Early Music/Baroque

Gesture Into Sound

Michelle Dulak Thomson - April 28, 2009

It’s a strange sensation, finally hearing in the flesh an ensemble you’ve wanted to hear in concert for a couple of decades. Judging by the friends I met and talked to at the Quatuor Mosaïques’ Bay Area debut Wednesday at Berkeley’s First Congregational Church, I’m not alone in having followed the quartet for decades without having had an opportunity to hear them live.

Review

Power Play

Michael Zwiebach - April 20, 2009

The Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and their indefatigable music director, Nicholas McGegan, were in top form as they tore into Handel’s oratorio Athalia Saturday night. That means that a writer can only cast about for enough synonyms for the word wonderful.

Review

A Rare Treat From a Treble Duo

Jonathan Rhodes Lee - April 20, 2009

You don't very often encounter ensembles specializing in music of the French salon. Even more rarely do you get to hear a pardessus de viol duo. Put those two conditions together and you've got the Catacoustic Consort, whose debut on the San Francisco Early Music Society's concert series (heard Saturday at St.

Preview

Handel's Wicked Queen

Janos Gereben - April 14, 2009

Music Director Nicholas McGegan and Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra conclude their 28th season with Handel’s Athalia (see

Review

In Light of Reason

Joseph Sargent - April 6, 2009

An unmistakable allure surrounds concerts that bring long-neglected music into the new light of day. Aside from the sheer novelty of presenting repertory otherwise seldom available in concert or on recordings, these efforts can prove highly memorable for the listener, who comes away with a distinct feeling of having experienced something special.

Magnificat: Scarlatti Serenata

Michael Zwiebach - March 24, 2009

In the old days, when classical music was reserved for upper-crust audiences, a lot of music got one or two performances and then was put away in a library and forgotten. That’s why a group like Magnificat, Warren Stewart’s 17th-century music band, is so much fun to see. Often their performance of a piece is the only chance you’ll get to experience it live.

Review

Forecast: Wet, Windy, and Warm

Michelle Dulak Thomson - March 23, 2009

When violinist and co-concertmaster Elizabeth Blumenstock takes over the reins of the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, as she generally does once a season, the orchestra assumes a slightly different cast, a more intimate one. Part of that comes from the exigencies of leading from the violin rather than the podium.

Review

Glories of the Baroque

Rebekah Ahrendt - March 17, 2009

The members of the California Bach Society deserved all the applause they received on Sunday afternoon, plus more. Until then, I had not had the opportunity to hear the group since Paul Flight became artistic director.

Preview

The Secret of the Muse

Catherine Getches - March 11, 2009

The Catacoustic Consort delves into an intriguing era in musical history with music of the French Baroque for the rare pardessus de viole, a hybrid that blends violin and viola da gamba. While the viola da gamba first appeared around 1480 in Italy, the pardessus did not appear until the early 1700s in France, when it became a staple of Versailles heyday.

Review

The Sound of Shakespeare

Georgia Rowe - March 3, 2009

With their magical imagery and multiple musical cues, the plays of William Shakespeare have been a constant source of inspiration, for composers from the playwright’s era to our own.