Reviews

Composer Arvo Pärt remains haunted by the Bible’s Adam, and a new CD reflects his probing musical ideas.

The American Bach Soloists presented the Messiah to great effect; the music took advantage of the striking atmospheric advantages in San Francisco’s grandest sacred space, and met the challenge of connecting — personally —  to the listener in such a large, reverberant canyon.

In an at-home yet grand setting, the Aulos Ensemble play music the large Bach family might have assembled for its own entertainment.

Virtuosic playing takes center stage on eighth blackbird’s latest CD, sometimes at the expense of the music’s power and beauty.

Bach’s summation of his art as a composer, his Mass in B Minor, made for a healing concert the day after a horrific event.

Under the baton of an acclaimed guest conductor, Philharmonia Baroque offers a joyful program of Christmas cheer.

The New Century Chamber Orchestra’s concert featuring The Four Seasons was bursting with soloists; almost every member of the 20-strong string (and harpsichord continuo) ensemble had a turn.

Dazzling pacing and sumptuous playing mark performances by the Tokyo Quartet’s two guest soloists.

In her farewell-to-San Francisco recital at the Hotel Rex, soprano Nadine Sierra gave a memorable performance throughout; her warmth and intelligence shone through.

A premiere, a polyrhythmic Ligeti piano concerto, and a revered symphony make up the bill of fare at the Berkeley Symphony.