From Adams to Zemlinsky, the classic arts scene in New York is never quiet. Here is just a sampling of some of the classic arts events happening this week.
Kevin Puts’ The Hours returns to the stage of the Metropolitan Opera May 5, with its original three stars—Kelli O'Hara, Renée Fleming, and Joyce DiDonato—reprising their roles from the opera's sold-out world premiere last season. Based on the Pulitzer-winning novel by Michael Cunningham, The Hours follows three women: Virginia Woolf in 1929, in the process of writing Mrs. Dalloway; Laura Brown in 1949, who is reading it; and Clarissa Vaughan toward the end of the 20th century, who is seemingly living it. Kathleen Kim, Sylvia D'Eramo, Denyce Graves, John Holiday, William Burden, Sean Panikkar, Kyle Ketelsen, and Brandon Cedel, also reprise their roles from last season, with Kensho Watanabe conducting.
At the Met this week performances also continue of two other contemporary operas: John Adams’ El Niño, which opened last week to positive reviews, and Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones, which enjoyed a sold-out run in 2021. This week the Met will also continue performances of repertory staples Carmen and Madama Butterfly.
New York City Ballet’s Spring Gala performance May 2 will open with Rubies, the jazzy middle act of George Balanchine’s Jewels, set to Stravinsky’s Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra. The gala program also includes world premieres by Justin Peck and Amy Hall Garner. Peck’s premiere is a pas de deux created for NYCB Principal Dancers Tiler Peck (no relation) and Roman Mejia, and set to Vijay Iyer’s string quartet Dig the Say, which will be performed by the Grammy-nominated PUBLIQuartet. Garner’s premiere, her first work created for the company, will be set to selections of music by Jonathan Dove, Michael Zev Gordon, William Grant Still, Ottorino Respighi, and Aldemaro Romero. Following the gala performance, NYCB will give further performances of this program with the addition of In Creases, the first work created by Justin Peck for the company, set to Philip Glass’ Four Movements for Two Pianos.
Cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason joins the New York Philharmonic May 1-4 to perform Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1. Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts the program, which also includes Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, a programmatic symphony which tells the story of an artist, who, tortured by unrequited love, poisons himself with opium and sees visions of his own death.
John Adams will lead the Juilliard Orchestra April 29 in a performance of his own Absolute Jest, a concerto for string quartet and orchestra, with the Dolphins Quartet. The concert will also include Beethoven’s Fidelio Overture, and two works by Debussy: Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, and “Ibéria” from Images pour orchestre.
Nathalie Stutzmann leads the Philadelphia Orchestra at Carnegie Hall April 30 in a concert including Schumann’s Symphony No. 4 and Mozart’s Requiem with the Philadelphia Symphonic Choir. The soloists for the Requiem will be soprano Erin Morley, contralto Sara Mingardo, tenor Kenneth Tarver, and bass Harold Wilson.
The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra will perform a pair of sixth symphonies at Carnegie Hall May 2 and 3, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle. May 2, the orchestra will perform Mahler’s Symphony No. 6, in a program also featuring Hindemith’s Ragtime (Well-Tempered), and Zemlinsky’s Symphonische Gesänge. Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 will be the centerpiece of the May 3 concert, which also includes the prelude and Liebestod from Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde, and the U.S. premiere of Thomas Adès’ Aquifer.
Chamber orchestra Parlando presents The Other Mozart Effect at the Kaufman Music Center May 1. The program of works inspired by Mozart includes Reynaldo Hahn’s Mozart Overture, Alfred Schnittke’s Moz-Art à la Haydn, and a concert performance of Rimsky-Korsakov’s one-act opera Mozart and Salieri, a forerunner to Peter Shaffer's Amadeus, starring tenor Daniel McGrew as Mozart and baritone Joseph Parrish as Salieri.
The 92nd Street Y will host performances this week from guitarist Manuel Barrueco and pianist Imogen Cooper. May 1, Barrueco will perform J.S. Bach’s Lute Suite No. 3 in A Minor, as well as works by Sor, Turina, and Lou Harrison. May 3, Cooper will perform works by Bach, Beethoven, Schubert, and Thomas Adès.
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