Classical Music Agenda
The final opera of the Washington National Opera's season opened last night, a visually lavish production of Puccini's Turandot (a full report will come tomorrow). Here are some recommendations for your listening pleasure the rest of this week, beginning with a full schedule of free concerts.
Valentina Lisitsa, pianist
>> On Tuesday (May 19, 7:30 p.m.) pianist Sigrid Trummer will present a recital of works by Haydn and by women composers of the Classical period, at the Austrian Embassy. An RSVP is required, by phone (202-895-6776) or Internet.
>> The National Museum of Women in the Arts closes out its season of three concerts in the Shenson Chamber Music series with a recital on Wednesday evening (May 20, 7:30 p.m.) by Ukrainian-born pianist Valentina Lisitsa. The ambitious program includes Beethoven's daunting "Hammerklavier" sonata, which will provide an interesting comparison to Till Fellner's recent performance of the work in the course of his complete cycle of the Beethoven sonatas, as well as Rachmaninov's first sonata. To attend, you must make a reservation (call 202-783-7370 or e-mail reservations@nmwa.org).
>> The Moscow String Quartet will give a free concert with Sofia Gubaidulina, one of the most important contemporary composers today, at the Freer Gallery of Art. The all-Russian program, offered in conjunction with the Sackler Gallery's new exhibition The Tsars and the East, includes Gubaidulina's string trio and fourth string quartet, as well as quartets by Glinka and Borodin. Free tickets may be obtained in advance through Ticketmaster, with the usual fees, or directly at the museum, starting one hour before the concert.
>> Also on Thursday night (May 21, 8 p.m.) the Trio Apollon, a German ensemble of clarinet, viola, and cello, will give an intriguing concert at the Library of Congress, with music for this unusual combination by Schumann, Matthus, Bruch, and Françaix. Advance tickets can be reserved through Ticketmaster, or show up early for an unclaimed seat.
>> On Friday (May 22, 7:30 p.m.) soprano Ah Young Hong and baritone Ryan de Ryke will give a free concert of Haydn's vocal music with pianist Daniel Schlosberg at the Austrian Embassy. An RSVP is required, by phone (202-895-6776) or Internet.
>> The excellent violinist Nicholas Kitchens will present Bach in Cremona, a lecture-demonstration on the fabled historical instruments (made by Amati, Guarneri, and Stradivari) of the Library of Congress on Saturday afternoon (May 23, 2 p.m.). This special program, featuring performances of the unaccompanied violin works of Bach, requires no tickets and is open to the public.
>> Finally, on Sunday (May 24, 4 p.m.) the Phillips Collection will present a concert by the Smith Quartet, free with the price of admission to the museum.
NOT FREE:
>> On Wednesday (May 20, 7:30 p.m.) Washington's own 18th Street Singers will give a concert in the Mansion at Strathmore, an unaccompanied vocal program called Haunted. Tickets: $15.
>> The Washington Sängerbund will host the 50th Washington Sängerfest this weekend, with a special concert on Saturday (May 23, 5 p.m.) at the National Building Museum.
>> For some more opera, Opera Bel Cantanti opens its production of I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Bellini's operatic adaptation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Nick Olcott directs two fine singers, Jessica Renfro and Meghan McCall, in the title roles, in the Music Recital Hall of Montgomery College in Rockville (May 24, 3 p.m.; also May 29 and 31).