Classical Music Agenda
The high point of this week in classical music is surely the Lieder recital by the superlative German baritone Christian Gerhaher and his regular pianist collaborator, Gerold Huber, sponsored by the Vocal Arts Society at the Embassy of Austria (October 11, 7:30 p.m.). Gerhaher's most recent Lieder recording is a knockout, and his program for Thursday night is devoted entirely to songs by Robert Schumann.
THE SYMPHONY:
>> Riccardo Chailly brings his La Scala Philharmonic to the Music Center at Strathmore on Wednesday (October 10, 8 p.m.) for a concert sponsored by Washington Performing Arts Society. Admittedly, the program is not all that exciting, but it does feature Nino Rota's ballet suite La Strada.
>> Far more exciting programming has been planned by the leading local orchestras, beginning with the concerts from the National Symphony Orchestra. One-name violinist Midori will play Bartók's second violin concerto, which is matched with Irving Fine's Toccata concertante and Schubert's C major symphony. Performances in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall from October 11 to 13. Reduced-price tickets ($10) are being offered through the Attend! program.
>> The parade of living composers at the BSO continues in next week's concerts, with Tan Dun conducting his own music and a Russian program of Shostakovich and Borodin (at Strathmore on October 11 and in Baltimore on October 12 to 14). Tan Dun will speak to the audience in the Composers in Conversation series on Wednesday at the Meyerhoff (October 10, 7:30 pm).
Photo of baritone Christian Gerhaher and pianist Gerold Huber by Alexander Basta/Sony BMG, courtesy of Colbert Artists Management
NOTEWORTHY:
>> On Friday night (October 12, 8 p.m.), the much-beloved Takács Quartet will play a recital in the Barns at Wolf Trap, for its Founder's Day Celebration. The program, the same one they will play the following day at Carnegie Hall in New York, features quartets by Haydn (op. 74, no. 1) and Brahms (op. 51, no. 1), as well as Janáček's second string quartet, known as “Intimate Letters.” Tickets: $35.
>> Were it not for the always-trumping call of the Takács, the recital by the Ariel Quartet with violist Roger Tapping at the Corcoran Gallery of Art the same night (October 12, 8 p.m.) would be the winner. Their program consists of Mozart ("Dissonance" quartet), the Bartók fourth quartet, and the second Brahms quintet.
>> On Sunday afternoon (October 14, 3 p.m.), the Post-Classical Ensemble will give its first new program of the season, a screening of the film The City with a live performance of the Aaron Copland screen, at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. The movie, made for the 1939 World’s Fair, was written by the populist utopian Lewis Mumford, founder of the Greenbelt Towns. After the concert, you can take a free bus trip to visit the movement's local product, Greenbelt, Md.
>> The Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences offers the first concert in its series this Sunday (October 14, 4 p.m.). Pianist Richard Goode will play a recital at Bethesda's Congregation Beth-El.
FREE:
>> Soprano Marilyn Moore and pianist Bob Sykes will give a recital on the free lunchtime concert series at the Church of the Epiphany (1317 G St. NW) on Tuesday (October 9, 12:10 p.m.).
>> Ever wonder what an operatic legend would be like when not singing? Find out at the Discussion with mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne on Wednesday (October 10, 7 p.m.). It's free, but you need to reserve a ticket for this event, at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. The same goes for her public master class with students from the University of Maryland on Friday (October 12, 7 p.m.).
>> Enjoy opera at home with the radio broadcast of Janáček's Jenůfa from Washington National Opera from last spring on Saturday (October 13, 1:30 p.m.) on WETA (90.9 FM). Find out what to listen for by reading my review.
>> On Sunday (October 14, 3 p.m.), it's time for the first recital in the free concert series at the National Academies of Science (2100 C St. NW), a recital by pianist Yakov Kasman.
>> For something a little different, try the free concert at the Phillips Collection on Sunday (October 14, 4 p.m.), a recital by Joseph Petric (accordion) and Norman Forget (oboe). You still have to buy a ticket to enter the museum.
>> Voices of London will present a concert of music by 18th- and early 19th-century English composers on Sunday (October 14, 6:30 p.m.), at the National Gallery of Art.
>> For more concert information, go to Ionarts.