Music is often concerned with telling stories, but narrative isn’t always the explicit subject matter. The Berkeley Symphony will conclude its season under Music Director Joseph Young with a program of works dedicated to the topic.
Carlos Simon’s 2017 work “Portrait of a Queen” calls on a female narrator — in this case actor Leontyne Mbele-Mbong — to trace the evolution of Black life in America through one woman’s consciousness. “Lotus Prayer,” a commissioned world premiere by Chinese-born composer Xi Wang, promises a different kind of musical portraiture.
Finally, Rimsky-Korsakov’s opulently scored “Scheherazade” celebrates one of culture’s most noteworthy female storytellers, wordlessly spinning out tales of adventure and romance.
Datebook Tips
You only have to walk a few blocks away from campus to check out therecently revamped menuat Henry’s, a long-time favorite with the before-game crowd. Led by Chris Kronner of KronnerBurger fame there’s a new burger, of course, bar snacks and what former Chronicle critic Michael Bauer deemed first-rate cocktails. If you’re heading in from Bart, Downtown provides lots moredining options选择from.