It’s December, which means that much of the classical music concert schedule is devoted to some holiday that apparently occurs near the end of the month. Consult our Holiday Concert Agenda and our Handel’s Messiah Agenda, if that is the sort of thing that interests you. Let’s try to keep the regular agenda free of that stuff. There is plenty to talk about without it.

VOICES:
>> The annual residency of the Kirov Opera, the traveling arm of the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, begins this week, and it is always memorable. Valery Gergiev’s company is bringing two productions again this year, Tchaikovsky’s The Queen of Spades (opening on December 6, 7:30 p.m.) and Verdi’s Otello (opening on December 9, 3 p.m.), to the Kennedy Center Opera House. The latter work, in particular, is high on most operaphiles’ list of greatest operas ever. As for ticket prices, they are expensive, but full-time students should look into the $25 tickets, available through the Attend! program, for some of the performances.

>> Baritone Konrad Jarnot will give a recital with pianist Alexander Schmalcz tomorrow night (December 3, 7:30 p.m.), under the auspices of the Vocal Arts Society at the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. The program is a fascinating cross-section of late Romantic song, including pieces by Wagner, Liszt, and Duparc. Tickets: $40.

>> After giving a gala concert to open the National Symphony Orchestra’s season in September, Renée Fleming will appear at another special event in the area. At her Benefit Concert for the Baltimore Opera (December 8, 8 p.m.), Fleming is unlikely to sing the Berg songs but will probably sing the Korngold arias.