Summer is almost here, and that means it is almost time to roll up the carpets and send the Classical Music Agenda on vacation. So enjoy the music while you can. In particular, this is the last week to take in a performance of the best production from Washington National Opera this season, Janáček’s Jenůfa. My review called this opera “essential viewing for anyone who cares about music drama.” Performances remain only on Monday (May 21, 7 p.m.) and Thursday (May 24, 7:30 p.m.).
FREE CONCERTS:
>> Just about everything else to mention this week is free, starting with the Millennium Stage Conservatory Project at the Kennedy Center. All week, promising young musicians from the nation’s best conservatories will be giving free concerts in the Terrace Theater: Northwestern University School of Music (May 21), San Francisco Conservatory (May 22), Oberlin Conservatory (May 23), Berklee School of Music (May 24), Eastman School of Music (May 25), Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University (May 26), and Shepherd School of Music, Rice University (May 27). All concerts begin at 6 p.m. and can be experienced by live Web simulcast through the Millennium Stage site.
>> Local pianist Brian Ganz will give a free recital in the National Gallery of Art‘s East Building Auditorium on Wednesday at lunchtime. The program includes music by Chopin, Debussy, Griffes, Lennon, Liszt, and MacDowell. May 23, 12:10 p.m. Note that there is no Sunday concert at the National Gallery this weekend.
>> The An das Lied: Festival of Song 2007 at the Austrian Embassy concludes with a free Thursday recital by baritone Mathias Hausmann and pianist Markus Vorzellner. The program combines songs on the words of Shakespeare by Schubert, Korngold, Wolf, Haydn, and Angerer. May 24, 7:30 p.m.
>> If you are stuck in town for the Memorial Day weekend, drop by the Phillips Collection on Sunday to look at some art and hear a free recital by pianist David Quigley. You still have to pay the price of admission to the museum. May 27, 4 p.m.
Photo from the DCist Flickr pool taken by Morningstar1369 near the waterfront in Old Town Alexandria
