Fall Season Filled with Choices
The season(s) are upon us.
The new arts seasons, that is, including classical music.
In a community as musically rich as Cincinnati, there is a wealth of choices to be made, from the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra to chamber music, vocal music, early music and the latest in contemporary music.
Here is a rundown of Music in Cincinnati’s favorites culled from the fall arts calendar.
They fall into three groups. If you have time and really want to indulge yourself, there are two baker's dozen you might consider (i.e. 13 x 2). If half of that is all you can manage, there is at least a dozen that offer outstanding programs. Finally, if you are absolutely strapped for time, I submit a not-to-miss half dozen.
Large:
Sept. 12 and 14. Music Hall. The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra opens its 2013-2014 season. Hear Van Cliburn-winner Olga Kern perform the Piano Concerto No. 1 by Frederic Chopin and a CSO premiere by Percy Grainger, “The Warriors (Music to an Imaginary Ballet).” This is not “Country Gardens” Grainger, but an adventurous and controversial 1916 work on the order of Charles Ives and Igor Stravinsky. Guest conductor Giancarlo Guerrero will conduct. Also on the program are Carl Maria von Weber’s Overture to “Oberon” and Edward Elgar’s In the South.” Tickets and information at www.cincinnatisymphony.org, or call (513) 381-3300.
Sept. 20-22. Music Hall. The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra opens its new season with “The Final Frontier” featuring George Takei. Pops conductor John Morris Russell leads a space-themed concert hosted/narrated by Takei, aka Hikaru Sulu, skipper of the U.S.S. Enterprise in the television series “Star Trek.” Hear excerpts from “Star Wars,” “Star Trek,” Gustav Holst’s’ “The Planets” and, of course, the theme from “2001” (the introduction to Richard Strauss’ tone poem “Also sprach Zarathustra”). There will be NASA images projected onto a screen behind the stage and astronomical insights by Dean Regas of the Cincinnati Observatory. Information and tickets at cincinnatipops.org or call (513) 381-3300.
Sept. 22. Corbett Auditorium, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Giuseppe Verdi’s grand opera “Don Carlos” in a concert performance (unstaged) by the CCM Concert Orchestra, Chamber Choir, Chorale and U.C. Men’s and Women’s Choruses, led by Mark Gibson. This is the complete opera, with acts I to III (first half) in the afternoon, acts III (second half) to V in the evening. Presented in observance of the 200th anniversary of Verdi’s birth, the opera will be sung in French in the 1867 Paris Opera version. Visit ccm.uc.edu or call (513) 556-4183.
Sept. 28. Music Hall. Famed violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter makes her Cincinnati debut with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra led by guest conductor Michael Francis. Mutter will perform the Violin Concerto and the Romance for Violin and Orchestra by Antonin Dvořák. Also on the program are Edward Elgar’s “Enigma Variations” and Chacony by Henry Purcell, edited by Benjamin Britten. Visit cincinnatisymphony.org or call (513) 381-3300.
October 1. Werner Recital Hall. University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Chamber Music Cincinnati opens its new season with the Miró Quartet. On their program are the Quartettsatz in C minor, D. 703, and String Quartet No. 14 in D minor, D. 810 (“Death and the Maiden”) by Franz Schubert and Ludwig van Beethoven’s String Quartet in B-flat Major, Op. 130, with Grosse Fuge, Op. 133. Visit online at cincychamber.org or call (513) 342-6870. This concert is affiliated with the 2013 Constella Festival of Music and Fine Arts.
October 2. Old St. Mary’s Church, Over-the-Rhine. concert:nova. Harmonic Brass. Cincinnati’s innovative chamber ensemble concert:nova presents a program of brass music featuring the Harmonic Brass of Munich, Germany and brass players of concert:nova, including trumpeters Steve Pride and Doug Lindsay, French hornist Lisa Conway, trombonist Cristian Ganicenco and tubist Carson McTeer. Visit online at concertnova.com or call (513) 739-6682. This concert is affiliated with the 2013 Constella Festival of Music and Fine Arts.
October 3. Corbett Auditorium, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Jimmy Heath, saxophone. Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra. Presented by the 2013 Constella Festival of Music and Fine Arts. Jazz master Jimmy Heath performs with the Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra, Scott Belck director, in music from his album "Little Man, Big Band," plus new and classic arrangements of jazz standards and a sampling of his own compositions. Visit online at constellafestival.org or call (513) 621-ARTS (2787).
October 4 and 5. Music Hall. Former Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra principal trumpeter Robert Sullivan returns to the CSO as guest artist in the Trumpet Concerto by William Perry. Also on the program, to be led by guest conductor Rafael Payare, are the “Russian Easter Overture” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov, “Borealis” by John Estacio and the Symphony No. 2 by Jean Sibelius. Visit online at cincinnatisymphony.org or call (513) 381-3300).
October 6 and 7. First Unitarian Church, Avondale (Oct. 6). Congregation Beth Adam, Loveland (Oct. 7). Linton Music Series. Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio and members of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Beethoven, Quintet for Piano and Winds in E-flat Major. Stanley Silverman, Trio No. 2, “Reveille.” Dvořák, Quintet for Piano and Strings in A Major. Visit online at lintonmusic.org or call (513) 381-6868. This concert is affiliated with the 2013 Constella Festival of Music and Fine Arts.
