The Asian Art Museum now owns one of the largest and most important collections of rare 18th and 19th century Thai and Burmese material outside of Thailand; and perhaps, the largest, most esteemed collection of Thai paintings anywhere, including their country of origin. (read more)

The San Francisco Opera concludes the fall season of 2009 with performances of Giuseppe Verdi's penultimate Shakespearean masterwork Otello, and if you were still considering last-minute attendance, you really ought to grab your tickets before it is too late.

There is enough that is right about the Peter Hall production, imported from Lyric Opera of Chicago, to make a recommendation. Nevertheless, only respectful and tepid praise about the staging can be raised to the level of genuine enthusiasm by a sincere endorsement of the musical performance. Hall and production designer John Gunter have sent us a good-looking opera, but conductor Nicola Luisotti and a trio of superior singers (especially one remarkable debut artist) have made it a great-sounding one. (read more)