It’s Sunday night, and Hertz Hall’s theater is dark but packed full of people. No one dares to move or speak as a chilling trill cuts through the silent air. More strings chime in, and the stage is illuminated to reveal a small orchestra of cellos. Their sound is crisp, Read More…
Crowds seated in chairs, music free of audience participation and applause limited to breaks between songs are not typical sights or sounds at Berkeley’s Hearst Greek Theatre. On Aug. 24, Cal Performances brought a new kind of show to the venue — “The Goat Rodeo Sessions,” a collaborative project featuring Read More…
Believe it or not, it’s already that time of the semester. Dead week is creeping upon us with only a week of regular instruction left. The Clog knows that you’ll be seriously stressing out in a few days — or maybe you’re stressing out already — and we want you to Read More…
This week, Cal welcomes the age-old art of opera into our hallowed Zellerbach Hall. We assume most people don’t know too much about opera, so we thought that we’d go see it and give you our two cents from the perspective of an average college student. Here’s what we thought Read More…
The story itself is a simple tale: It reveals the healing power of nature and a triumph over misfortune and heartbreak. But the effort put into the visuals of the opera are astounding and sophisticated. Read More…
As soon as Emanuel Ax stepped onto the Zellerbach Hall stage, the anxiously chattering crowd quieted down, took their seats and burst into boisterous applause. The concert hall was filled to the brim for the world-renowned Polish pianist on Nov. 13, a testament to the artist’s acclaim. Even before the Read More…
Angelique Kidjo’s voice is slightly deep and raspy. It tells you that she is not a woman to be trifled with. With her closely cropped hair, glowing brown skin and almond eyes, she struts across stages in pantsuits and printed shirts, casting spells on riveted audiences. To list all of Read More…
In New York City, sometime in the early hours of October 30, a car made its way uptown. The streets were unusually empty for that hour (or any hour in NYC). A hurricane was in town and instead of the benign ambivalence with which the city usually greets new arrivals, Read More…
For the uninitiated: Jazz, though underpinned by a malleable lattice of chords and rhythms, relies heavily on improvisation and invention. But originality is not always the prerequisite for inspiration. Often, performers call upon the genius of their forebears and insert snippets of past work into their performance. “Those are invoked,” Read More…
Writing a review of “Einstein on the Beach” is a profound challenge. The opera is hailed as one of the crowning artistic achievements of the 20th century and remains among the most important contributors to modern performance culture. And yet, despite the glitz and glamor surrounding the opera, the endless Read More…