It’s “Mahler Unleashed” month at the New England Conservatory. I heartily recommend all of the “Mahler Unleashed” events.
By Susan Miron.
Bostonians, mark your calendars—Sunday, November 6 will be a day of mega-quality. You have the choice of hearing the Boston Lyric Opera do Verdi’s Macbeth at the Schubert Theater; Sanford Sylvan singing as part of Emmanuel Music’s excellent Beethoven Series down the road at the Emmanuel Church; Boston Artists Ensemble performing at Trinity Church, Newton, MA., Boston Cecilia playing Bach’s St. Matthew Passion at Jordan Hall; and the Discovery Ensemble under Courtney Lewis presenting a great program including the Mozart Clarinet Concerto with BSO Principal Clarinet William R. Hudgins.
Here’s the rest of the month’s standouts:
Mahler’s Symphony No. 3. At The New England Conservatory (NEC), Jordan Hall, Boston, MA, November 2, 8 p.m. Hugh Wolf conducts the NEC Philharmonia, NEC Women’s Choir, and Preparatory School Children’s Chorus performing Mahler’s Symphony No. 3. Vocal soloist is mezzo-soprano Jaime Korkos, a student of Luretta Bybee.
Haydn’s Symphony No. 1 and No. 100. Presented by the Boston Symphony Orchestra. At Symphony Hall, Boston, MA, November 3 and 5 at 8p.m., and November 4 at 1:30p.m.; Open rehearsal on November 3 at 10:30 a.m. Conductor Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, bass-baritone, James Morris, and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, John Oliver, conductor, tackle Haydn’s Symphony No 1 and No. 100, “Military” and Excerpts from Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. Morris all but owns the role of Hans Sachs in the latter.
Missa Solemnis. Presented The Masterworks Chorale, Sanders Theatre, Cambridge, MA, November 4, 8 p.m. Beethoven’s magnificent Missa Solemnis is the Chorale’s choice to kick off its 72nd season Joining the Masterworks chorus and orchestra are soprano Barbara Kilduff, mezzo-soprano Pamela Dellal, tenor Charles Blandy, and baritone Dana Whiteside.
Apollo’s Fire. Presented by the Boston Early Music Festival (BEMF). At Emmanuel Church, Boston, MA, November 5, 8 p.m. The BEMF presents Apollo’s Fire with famed countertenor Philippe Jaroussky as well as Handel and Vivaldi: “Fireworks.” Superstar countertenor Jaroussky returns to the Boston concert stage after his breathtaking performance in the BEMF 2011 centerpiece opera, Niobe, Regina di Tebe, in a concert with Apollo’s Fire, the Cleveland Baroque Orchestra. Led by Jeannette Sorrell, Apollo’s Fire has been consistently recognized as one of the world’s finest period-instrument orchestras.
Sharan Leventhal. At Arlington Street Church, 351 Boylston Street, Boston, MA, November 6, 1:30 p.m. Excellent violinist Sharan Leventhal performs unaccompanied violin music by Bach, Telemann, and Martin Butler (“Bluegrass Variations”).
Wednesday Concert Series offers free classical music each Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at the Church of St. John Evangelist, 35 Bowdoin Street, Boston, MA.
November 9: Christopher Smith (tenor), Randal Despommier (alto saxophone), and Artem Belogurov (piano) will perform works by Bach and Despommier
November 16: David McGrory (piano) will perform “Memories of Childhood,” featuring works by Janacek and Schumann.
November 23: Nick Dinnerstein (cello) will perform “Minimalism and More,” featuring works by Arvo Pärt.
November 30: Anney Gillotte (soprano) and Karen Burciaga (Baroque violin) will perform 17th-century, English songs.
First Monday. Presented by NEC. At Jordan Hall, Boston, MA, November 7, 8 p.m. A performance of the Brahms Piano Quintet in its original format, featuring a second cello instead of piano, Mahler/Schnittke Piano Quartet, and the Spohr Nonet.
Pathways to Heaven. Presented by NEC. At Jordan Hall, Boston MA, November 9, 8 p.m. The NEC Symphony, conducted by David Loebel, Associate Director of Orchestras, performs Messiaen’s L’Ascension and Mahler’s Symphony No. 4.
Angelical Kirchschlager and Jean-Yves Thibaudet. Presented by the Celebrity Series of Boston. At Jordan Hall, Boston, MA, November 11, 8 p.m. Mezzo-soprano Angelical Kirchschlager and pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet perform Brahms and Liszt. Thibaudet, a brilliant pianist, is a singer’s dream partner (check out his CD with Renée Fleming, Night Songs)
The Orion String Quartet. Presented by the Celebrity Series of Boston, Jordan Hall, Boston, MA, November 12, 8 p.m. The Orion String Quartet is joined by David Shifrin on clarinet. On the program are Clarinet quintets of Neikrug (Boston premiere) and Mozart,
Chameleon Arts Ensemble. At the First Church Boston, Boston, MA, November 12, 8 p.m. and at the Goethe Institut, 170 Beacon St., Boston, MA, November 13, 3 p.m. The always intriguing Chameleon Arts Ensemble plays works based on “sounds, echoes, and wandering strains”—the music of Schubert, Poulenc, Brahms, and Libby Larsen’s “Corker” for clarinet and percussion will be featured.
The Aura of Mahler. Presented by the NEC Contempory Ensemble. At NEC’s Jordan Hall, Boston, MA, November 15, 8 p.m. The NEC Contemporary Ensemble, conducted by John Heiss, performs an interesting program of works by Mahler, his Viennese modernist contemporaries and successors, and a late 20th-century composer who perpetuated Mahler’s “aura.” The line-up includes works by Berg, Mahler, Schnittke, Schoenberg, Webern, and Kurtág.
Itzhak Perlman. Presented by the Celebrity Series of Boston. At Symphony Hall, Boston, MA, November 20, 3 p.m. The man, the legend comes to town: violinist Itzhak Perlman, with Rohan De Silva on piano.
Boston Early Music Festival. At NEC’s Jordan Hall, Boston, MA, November 26 at 8 p.m. and November 27 at 3 p.m. The BEMF performs a Charpentier Double Bill: La Descente d’Orphee aux Enfers & La Couronne de Fleurs. Some of the creative firepower includes Paul O’Dette & Stephen Stubbs, Musical Directors, Gilbert Blin, Stage Director, and Anna Watkins, Costume Designer. These autumn operas are always a lot of fun—highly recommended!
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