RETURNS, TRACING WAYS OF LOVE

SF Playhouse has neatly staged one of Stephen Sondheim’s greatest hits, “Company,” a musical play about Robert who is celebrating his 35th birthday with lots of friends. He is single and most of them, except for his three girlfriends, are married. What makes Sondheim great is his persistent minimal beat, his playing with dissonance, his frenetic pace juxtaposed with beautiful ballads, his element of quick and unexpected change and that doesn’t even mention his complex and philosophical lyrics that are…

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