Alex Ross, a music critic at The New Yorker, recently demonstrated that preconceptions about classical music as expensive and elitist, even in New York, are not entirely true. He did this by showing how far $100 could get him in buying cheap seats to as many concerts as possible. It is even easier to hear music on a budget here in Washington, where there are far more free concerts to attend and plenty of discount tickets. For this week’s free concert options — and for some classical music ideas for Valentine’s Day — keep reading.
HEADLINES:
>> The most exciting concert of the week will be the latest visit of the Hilliard Ensemble on Thursday (February 12, 7:30 p.m.), in the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. These four British men are one of the foremost vocal ensembles in the world, and to contrast with the contemporary program offered the last time they were here, they will be performing a selection of unaccompanied choral music by two Renaissance masters, Palestrina and Lassus. Tickets: $42.
>> The latest program from the Kennedy Center Chamber Players is a two-concert extravaganza featuring two of its strongest musicians, cellist David Hardy and pianist Lambert Orkis (both principals in the National Symphony Orchestra), performing all of Beethoven’s music for cello and piano. Both parts are scheduled for Sunday, February 15, at 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. in the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. Tickets: $35.
>> The other major event is the final Washington performance by the Guarneri String Quartet on Tuesday (February 10, 7:30 p.m.), also in the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. After a late Beethoven quartet, the group’s founding cellist, David Soyer, will join in for what is sure to be a deeply felt performance of Schubert’s C major quintet. Tickets are sold out, but you can always check with the box office for a last-minute cancellation.
FREE, FREE, FREE:
>> The Argento Chamber Ensemble will give a free concert sponsored by the Austrian Cultural Forum on Monday (February 9, 7:30 p.m.) at the Austrian Embassy (3524 International Ct. NW). The program includes the local premiere of Georg Friedrich Haas’s In Vain. All you have to do is RSVP, by phone (202-895-6776) or Internet.
>> Some of the best free concerts in the city are hosted by the Library of Congress, in the Jefferson Building’s beautiful Coolidge Auditorium. This week there are concerts by the Mira Trio on Tuesday (February 10, 8 p.m.) and by the Atrium Quartet (February 13, 8 p.m.). You can reserve tickets through Ticketmaster, for the normal service charges, or show up early to claim an unused seat.
