On the Calendar

Occasional announcements of interesting, perhaps overlooked concerts.

An die Musik LIVE! is co-hosting a concert series devoted to Baroque music, in the beautiful, restored interior of the Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore (built in the first quarter of the 19th century by Latrobe). Three concerts are planned over the next few months: viola da gambists Jérôme Hantaï and Kaori Uemura with organist Freddy Eichelberger playing 17th-century music (February 10), an all-Handel program with Joseph Gascho (harpsichord), Justin Godoy (recorder), and soprano Lisa Eden (April 13), and an all-Vivaldi program (June 1).

Jérôme Hantaï and company will reprise this Sunday's concert on Monday evening (February 11, 7:30 pm) at La Maison Française, when Ionarts will review it. It provides the perfect extension for a perfectly Baroque weekend, as recommended in my Classical Music Agenda at DCist: Tafelmusik at Wolf Trap (tonight, 8 pm), Ensemble Matheus and Jennifer Larmore at the Library of Congress (Saturday, 8 pm), and the Orchestra of New Spain at the National Gallery (Sunday, 6:30 pm). The latter two concerts will not even cost you anything, as they are free!

Staying with the Baroque theme, for next Friday and Saturday, we heartily recommend the voyage out to Fairfax for the opportunity to see the Mark Morris Dance Group's innovative adaptation of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas at the George Mason University Center for the Arts (February 15 and 16, 8 pm). Created in 1989 for the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels, the work originally featured Morris in the roles of both Dido and the Sorceress, but he has since retired from the stage. Although Morris has recast the production a little more traditionally in the past, he is now reportedly using a single male dancer in both female roles (thanks to the anonymous commenter for the information -- Ed.).