Fall Guide: What’s coming up in classical music and opera
Please note: This article is published as an archive copy from Philadelphia City Paper. My City Paper is not affiliated with Philadelphia City Paper. Philadelphia City Paper was an alternative weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The last edition was published on October 8, 2015.
Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Dolce Suono Ensemble, Quatuor Mosaïques and more.
Curtis Opera Theater
Tchaikovsky’s rarely performed last opera, Iolanta, is a neglected masterpiece. The fairy tale drama is low voltage, but the music is lush, even dreamy, and nobody dies. This is an unstaged, concert arrangement.
- Oct. 9-12, Prince Music Theater, 1412 Chestnut St., curtis.edu.
Dolce Suono Ensemble
This enterprising chamber group, led by the delightful flutist Mimi Stillman, celebrates a 10-year anniversary in customary style, with many familiar names from the roster of superb guest artists.
- Oct. 12, Lenfest Hall, Curtis Institute of Music, 1616 Locust St., dolcesuono.com.
The Philadelphia Orchestra
Czech composer Leos Janácek was one of the great original voices of the 20th century. His strange and powerful “Glagolitic” Mass does not get performed much; this is a rare opportunity.
- Oct. 16-18, Kimmel Center, 300 S. Broad St., philorch.org.
Astral Artists
The program for this concert is a Halloween homage to the macabre, with music inspired by Poe, the “Ghost” trio of Beethoven and Schoenberg’s beautifully nightmarish “Transfigured Night.”
- Oct. 19, Trinity Center for Urban Life, 2212 Spruce St., astralartists.com
Dawn Upshaw
Charles Ives, by day a buttoned-down insurance executive, was one of the most innovative composers on the American 20th-century scene. The smart, pretty voice of Dawn Upshaw is the ideal vehicle for his excellent songs.
- Oct. 21, Benjamin Franklin Hall, 427 Chestnut St., pcmsconcerts.org
The Philadelphia Orchestra
A live performance of the enormous, glorious Mahler Symphony No. 2 should be on every music lover’s bucket list. Our band has long been one of the great Mahler orchestras in the world. Consider this an event.
- Oct. 30, Nov. 1-2, Kimmel Center, 300 S. Broad St., philorch.org.
Quatuor Mosaïques
This Austrian string quartet plays core repertoire with a precision and panache that draws the listener into an intimate world of sound. This program features youthful masterpieces of Haydn, Schubert and Beethoven.
- Nov. 7, Kimmel Center, pcmsconcert.org.
Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia
The luminous young violist Ayane Kozasa is the soloist for this concert, in a concerto by Stamitz. Lovely symphonies from Britten and Haydn are also on the bill.
- Nov. 9-10, Kimmel Center, chamberorchestra.com.
Nexus Percussion Ensemble
This firecracker ensemble will be joined by members of the Philadelphia Orchestra percussion and string sections to honor a legendary drummer on his 85th birthday: Alan Abel, a longtime Orchestra member, and a beloved teacher at Temple’s Boyer school.
- Nov. 16, Kimmel Center, psmsconcert.org.
