Classical Music Agenda (February 2015)

Concert tickets make an excellent Christmas gift. Here are the ten performances we most want to hear in the month of February.

Schubert, Winterreise, I. Bostridge, L. O. Andsnes (EMI, 2004)

VOICES:
Tenor Ian Bostridge and pianist Julius Drake take a walk in the snow with a performance of Schubert's Winterreise, in a free concert at the Library of Congress (February 7). For a lot more money and perhaps not better results, super-diva Renée Fleming performs a recital, presented by Washington Performing Arts in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall (February 23). Her program will include works by Handel, Richard Strauss, Debussy, and others.

Dolora Zajick, Elizabeth Bishop, and Alan Held star in the production of Poulenc's Dialogues of the Carmelites at Washington National Opera (February 21 to March 10). The opera will be sung in English, which is a little weird, and Francesca Zambello will direct, hopefully not with the onstage executions she has turned to before.

CHAMBER MUSIC:
Do not miss the recital by violinist Isabelle Faust and pianist Alexander Melnikov (February 8) at the Phillips Collection, with music by Franck, Dvořák, Enescu, and Tchaikovsky. One of our favorite string quartets, the Jerusalem Quartet, performs music by Haydn, Schulhoff, and Schubert at Shriver Hall in Baltimore (February 15).

Schubert, Death and the Maiden, Jerusalem Quartet (Harmonia Mundi, 2008)

If you missed the local debut of the Quatuor Hermès, you have two more chances to hear them play: on the Candlelight Concert Society series in Columbia (February 21) and at the Embassy of France (February 26).

SYMPHONY:
Matthias Pintscher conducts his own music, plus that of Fauré and Ravel, with the National Symphony Orchestra (February 19 to 21). Music for the theater -- the Pelléas et Mélisande Suite and Daphnis et Chloé -- is paired with the U.S. premiere of Mar'eh, Pintscher's new violin concerto, with Karen Gomyo as soloist.

Charles Dutoit makes a welcome return to Washington, this time in a concert with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, presented by Washington Performing Arts in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall (February 21). The program includes Debussy's Iberia, Ravel's La Valse, and Stravinsky's Le chant du rossignol, plus Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with Nikolai Lugansky as soloist.

OTHER:
Actors Derek Jacobi and Richard Clifford are back for another Shakespeare affair with the Folger Consort. After The Tempest in 2010 and A Midsummer Night's Dream in 2007, this time it will be The Merchant of Venice (February 27), with the Gabrieli Consort joining the Folger Consort in the Music Center at Strathmore.

We would never miss a local performance by the Mark Morris Dance Group, and the next one will feature the choreography set to music by Lou Harrison and Mendelssohn, at the GMU Center for the Arts (February 28 and March 1). Morris insists on his dancers performing to live music, which is one of the reasons why we can always recommend the group's performances.

See the complete calendar after the jump.

COMPLETE CALENDAR:
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!

February 1, 2015 (Sun)
1:30 pm
Mariinsky Ballet
Stravinsky, Rite of Spring
Kennedy Center Opera House

February 1, 2015 (Sun)
3 pm
Joseph Gascho (harpsichord) and Kenneth Slowik (viola da gamba) [FREE]
Corcoran School of the Arts and Design

February 1, 2015 (Sun)
3:30 pm
NGA Chamber Players [FREE]
National Gallery of Art

February 1, 2015 (Sun)
4 pm
Raphael Trio
Phillips Collection

February 1, 2015 (Sun)
7:30 pm
Axelrod String Quartet
With Leah Gastler (viola) and Arnie Tanimoto (cello)
National Museum of American History

February 3, 2015 (Tue)
7 pm
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Kennedy Center Opera House

February 3, 2015 (Tue)
7:30 pm
Karine Deshayes, mezzo-soprano
Vocal Arts D.C.
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater

February 3, 2015 (Tue)
7:30 pm
Daniel Getz (viola), Ellen Hwangbo (piano), and John Hughes (violin)
JCCGW (Rockville, Md.)

