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Bayrakdarian Makes Her S.F. Performances Recital Debut

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  • Bayrakdarian Makes Her S.F. Performances Recital Debut

    BAYRAKDARIAN MAKES HER S.F. PERFORMANCES RECITAL DEBUT
    By Sue Gilmore

    Contra Costa Times
    10/03/2008 12:01:00 AM PDT
    CA

    She won't be coming with an orchestra from the land of her heritage
    as originally planned, but the beautiful Armenian-Canadian soprano
    Isabel Bayrakdarian will make her San Francisco Performances debut
    Saturday night at the Herbst Theatre in good company nonetheless.

    The Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, an ensemble from the province
    the 34-year-old singer now calls home, has replaced the Armenian
    Philharmonic, which had to withdraw due to funding difficulties. But
    the center of the program still revolves around the songs of composer
    Gomidas Vartabed (1869-1935), a monk and lifelong champion of the
    Armenian cause who is considered the founder of Armenian classical
    music.

    Bayrakdarian, who first captured attention by winning the 2000
    Operalia competition founded by Placido Domingo, may strike a chord
    in some music lovers' memories here. She appeared here as Cleopatra
    with the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra in March, singing excerpts
    from four operas based on the Egyptian queen; two years earlier, she
    sang in the world premiere of Jake Heggie's mini-opera "To Hell and
    Back" with the same ensemble. And that's her voice you hear floating
    ethereally in the "Evenstar" portion of "The Lord of the Rings:
    The Two Towers" soundtrack.

    In addition to performing some of Gomidas' haunting music, Bayrakdarian
    has shaped the rest of her program to complement the Armenian theme. It
    includes Bartok's "Romanian Folk Dances," Ravel's "Deux

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    Advert isement
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    Melodies Hebraiques," Skalottas' "Greek Dances" and Klein's "Variations
    on a Moravian Folksong." Piano accompaniment will be provided
    by Bayrakdarian's husband, Serouj Kradjian, who arranged several
    works on the program and also accompanied her on "Gomidas Songs," a
    just-released Nonesuch CD recorded with the Armenian Philharmonic. The
    Manitoba Chamber Orchestra will be conducted by Anne Manson.

    Details: 8 p.m. Oct. 4, 401 Van Ness Ave., S.F.; $40-$65; 415-392-2545
    or www.performances.org.

    Online: To see and hear Bayrakdarian perform Gomidas' "Andouni"
    ("Homeless"), go to ContraCostaTimes.com. or InsideBayArea.com.

    TUNE IN ALSO TO: Cal Performances has the Goode stuff on tap Sunday
    afternoon with preeminent pianist Richard Goode scheduled to play music
    by Bach, Chopin and Schubert in a recital in Zellerbach Hall. Details:
    3 p.m. Sunday, Bancroft at Telegraph, Berkeley; $34-$62; 510-642-9988
    or www.calperformances.org.

    Organizers of the Jewish Music Festival (March 21-29) have gathered
    quite an assortment of musicians for a preview concert Sunday night
    at the Jewish Community Center of the East Bay. Members of the San
    Francisco Opera, the Ballet Orchestra and Symphony ensembles join
    musicians from Earplay, Philharmonia Baroque and other groups to
    collaborate on the music of Kurt Weill, Arnold Schoenberg and Hanns
    Eisler. They're labeling it the "Degenerate Music of Weimar Berlin"
    because that's what Hitler, who didn't much cotton to it, called
    it. Details: 7:30 p.m. Sunday, 1414 Walnut St., Berkeley; $15-$20;
    800-838-3006 or www.brownpapertickets.com.

    Berkeley's Crowden Music Center launches its new season of the
    Sundays@Four Chamber series this weekend with a concert featuring the
    Afiara String Quartet, the in-residence ensemble at San Francisco
    State's International Center for the Arts. On their program are
    Schubert's "Quartetsatz," Berg's "Lyric Suite" and Beethoven's
    String Quartet No. 8 in E-minor, one of the famous "Rasumovsky"
    quartets. Details: 4 p.m. Sunday, 1475 Rose St., Berkeley; $12 (free
    for 18 and younger); 510-559-2941 or www.crowden.org.

    SOMETHING TO CROW ABOUT: Our multiple Grammy-grabbing local vocal
    heroes, the a cappella male singers of Chanticleer, are putting another
    feather in their, um, crowns. Last week came the announcement that
    the 12-member ensemble will be inducted into the American Classical
    Music Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Cincinnati's Memorial Hall on
    Thursday. They'll perform a program at the Cathedral of Saint Peter in
    Chains there the next day, but you can catch them at 5 p.m. Oct. 19
    in San Francisco's St. Francis Church, 1112 26th St., with their
    first season program, "Wondrous Free." Tickets are $25-$44. Contact
    415-252-8589 or www.chanticleer.org.

    The guys have also just released a new Warner Classics CD-DVD,
    "Mission Road," which explores the Mexican- and Spanish-influenced
    music of the California Mission period. I've heard it, and I won't be
    a bit surprised if it lands among the Grammy nominees early next year.

    VANCE ADVANCES: And while we're in a congratulatory mood, here's a
    convivial pat on the back to former San Francisco Symphony Chorus
    conductor Vance George, who stepped down from that post last year
    after 23 years. Last week, it was announced that George will join
    the San Francisco State University faculty to lead the S.F. State
    Chamber Singers, the top choir in the School of Music and Dance. And
    he'll be an honored guest at the school's Opera Gala at 7:30
    p.m. Oct. 17. For program and ticket information, call 415-405-2849
    or visit creativearts.sfsu.edu.

    Tuned In appears every other Friday in Weekend Preview. Reach Sue
    Gilmore at [email protected].
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