Bach

A harrowing piece of cinema, “Tár” is striking, for better or worse, for its concurrent instinct to confront and epitomize the ethos of prestige and transgression.

Kissin graced the stage of Davies Symphony Hall on a brisk San Francisco night to perform a recital spanning mood and musical epochs.

With breathing room denied before the piano’s first flaring note, Trifonov instantaneously enveloped the theater in liquid vigor.

Only Bach could lure Lang Lang to the Bay or, more dauntingly, to the Baroque. The Chinese pianist holds a coveted level of celebrity, known for his sparkling showmanship and Romantic war horses.

When Yo-Yo Ma enters a venue, the reaction is immediate. The 62-year-old cellist is synonymous with classical music itself, and even after decades of recording is still at the forefront of his craft.

Because I wasn’t immediately learning what I wanted to play, I wasn’t interested. I didn’t pay attention at all for the first two months of lessons. Apparently, during that period he taught me how to read music, and I missed all of it.