Reviews

Stanford University’s new Bing Concert Hall received its first public outing with a gala opening night celebration on Friday, the first program on a crowded Stanford Live winter/spring schedule.

David Fray’s account of Bach-in-a-minor-mode is puzzling, despite some deeply felt playing.

Debussy’s 150th birthday, celebrated fittingly by the S.F. Symphony with two great orchestral works, was lent a special luster with performances by Renée Fleming.

The San José Chamber Orchestra tribute to Lou Harrison and his and all his colleagues brought richness and depth, also evinced in the dedication that Turner and her musicians brought to the music.

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.