February 4, 2015 (Wed)
7:30 pm
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Kennedy Center Opera House

February 4, 2015 (Wed)
8 pm
Cameron Carpenter, organ
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

February 4, 2015 (Wed)
8 pm
Calefax Reed Quintet [FREE]
Library of Congress

February 5, 2015 (Thu)
7 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
With Juraj Valcuha (conductor) and Vilde Frang (violin)
Music by Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky, Bruch
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

February 5, 2015 (Thu)
7:30 pm
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Kennedy Center Opera House

February 5, 2015 (Thu)
8 pm
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
With Garrick Ohlsson, piano
Music Center at Strathmore

February 6, 2015 (Fri)
7:30 pm
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Kennedy Center Opera House

February 6, 2015 (Fri)
8 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
With Juraj Valcuha (conductor) and Vilde Frang (violin)
Music by Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky, Bruch
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

February 6, 2015 (Fri)
8 pm
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
With Garrick Ohlsson, piano
Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (Baltimore, Md.)

February 6, 2015 (Fri)
8 pm
Meccore Quartet
Clarice Smith Center

February 6, 2015 (Fri)
8 pm
Montrose Piano Trio
Barns at Wolf Trap

February 7, 2015 (Sat)
11 am and 1:30 pm
NSO Teddy Bear Concert
Kennedy Center Family Theater

February 7, 2015 (Sat)
1:30 and 7:30 pm
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Kennedy Center Opera House

February 7, 2015 (Sat)
2 pm
Ian Bostridge (tenor) and Julius Drake (piano) [FREE]
Schubert, Winterreise
Library of Congress

February 7, 2015 (Sat)
3 pm
Marianna Prjevalskaya, piano [FREE]
Park School Auditorium

February 7, 2015 (Sat)
8 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
With Juraj Valcuha (conductor) and Vilde Frang (violin)
Music by Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky, Bruch
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

February 7, 2015 (Sat)
8 pm
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
With Garrick Ohlsson, piano
Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (Baltimore, Md.)

February 7, 2015 (Sat)
8 pm
Brian Ganz, piano
Music by Chopin
Music Center at Strathmore

February 7, 2015 (Sat)
8 pm
PostClassical Ensemble
With Mykola Suk, piano
Dumbarton Concerts

February 7, 2015 (Sat)
8 pm
Fairfax Symphony Orchestra
GMU Center for the Arts

February 8, 2015 (Sun)
1:30 pm
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Kennedy Center Opera House

February 8, 2015 (Sun)
3 pm
Christopher Atzinger, piano [FREE]
Smithsonian American Art Museum

February 8, 2015 (Sun)
3 pm
National Philharmonic
Beethoven, 9th symphony
Music Center at Strathmore

February 8, 2015 (Sun)
4 pm
Isabelle Faust (violin) and Alexander Melnikov (piano)
Phillips Collection

February 10, 2015 (Tue)
7:30 pm
Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater

February 12, 2015 (Thu)
6:30 pm
Pēteris Vasks, composer
Leading European Composers
Phillips Collection

February 12, 2015 (Thu)
7:30 pm
Spektral Quartet
Mansion at Strathmore

February 12, 2015 (Thu)
8 pm
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
With Nicholas McGegan, conductor
Music by the Bachs
Music Center at Strathmore

February 13, 2015 (Fri)
7:30 pm
Rimsky Korsakov, Snow Maiden
Opera Bel Cantanti
Randolph Road Theater (Silver Spring, Md.)

February 13, 2015 (Fri)
8:15 pm
Off the Cuff: The Bach Family
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Music Center at Strathmore

February 14, 2015 (Sat)
7 pm
Off the Cuff: The Bach Family
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (Baltimore, Md.)

February 14, 2015 (Sat)
8 pm
Strauss, Salome
Virginia Opera
GMU Center for the Arts

February 15, 2015 (Sun)
2 pm
Strauss, Salome
Virginia Opera
GMU Center for the Arts

February 15, 2015 (Sun)
2 and 4 pm
NSO Family Concert
Reineke, Casey at the Bat
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

February 15, 2015 (Sun)
3 pm
Rimsky Korsakov, Snow Maiden
Opera Bel Cantanti
Randolph Rd Theater (Silver Spring, Md.)

February 15, 2015 (Sun)
3 pm
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
With Nicholas McGegan, conductor
Music by the Bachs
Music Center at Strathmore

February 15, 2015 (Sun)
3 pm
Fauré Piano Quartet
Clarice Smith Center

February 15, 2015 (Sun)
4 pm
JACK Quartet
Phillips Collection

February 15, 2015 (Sun)
5:30 pm
Jerusalem Quartet
Music by Haydn, Schulhoff, Schubert
Shriver Hall (Baltimore, Md.)

