Previews

Alasdair Neale and the Marin Symphony have put together a great Debussy/Ravel concert, ending with Debussy’s marvelous sea symphony, La mer. 

It doesn’t exactly take insider knowledge to proclaim that the San Francisco Ballet’s Cinderella — with choreography by Christopher Wheeldon, scenery and costumes by Julian Crouch (who designed Broadway’s The Addams Family among other things), and puppetry by renowned master Basil Twist, not to mention Prokofiev’s music — is likely to be a big hit. 

It’s almost essential to see this production of Little Women at the S.F. Conservatory of Music for anyone planning on seeing the composer/librettist’s latest opus, The Gospel of Mary Magdalene, at the S.F. Opera in June.

Taylor, 82 and amazing, sends three shows March 30-April 2 to the Novellus Theater, including local premieres of Kith and Kin, Gossamer Gallants and The Uncommitted. 

If you can’t get enough of trombones (see Berlioz’ Te Deum), you can return in May to Davies Symphony Hall for a celebration of Beethoven's middle years, which includes his rarely performed Equali for four trombones.

A trailblazing ambient-music conference, with talks and live concerts featuring a range of composers and artists, revs up for its time in the sun, in San Rafael on May 3–5.

Mattias Goerne, one of the great baritone lieder specialists of this or any age, partners with pianist/conductor Christoph Eschenbach in a performance of Schubert’s Winterreise.

Jepetha, one of the greatest music dramas ever penned, promises to be a fine performance.

The Ives Quartet has an interesting way of sandwiching the most novel or interesting piece between two standard masterworks. 

The point of this concert is to throw a spotlight on a range of cultures not normally represented on American orchestral programs in their own voices — an important component of keeping orchestral music healthy and relevant.