October 9. School for Creative and Performing Arts. Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra and guest artists Time for Three. Dubbed “the world’s first classically trained garage band,” Time for Three – violinists Nick Kendall and Zach De Pue and double bassist Ranaan Meyer – joins the CCO led by music director Mischa Santora. On the program are selections by the Beatles, Bach, Coldplay, Beethoven, Led Zeppelin and Mumford & Sons in addition to “Black Bend” by Dan Visconti, Edvard Grieg’s “Holberg Suite,” Charles Ives’ “Four Ragtime Dances” and Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings. Visit online at ccocincinnati.org or call (513) 723-1182. This concert is affiliated with the 2013 Constella Festival of Music and Fine Arts.
October 10. Memorial Hall. Tatiana Berman, violin. Paavo Järvi, conductor. Constella Festival Ensemble. Presented by the 2013 Constella Festival of Music and Fine Arts. This concert features the world premiere of New York composer Charles Coleman’s Violin Concerto. Also on the program, to be led by former Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra music director Paavo Järvi, are Igor Stravinsky’s “Apollo” and the Symphony No. 33, K. 319 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. An art exhibition will accompany the event. Visit online at constellafestival.org or call (513) 621-ARTS (2787).
October 13. Peterloon Estate. Indian Hill. Debut of "Music for All Seasons," a new concert series celebrating music for voices. Soprano Molly Hanes and mezzo-soprano Sophia Selowsky perform concert and operatic music by Rossini, Giuliani, Bellini and Donizetti. Also featured is guitarist William Willits. Collaborative pianist is Valerie Pool. Tea and coffee afterward with the artists. Tickets at www.brownpapertickets.com. Proceeds benefit Music for Youth in Cincinnati, concert:nova, Queen City Chamber Opera and Cincinnati Freestore Foodbank. For further information, contact rafaeldeacha@zoomtown.com
October 15. Digitorium, Northern Kentucky University. Missy Mazzoli, composer and musicians of NKU and the Constella Festival. Presented by the 2013 Constella Festival of Music and Fine Arts. New York composer Missy Mazzoli is composer-in-residence of the 2013 Constella Festival. Hear her compositions performed by musicians of the Constella Festival and NKU in NKU’s technologically enhanced Digitorium. An art exhibition will accompany the event. Visit online at constellafestival.org or call (513) 621-ARTS (2787).
October 19. Memorial Hall. Stewart Goodyear, piano. Presented by the 2013 Constella Festival of Music and Fine Arts. One of today’s finest young pianists performs works spanning three centuries by Bach, Beethoven and Alban Berg. An art exhibition by artists of Brazee Street Studios will accompany the event. Visit online at constellafestival.org or call (513) 621-ARTS (2787).
October 25. Church of the Advent, Walnut Hills. Catacoustic Consort. Hear violas da gamba in concert and view an exhibition of fine period instruments. Program tba. Visit online at www.catacoustic.com. This concert is affiliated with the 2013 Constella Festival of Music and Fine Arts.
October 26. Harriet Tubman Theater, National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. Presented by the 2013 Constella Festival of Music and Fine Arts. Kelly O’Connor, mezzo-soprano. Jessica Rivers, soprano. Robert Spano, piano. O’Connor, Rivers and Spano will perform new song cycles by David Bruce and Jonathan Leshnoff, plus duets and arias from well-known works. An art exhibition by Carl Solway Gallery will accompany the event. Visit online at constellafestival.org or call (513) 621-ARTS (2787).
November 1 and 2. Music Hall. Guest conductor Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos leads the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra with guest artist Pepe Romero, guitar, in Joaquin Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez. Also on the program are the Symphony No. 3 (“Rhenish”) by Robert Schumann and Suites from “The Three-Cornered Hat” by Manuel de Falla. Visit online at cincinnatisymphony.org or call (513) 381-3300.
November 2. Florence Baptist Church at Mt. Zion, Florence, Kentucky. Kentucky Symphony Orchestra. James R. Cassidy, conductor. Guest artists, 2CELLOS. This program features the U.S. orchestral debut of 2CELLOS -- cellists Luka Šulić and Stjepan Hauser -- an eclectic ensemble from Croatia that will perform everything from the Concerto for Two Cellos in G Minor by Antonio Vivaldi to John Williams’ theme from “Schindler’s List,” Guns N’ Roses, Michael Jackson and Sting. Visit online at kyso.org or call (859) 431-6216.
November 2 and 3. Arts Center at Dunham, Price Hill. Queen City Chamber Opera. “L’Amore dei Tre Re”(“The Love of Three Kings”) by Italo Montemezzi. Marco Panuccio, countertenor/stage director. Meghan Tarkington, soprano. Gregory Jebaily, baritone. William Tvrdik, bass. Isaac Selya, conductor. This rare, fully staged production will be sung in the original Italian with English captions and full orchestral accompaniment. A staple of Cincinnati Opera when it performed at the Cincinnati Zoo (led by the composer himself), Montemezzi’s opera returns to the local stage on the 100th anniversary of its premiere. Order tickets at montemezzi.brownpapertickets.com. For more about Queen City Chamber Opera, visit queencitychamberopera.org.