February 18, 2015 (Wed)
7:30 pm
Sleepy Hollow
Washington Ballet
Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater

February 18, 2015 (Wed)
8 pm
Richard Goode, piano [FREE]
With Itamar Zorman, violin, and others
Library of Congress

February 19, 2015 (Thu)
7 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
With Matthias Pintscher (conductor) and Karen Gomyo (violin)
Music by Pintscher, Fauré, Ravel
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

February 19, 2015 (Thu)
7:30 pm
Sleepy Hollow
Washington Ballet
Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater

February 20, 2015 (Fri)
7:30 pm
Sleepy Hollow
Washington Ballet
Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater

February 20, 2015 (Fri)
8 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
With Matthias Pintscher (conductor) and Karen Gomyo (violin)
Music by Pintscher, Fauré, Ravel
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

February 20, 2015 (Fri)
8 pm
Claremont Trio with Misha Armory, violin [FREE]
Library of Congress

February 21, 2015 (Sat)
1:30 and 7:30 pm
Sleepy Hollow
Washington Ballet
Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater

February 21, 2015 (Sat)
3 pm
Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
With Charles Dutoit, conductor
Washington Performing Arts
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

February 21, 2015 (Sat)
5 pm
21st Century Consort
With Deanne Meek, mezzo-soprano
Smithsonian American Art Museum

February 21, 2015 (Sat)
5:30 pm
Camerata Vocale Sine Nomine
Church of the Epiphany

February 21, 2015 (Sat)
7 pm
Poulenc, Dialogues of the Carmelites
Washington National Opera
Kennedy Center Opera House

February 21, 2015 (Sat)
8 pm
Quatuor Hermès
Candlelight Concert Society
Horowitz Performing Arts Society (Columbia, Md.)

February 21, 2015 (Sat)
8 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
With Matthias Pintscher (conductor) and Karen Gomyo (violin)
Music by Pintscher, Fauré, Ravel
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

February 21, 2015 (Sat)
8 pm
REBEL Baroque
Chamber music by Bach
Cultural Arts Center (Silver Spring, Md.)

February 22, 2015 (Sun)
1:30 and 6:30 pm
Sleepy Hollow
Washington Ballet
Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater

February 23, 2015 (Mon)
7:30 pm
Poulenc, Dialogues of the Carmelites
Washington National Opera
Kennedy Center Opera House

February 23, 2015 (Mon)
8 pm
Renée Fleming, soprano
Washington Performing Arts
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

February 24, 2015 (Tue)
7:30 pm
Opera Lafayette
With Dominique Labelle, soprano
Chamber Music of Handel, Bach
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater

February 25, 2015 (Wed)
7:30 pm
Stile Antico
Church of the Ascension and St. Agnes

February 25, 2015 (Wed)
8 pm
Mason Symphony Orchestra
GMU Center for the Arts

February 26, 2015 (Thu)
7 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
With Herbert Blomstedt (conductor), Emanuel Ax (piano)
Music by Beethoven
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

February 26, 2015 (Thu)
7:30 pm
Quatuor Hermès
Embassy of France

February 26, 2015 (Thu)
7:30 pm
Jenny Lin, piano
Mansion at Strathmore

February 27, 2015 (Fri)
7:30 pm
Chantry
Music of Josquin, Byrd, Victoria, others
Holy Comforter-St. Cyprian

February 27, 2015 (Fri)
7:30 pm
Poulenc, Dialogues of the Carmelites
Washington National Opera
Kennedy Center Opera House

February 27, 2015 (Fri)
8 pm
The Merchant of Venice
Folger Consort and Gabrieli Consort
With Derek Jacobi, Richard Clifford
Music Center at Strathmore

February 27, 2015 (Fri)
8 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
With Herbert Blomstedt (conductor), Emanuel Ax (piano)
Music by Beethoven
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

February 27, 2015 (Fri)
8 pm
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
With Louis Lortie, piano
Music by Stravinsky, Ravel
Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (Baltimore, Md.)

February 28, 2015 (Sat)
7:30 pm
Chantry
Music of Josquin, Byrd, Victoria, others
St. Bernadette (Silver Spring, Md.)

February 28, 2015 (Sat)
8 pm
Mark Morris Dance Group
Lou Harrison, Pacific
GMU Center for the Arts

February 28, 2015 (Sat)
8 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
With Herbert Blomstedt (conductor), Emanuel Ax (piano)
Music by Beethoven
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

February 28, 2015 (Sat)
8 pm
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
With Louis Lortie, piano
Music by Stravinsky, Ravel
Music Center at Strathmore

February 28, 2015 (Sat)
8 pm
University of Maryland Symphony
Music by Mahler, Prokofiev
Clarice Smith Center