Orphée, Rothko Chapel, and the Vienna Phil this weekend

This weekend promises to be memorable for music and opera enthusiasts.

First up, starting tonight and continuing through Saturday, the San Francisco Symphony is performing Mozart's Requiem and Morton Feldman's Rothko Chapel. Two masterpieces of their respective eras, these concerts promise to be a highlight of the season. Michael Tilson Thomas conducts.

Then on Friday through Sunday nights, Cal Performances presents The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra at Zellerbach Hall on the UC Berkeley campus. Making their first local appearance in more than twenty years, renowned conductor Semyon Bychkov will lead one of the world's great orchestras through a different program each night.

To cap it all off, Nicole Paiement's renegade opera company Ensemble Parallèle is staging Phillip Glass' Orphée. Recently described by the New York Times as one of Glass’ “most inspired works” and a“mythic modern opera,” Ensemble Parallèle’s Orphée is set by Brian Staufenbiel partly in the magical world of the circus, underscoring the interplay of the real, unreal and surreal represented in this important work. Inspired by Jean Cocteau's cinematic techniques, Staufenbiel's concept will incorporate floating panel projections, transformed mirrors and stage illusions reflecting the altered mental states of the characters as they move from our world to the underworld. In this new production, the Princess takes on the role of the circus ringmaster, tying the circus-like underworld with the real world. An impressive cast includes Eugene Brancoveanu in the title role, Marnie Breckinridge, John Dukyers, Susannah Biller, Thomas Glenn and Austin Kness. There are only two performances- Saturday night and a Sunday matinee at Herbst. Don't worry- you'll still have time to watch the Oscars afterward. Consider it not-to-be-missed.

Tickets for all of these events are still available.