Classical Music Agenda: November 2013

At the top of my picks for the concerts you most want to hear in the month of November are the visits by the Järvis père et fils, who will both conduct the National Symphony Orchestra. Kristjan (October 31 to November 2) will conduct music by Enescu and Rachmaninoff, plus Barber's violin concerto with soloist Jennifer Koh. His father, Neeme, takes the helm later in the month (November 14 to 16), leading performances of Zoltán Kodály's suite from Háry János, excerpts from Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet, and Liszt's second piano concerto with soloist Alice Sara Ott.

It seems there is a performance of Verdi's Requiem Mass every weekend this month -- none of which we recommend. What we do welcome is the chance to hear Britten's less often heard War Requiem, not once but twice. It would be nice to hear them both, but if we had to choose, it would probably be Marin Alsop with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (November 14 to 16, at the Meyerhoff and at Strathmore), for her soloists (Tamara Wilson, Nicholas Phan, and Ryan McKinny), over the Washington Chorus at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall (November 3).

CHAMBER MUSIC:
We like the Carl Nielsen set by the (Young) Danish String Quartet, the group that will perform on the free concert series at the Library of Congress (November 2, 2 pm). Sadly, no Nielsen is on the program -- Haydn, Ligeti, another Danish composer Hans Abrahamsen, and Beethoven are -- but let us hope for a Nielsen encore.

Three pianists we want to hear are all coming to the area this month, starting with Boris Giltburg, who won the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels this spring (watch the video of his final round), at the Phillips Collection (November 3, 4 pm) and playing Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff, and Ravel. That is followed by two Ionarts favorites: Nelson Freire at Shriver Hall in Baltimore (November 17), playing music by Beethoven and Chopin, and Marc-André Hamelin (November 25), presented by Washington Performing Arts Society at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall Terrace Theater, with an excellent program of music by John Field, Nikolai Medtner, and Schubert.

NEW OPERA:
Although it is a shame that most new operas that get produced this days are miniatures, we want to hear what composers are doing with the form. To that end, mark the UrbanArias production of She, After, a double-bill of one-woman operas by Daniel Felsenfeld -- Nora in the Great Outdoors and Alice in the Time of the Jabberwock, both starring soprano Emily Pulley -- at Artisphere in Rosslyn (November 9 to 17) on your calendar. Pair it with the second year of Washington National Opera's American Opera Initiative -- see my thoughts on last year's installment -- with new short operas by Jennifer Bellor, Joshua Bornfield, and Michael Gilbertson (November 13) at the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater.

OTHER:
Continue to mark the Wagner and Verdi anniversaries with two free lecture-performances at the Library of Congress. For the first (November 9), scholar Alan Walker will speak about Wagner and Verdi at the Piano, with pianist Valerie Tryon playing some of Liszt's piano arrangements of themes from Wagner and Verdi's operas, including some found in the Library's collection. For the second (November 23), critic Alex Ross will speak on his latest obsession, Wagner in America, with mezzo-soprano Margaret Lattimore performing Wagner’s Wesendonck Lieder.

As for dance that we want to see, the Kennedy Center Opera House will host Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty with his New Adventures company (November 12 to 17). The British choreographer has re-imagined this 19th-century classic as a Gothic horror tale.

The full schedule will run through the sidebar.

Last month | Next monthClassical Month in Washington is a monthly feature. If there are concerts you would like to see included on our schedule, send your suggestions by e-mail (ionarts at gmail dot com). Happy listening!

November 1, 2013 (Fri)
7 pm
University of Maryland Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition Finals [FREE]
Clarice Smith Center

November 1, 2013 (Fri)
7:30 pm
Adam, Giselle
Washington Ballet
Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater

November 1, 2013 (Fri)
7:30 pm
Puccini, Tosca
Lyric Opera House of Baltimore

November 1, 2013 (Fri)
8 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
With Kristjan Järvi (conductor) and Jennifer Koh (violin)
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

November 1, 2013 (Fri)
8 pm
Annapolis Symphony Orchestra
With Peter Serkin, piano
Maryland Hall (Annapolis, Md.)

November 1, 2013 (Fri)
8 pm
Haydn, The Creation
City Choir of Washington
Schlesinger Concert Hall (Alexandria, Va.)

November 2, 2013 (Sat)
1:30 and 7:30 pm
Adam, Giselle
Washington Ballet
Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater

November 2, 2013 (Sat)
2 pm
Danish String Quartet [FREE]
Library of Congress

November 2, 2013 (Sat)
2 pm
David Salness (violin), Evelyn Elsing (cello), Mayron Tsong (piano) [FREE]
Clarice Smith Center

November 2, 2013 (Sat)
3 pm
Stephen Dunlap (saxophone) and Choo Choo Hu (piano)
Baltimore Museum of Art

November 2, 2013 (Sat)
8 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
With Kristjan Järvi (conductor) and Jennifer Koh (violin)
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

November 2, 2013 (Sat)
8 pm
Ariel String Quartet
Kreeger Museum

November 2, 2013 (Sat)
8 pm
Annapolis Symphony Orchestra
With Peter Serkin, piano
Maryland Hall (Annapolis, Md.)