November 3. Christ Church Cathedral, downtown. Johann Sebastian Bach, “St. John Passion.” Chamber Choir and Philharmonia Chamber Orchestra of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Earl Rivers, conductor. Jeffrey Thompson, tenor, as the Evangelist. Omer Ben Seadia, stage director. This staged performance follows CCM’s successful 2012 production (also staged) of Bach’s “St. Matthew Passion.” Visit online at ccm.uc.edu or call (513) 556-4183. This concert is affiliated with the 2013 Constella Festival of Music and Fine Arts.
November 7. Memorial Hall. Presented by the 2013 Constella Festival of Music and Fine Arts. Joshua Bell, violin. Sam Haywood, piano. One of the world’s pre-eminent violinists returns to close the 2013 Constella Festival. Program tba. Visit online at constellafestival.org or call (513) 621-ARTS (2787).
November 8-10. Music Hall. Conductor Louis Langrée leads his inaugural weekend as the new music director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Guest artists will be the chamber ensemble eighth blackbird and author/poet Dr. Maya Angelou, who will narrate Aaron Copland’s “A Lincoln Portrait.” Also on the program are Jennifer Higdon’s “On a Wire” and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5. Visit online at cincinnatisymphony.org or call (513) 381-3300.
November 14 and 16. Music Hall. The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra performs the Symphony No. 4 by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky under the baton of its new music director Louis Langrée. Also on the program is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s cantata “Davide penitente” with soprano Jane Archibald, mezzo-soprano Michele Losier, tenor Joseph Kaiser and the May Festival Chorus directed by Robert Porco. The November 14th concert (Thursday) includes complimentary buffet dinner in the Music Hall ballroom beginning at 6:15 p.m. Visit online at cincinnatisymphony.org or call (513) 381-3300.
November 21-24. Patricia Corbett Theater, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Benjamin Britten, “Owen Wingrave.” CCM observes the centennial of the great English composer with his 1970 opera “Owen Wingrave” in its Cincinnati premiere. Johannes Müller-Stosch will conduct, Kenneth Shaw will direct. Based on the Henry James short story, this two-act, made-for-television opera is about a pacifist born into a renowned military family. It will be sung in English with projected English captions. Visit online at ccm.uc.edu or call (513) 556-4183.
November 19. St. Peter in Chains Cathedral, downtown. Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir. Daniel Reuss, director. One of the world’s great vocal ensembles performs for St. Peter in Chains’ “Great Music in a Great Space” series. Hear music by Estonian composers Arvo Pärt, Galina Grigorjeva, Cyrillus Kreek, Mart Saar and Rudolf Tobias. Visit online at stpeterinchainscathedral.org or call (513) 421-2222.
November 29 and 30. Music Hall. Music director Louis Langrée leads the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in a “hands-across-the-sea,” “American in Paris” program of music by French and American composers. Guest artist is pianist Kirill Gerstein in George Gershwin’s “An American in Paris.” Also on the program are Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” and the Piano Concerto for the Left Hand and “Mother Goose Suite” by Maurice Ravel. Visit online at cincinnatisymphony.org or call (513) 381-3300.
Medium:
1. CCM, Verdi, “Don Carlos” (concert performance, complete)
2. CSO, Anne-Sophie Mutter, violin (Mutter’s Cincinnati debut)
3. Constella Festival, Tatiana Berman, Paavo Järvi, world premiere of Violin Concerto by Charles Coleman
4. Constella Festival, composer Missy Mazzoli at NKU’s Digitorium (premieres, hi-tech)
5. CSO, guest conductor Frühbeck de Burgos, Pepe Romero, guitar
6. KSO, 2CELLOS (U.S. debut)
7. Queen City Chamber Opera, Montemezzi, “The Love of Three Kings”
8. Constella Festival, Joshua Bell, violin
9. CSO, Louis Langrée, guest artists Maya Angelou, eighth blackbird
10. CSO, Louis Langrée, Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4 (or CSO, Langrée, pianist Kirill Gerstein, music by Gershwin and Ravel
11. CCM, Britten, “Owen Wingrave” (Cincinnati premiere)
12. St. Peter in Chains “Great Music in a Great Space,” Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
Small, but not to miss:
1. CSO, Anne-Sophie Mutter (Mutter’s Cincinnati debut)
2. Constella Festival, Tatiana Berman, Paavo Järvi, world premiere of Violin Concerto by Charles Coleman
3. Constella Festival, composer Missy Mazzoli at NKU’s Digitorium (premieres, hi-tech)
4. CSO, Langrée, Maya Angelou (or CSO, Langrée, Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4 or CSO, Langrée, pianist Kirill Gerstein, music by Gershwin and Ravel)
5. CCM, Britten, “Owen Wingrave” (Cincinnati premiere)
6. Constella Festival, Joshua Bell