Classical Music Agenda
December is the month when the classical music concert schedule gets hijacked by that yearly plague, the Christmas Concert, and its politically correct counterpart, the Holiday Concert. Later this week, we'll be bringing you a special roundup of musical opportunities to get yourself in the Spirit of the Season, so the pickings in the weekly agenda are going to get slimmer from now through New Year's.
FREE CONCERTS:
>> Who doesn't need to save money to buy presents? Even better, take a friend or relative to a concert: even if the concert is free, it's the thought that counts! On Thursday evening (December 7, 8 p.m.), the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, the fine early music ensemble from Great Britain, will give a program of music by Mozart and Anton Stadler at the Library of Congress. A pre-concert presentation, about Mozart's Gran Partitta (of which the Library owns the autograph score), will be given by Daniel L. Leeson, author of The Mozart Forgeries, at 6:15 p.m. The reserved tickets have already been sold out, but if you show up early and ask for a number, you may be able to get in the auditorium.
>> The same evening (December 7, 7:30 p.m.), the Shanghai Quartet plays a concert at the Freer Gallery of Art (Jefferson Dr. at 12th St. SW). The group will give the Washington premiere of Ge Gan-ru's Four Studies of Peking Opera, with pianist Kathryn Woodard, but the highlight is likely to be one of the exquisite late Beethoven quartets, op. 131. You can reserve tickets through Ticketmaster, or show up early to wait in line.
>> Sundays mean free concerts at two of the city's art museums. First, violist Yu Jin will give a recital (December 10, 4 p.m.) at the Phillips Collection. Later that evening (December 10, 6:30 p.m.), the vocal ensemble Anonymous 4 will give a free recital of 19th-century American hymns and tunes at the National Gallery of Art. The latter is likely to be crowded, so show up early. You do not need a ticket or reservation for either concert.
WORTH MENTION:
>> Here is one that will be worth a trip to Baltimore. Mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe will give a recital on Sunday (December 10, 5:30 p.m.) with pianist Warren Jones at Shriver Hall. When I last heard her sing, I wrote that "she dominated the stage with a voice so present, so accurate, so powerful, that it grabbed you by the ears and shook you." The program includes songs by Brahms, Duparc, and De Falla, and it should be excellent. Tickets: $33 (students, $17).
>> French pianist Nicolas Angelich is the second musician to be featured in the Grands Pianistes series. He will play two recitals this week, on Wednesday (December 6, 7 p.m.) at the Corcoran Gallery of Art and on Thursday (December 7, 7:30 p.m.) at La Maison Française. Check their Web sites for details.
>> The Embassy Series is hosting two concerts this week. On Wednesday (December 6, 8 p.m.), the Cypress String Quartet will play at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany (4645 Reservoir Rd. NW). Then, on Friday (December 8, 8 p.m.), violinist Dan Zhu and pianist Akiko Chiba will play at the Embassy of the People's Republic of China (2300 Connecticut Ave. NW). Tickets: $50.
>> On Sunday (December 10, 4 p.m.), the Foundation for the Advancement of Education in the Sciences hosts its latest concert, a recital by pianist Peter Serkin, at Congregation Beth-El (8215 Old Georgetown Rd.) in Bethesda. Tickets: $28 (students, $12).
>> For more concert information, go to Ionarts.