November 2, 2013 (Sat)
8 pm
Carmina: The Genius of Schütz
With Steven Alan Honley, organ
The Falls Church (Falls Church, Va.)

November 2, 2013 (Sat)
8 pm
James Galway (flute) with Irish Chamber Orchestra
GMU Center for the Arts

November 3, 2013 (Sun)
1:30 and 6:30 pm
Adam, Giselle
Washington Ballet
Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater

November 3, 2013 (Sun)
2:30 and 4:30 pm
Pinocchio
National Marionette Theater
Candlelight Concert Society
Howard Community College (Columbia, Md.)

November 3, 2013 (Sun)
3 pm
Puccini, Tosca
Lyric Opera House of Baltimore

November 3, 2013 (Sun)
3 pm
Washington Bach Consort
National Presbyterian Church

November 3, 2013 (Sun)
3 pm
Four Nations Ensemble [FREE]
With Rosa Lamoreaux, soprano
National Academy of Sciences

November 3, 2013 (Sun)
4 pm
Boris Giltburg, piano
Phillips Collection

November 3, 2013 (Sun)
6 pm
Emerson String Quartet
National Museum of Natural History

November 3, 2013 (Sun)
6:30 pm
University of Maryland Sinfonia [FREE]
National Gallery of Art

November 3, 2013 (Sun)
7 pm
Joel Fan, piano
Dumbarton Oaks

November 3, 2013 (Sun)
7:30 pm
Britten, War Requiem
Washington Chorus
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

November 3, 2013 (Sun)
7:30 pm
Axelrod String Quartet
National Museum of American History

November 4, 2013 (Mon)
8 pm
Joel Fan, piano
Dumbarton Oaks

November 4, 2013 (Mon)
8 pm
Tempo: Experimental Music Organization [FREE]
Clarice Smith Center

November 5, 2013 (Tue)
12:10 pm
Noontime Cantata [FREE]
Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest, BWV 194
Washington Bach Consort
Church of the Epiphany

November 6, 2013 (Wed)
12:10 pm
Bianca Garcia (flute) and Michael Lodico (organ) [FREE]
St. John's, Lafayette Square

November 7, 2013 (Thu)
7 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
With John Storgårds (conductor) and Sol Gabetta (cello)
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

November 7, 2013 (Thu)
7 pm
Richard Wagner: Venetian Diary of the Rediscovered Symphony [FREE]
Library of Congress

November 7, 2013 (Thu)
7:30 pm
Sphinx Virtuosi
WPAS
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater

November 7, 2013 (Thu)
8 pm
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
With Leila Josefowicz, violin
Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (Baltimore, Md.)

November 8, 2013 (Fri)
7:30 pm
CUA Chamber Choir
St. Paul's Parish

November 8, 2013 (Fri)
7:30 pm
Raffi Besalyan, piano
Embassy Series
Embassy of Armenia

November 8, 2013 (Fri)
8 pm
Opera Bel Cantanti
With Cristina Nassif, soprano
Music by Rachmaninoff
JCCGW

November 8, 2013 (Fri)
8 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
With John Storgårds (conductor) and Sol Gabetta (cello)
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

November 8, 2013 (Fri)
8 pm
University of Maryland Wind Orchestra
Fairy Tales and Legends
Clarice Smith Center

November 8, 2013 (Fri)
8 pm
Lluis Claret (cello) and Kathryn Brake (piano) [FREE]
Clarice Smith Center

November 8, 2013 (Fri)
8:15 pm
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Off the Cuff: Holst, The Planets
Music Center at Strathmore

November 9, 2013 (Sat)
2 pm
Wagner and Verdi at the Piano
Lecture by Alan Walker [FREE]
Library of Congress

November 9, 2013 (Sat)
7 pm
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Off the Cuff: Holst, The Planets
Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (Baltimore, Md.)

November 8, 2013 (Fri)
7:30 pm
CUA Composition Division Recital
Ward Hall, Catholic University

November 9, 2013 (Sat)
8 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
With John Storgårds (conductor) and Sol Gabetta (cello)
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

November 9, 2013 (Sat)
8 pm
Meccorre String Quartet
Candlelight Concert Society
Howard Community College (Columbia, Md.)

November 9, 2013 (Sat)
8 pm
National Philharmonic
Janice Hamer, Lost Childhood
Music Center at Strathmore

November 9 to 17, 2013
She, After
Double-bill of operas by Daniel Felsenfeld
UrbanArias

November 10, 2013 (Sun)
3 pm
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
With Leila Josefowicz, violin
Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (Baltimore, Md.)

November 10, 2013 (Sun)
3 pm
Heather LeDoux Green (violin), James Lee (cello), and Kenneth Slowik (piano) [FREE]
Smithsonian American Art Museum

November 10, 2013 (Sun)
4 pm
Choral Arts Society of Washington
Verdi, Requiem
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

November 10, 2013 (Sun)
4 pm
University of Maryland Symphony Orchestra
Music by Ginastera, Stravinsky, Bartók, Webern
Clarice Smith Center

November 10, 2013 (Sun)
4 pm
Moran Katz (clarinet) and Amy Yang (piano)
Phillips Collection

November 10, 2013 (Sun)
4 pm
Choralis
Music by Anglican composers
Falls Church Presbyterian Church

November 10, 2013 (Sun)
6:30 pm
NGA New Music Ensemble [FREE]
National Gallery of Art

November 10, 2013 (Sun)
7 pm
Keyboard Conversation with Jeffrey Siegel
GMU Center for the Arts

November 10, 2013 (Sun)
7:30 pm
Kristallnacht Commemoration
Washington, DC, Metropolitan Area Jewish Synagogues Combined Choirs
Music Center at Strathmore

November 10, 2013 (Sun)
8 pm
Robert DiLutis, clarinet, and friends [FREE]
Clarice Smith Center

November 12, 2013 (Tue)
7:30 pm
Enso String Quartet
Music by Verdi, Puccini, Strauss
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater

November 12, 2013 (Tue)
7:30 pm
Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty
New Adventures
Kennedy Center Opera House

November 13, 2013 (Wed)
7:30 pm
American Opera Initiative
Washington National Opera
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater

November 13, 2013 (Wed)
7:30 pm
Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty
New Adventures
Kennedy Center Opera House

November 13, 2013 (Wed)
8 pm
Pieter Wispelwey (cello) and Pei-Shan Lee (piano)
Clarice Smith Center

November 14, 2013 (Thu)
7 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
With Neeme Järvi (conductor) and Alice Sara Ott (piano)
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

November 14, 2013 (Thu)
7 pm
Itamar Zorman, violin
Embassy Series

November 14, 2013 (Thu)
7:30 pm
Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty
New Adventures
Kennedy Center Opera House

November 14, 2013 (Thu)
7:30 pm
Michael Fabiano, tenor
Vocal Arts D.C.
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater

November 14, 2013 (Thu)
8 pm
Baltimore Symphony Hall
Britten, War Requiem
Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (Baltimore, Md.)

November 15, 2013 (Fri)
1:30 and 7:30 pm
Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty
New Adventures
Kennedy Center Opera House

November 15, 2013 (Fri)
7:30 pm
Avanti Orchestra
Friday Morning Music Club
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater

November 15, 2013 (Fri)
7:30 pm
Poulenc, Dialogues of the Carmelites
Lyric Opera House of Baltimore

November 15, 2013 (Fri)
7:30 pm
Russian Chamber Art Society
With Nils Neubert (tenor) and Timothy Mix (baritone)
Austrian Cultural Forum
Austrian Embassy

November 15, 2013 (Fri)
8 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
With Neeme Järvi (conductor) and Alice Sara Ott (piano)
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

November 15, 2013 (Fri)
8 pm
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Britten, War Requiem
Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (Baltimore, Md.)

November 15, 2013 (Fri)
8 pm
eighth blackbird: Colombine’s Paradise Theatre
Atlas Center

November 15, 2013 (Fri)
8 pm
Kathleen Battle (soprano) and Cyrus Chestnut (piano)
Music by Gershwin, Ellington, Joplin
Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater

November 16, 2013 (Sat)
1:30 and 7:30 pm
Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty
New Adventures
Kennedy Center Opera House

November 16, 2013 (Sat)
2 pm
Kit Armstrong, piano
WPAS
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater

November 16, 2013 (Sat)
8 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
With Neeme Järvi (conductor) and Alice Sara Ott (piano)
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

November 16, 2013 (Sat)
8 pm
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Britten, War Requiem
Music Center at Strathmore

November 16, 2013 (Sat)
8 pm
eighth blackbird: Colombine’s Paradise Theatre
Atlas Center

November 16, 2013 (Sat)
8 pm
PostClassical Ensemble
Music of Johann Strauss, Jr.
Dumbarton Concerts

November 16, 2013 (Sat)
8 pm
Fairfax Symphony Orchestra
GMU Center for the Arts

November 17, 2013 (Sun)
1:30 pm
Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty
New Adventures
Kennedy Center Opera House

November 17, 2013 (Sun)
2 pm
D.C. Youth Orchestra
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater

November 17, 2013 (Sun)
3 pm
University of Maryland Choruses [FREE]
Clarice Smith Center

November 17, 2013 (Fri)
3 pm
Poulenc, Dialogues of the Carmelites
Lyric Opera House of Baltimore

November 17, 2013 (Sun)
4 pm
Misha Keylin (violin) and Robert Koenig (piano)
Phillips Collection

November 17, 2013 (Sun)
4 pm
CUA Symphony Orchestra
Sligo Seventh Day Adventist Church

November 17, 2013 (Sun)
5:30 pm
Nelson Freire, piano
Shriver Hall (Baltimore, Md.)

November 17, 2013 (Sun)
6:30 pm
New Music Raleigh [FREE]
National Gallery of Art

November 17, 2013 (Sun)
7:30 pm
Jonathan Biss (piano) and Miriam Fried (violin)
JCCGW (Rockville, Md.)

November 18, 2013 (Mon)
7 pm
Chamber Music Showcase [FREE]
Clarice Smith Center

November 20, 2013 (Wed)
12:10 pm
Lucidarium [FREE]
Music by Medieval and Renaissance composers
National Gallery of Art

November 20, 2013 (Wed)
5:30 pm
Chamber Music Showcase [FREE]
Clarice Smith Center

November 20, 2013 (Wed)
7:30 pm
Musicians from Marlboro I [FREE]
Freer Gallery of Arts

November 21, 2013 (Thu)
7:30 pm
Humperdinck, Hansel und Gretel
Ward Hall, Catholic University

November 21, 2013 (Thu)
8 pm
Linda Mabbs, soprano, and friends [FREE]
Music of Britten
Clarice Smith Center

November 22, 2013 (Fri)
7:30 pm
Britten, Albert Herring
Maryland Opera Studio
Clarice Smith Center

November 22, 2013 (Fri)
7:30 pm
Humperdinck, Hansel und Gretel
Ward Hall, Catholic University

November 22, 2013 (Fri)
8 pm
Britten's 100th Birthday Celebration
Cantate Chamber Singers
St. Paul's Lutheran Church

November 22, 2013 (Fri)
8 pm
University of Maryland Wind Ensemble [FREE]
Clarice Smith Center

November 23, 2013 (Sat)
2 pm
Wagner in America
Lecture by Alex Ross [FREE]
Library of Congress

November 23, 2013 (Sat)
7:30 pm
Humperdinck, Hansel und Gretel
Ward Hall, Catholic University

November 23, 2013 (Sat)
8 pm
National Philharmonic
Verdi, Requiem
Music Center at Strathmore

November 23, 2013 (Sat)
8 pm
Shanghai Ballet: The Butterfly Lovers
GMU Center for the Arts

November 24, 2013 (Sun)
2 pm
Humperdinck, Hansel und Gretel
Ward Hall, Catholic University

November 24, 2013 (Sun)
3 pm
Britten, Albert Herring
Maryland Opera Studio
Clarice Smith Center

November 24, 2013 (Sun)
3 pm
University of Maryland Honors Chamber Music Recital [FREE]
Clarice Smith Center

November 24, 2013 (Sun)
4 pm
Calder Quartet
Phillips Collection

November 24, 2013 (Sun)
4 pm
Shanghai Ballet: La Sylphide
GMU Center for the Arts

November 24, 2013 (Sun)
5:15 pm
Stanley Thurston, organ
Washington National Cathedral

November 24, 2013 (Sun)
6:30 pm
Mak Grgić and Nejc Kuhar, guitarists [FREE]
With Jeremiah Campbell, cello
National Gallery of Art

November 24, 2013 (Sun)
7:30 pm
Smithsonian Chamber Players
National Museum of American History

November 25, 2013 (Mon)
7:30 pm
Britten, Albert Herring
Maryland Opera Studio
Clarice Smith Center

November 25, 2013 (Mon)
7:30 pm
Marc-André Hamelin, piano
WPAS
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater

November 26, 2013 (Tue)
7:30 pm
Britten, Albert Herring
Maryland Opera Studio
Clarice Smith Center

November 27, 2013 (Wed)
7:30 pm
Tchaikovsky, The Nutcracker
Joffrey Ballet
Kennedy Center Opera House

November 29, 2013 (Fri)
1:30 and 7:30 pm
Tchaikovsky, The Nutcracker
Joffrey Ballet
Kennedy Center Opera House

November 30, 2013 (Sat)
1:30 and 7:30 pm
Tchaikovsky, The Nutcracker
Joffrey Ballet
Kennedy Center Opera House

November 30, 2013 (Sat)
8 pm
Chanticleer Christmas
GMU Center for the Arts