The 2022-2023 Arts Season Continues in January and February
The holidays are now firmly behind us and let’s begin the New Year by highlighting what is in store for us. Coming soon to a venue near you –
Houston Grand Opera
HGO presents two operas in their winter repertoire, Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro and Massenet’s Werther.
Mozart’s comedy, The Marriage of Figaro, was composed in 1786. Dealing, as usual, with love and its trials and tribulations, it is considered by many as among the greatest operas ever written. This is a revival from 2016 and is set in Spain in the 1960’s.
The Marriage of Figaro
3 hours and 28 minutes, one intermission.
Sung in Italian with projected English translation.
Patrick Summers, Conductor, Michael Grandage, Original Director, Ian Rutherford, Revival Director
Friday, 13 January, 7:00pm
Sunday 15 January, 2:30pm
Friday, 20 January, 7:00pm
Sunday, 22 January, 2:30pm
Thursday, 26 January, 7:00pm
Saturday, 28 January, 7:00pm
Price range – $20 – $210
Jules Massenet’s, Werther, was written in 1887 but had its first performance, in German, in Vienna in 1892. It was performed soon thereafter in its original French. These performances feature Matthew Polanzani and three time Grammy award winner, Isabel Leonard. Conducted by internationally acclaimed, Robert Spano.
Werther
2 hours and 52 minutes, 2 intermissions.
Sung in French with projected English translation.
Robert Spano, Conductor, Benoît Jacquot, Director
Friday, 27 January, 7:30pm
Sunday, 29 January, 2:00pm
Saturday, 4 February, 7:30pm
Wednesday, 8 February, 7:30pm
Friday, 10 February, 7:30pm
Price range – $20 – $210
All performances – Brown Theater at Wortham Center
Houston Symphony Orchestra
The Houston Symphony has cleverly set its January and February performances as two festivals, “Riots and Scandals” and “Songs of the Earth.” Béla Bartók’s The Miraculous Mandarin was set to accompany a pantomime stage presentation and was initially considered to be in violation of current moral standards and was banned after its first performance in Prague. Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring achieved the highest honor of having the audience at its premier at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris in 1913 descend into an actual riot with fighting, screaming and the tearing of clothes. One patron famously considered his torn shirt collar a family heirloom! Now, over a hundred years later, the music is still provocative and is always a favorite.
The “Songs of the Earth” festival features what, in my opinion, will be the highlight of HSO’s first season with Music Director Juraj Valčuha – Das Lied von Der Erda – The Song of the Earth by Gustav Mahler. Written in 1909, only two years before his death, Mahler was very aware of the significance of a ninth symphony, with the ninth symphonies being the last of Beethoven and Schubert. As a result he did not label Das Lied as a symphony following his massive 8th. No less than Leonard Bernstein has declared it to be not only a symphony but to be Mahler’s greatest. Mahler next completed what he called his 9th Symphony which would be his final completed symphony, so it seems that one should not kid around with fate.
Gamelan refers to the historical Indonesian music of percussion. This will be featured along with Debussy’s Quartet in G Minor performed by plays of HSO. This will be a special one evening concert at a significantly reduced general admission ticket.
Lastly, famed violinist and collaborator with HSO, Itzhak Perlman will perform a recital on Sunday evening, February 26th.
“Riots and Scandals Festival”
Program
Kendall, The Spark Catchers
Rachmaninoff, Piano Concerto No. 3
Bartók, The Miraculous Mandarin
Music Director Juraj Valčuha, Conductor
Yefin Bronfman, piano
Houston Symphony Chorus, Allen Hightower, Director
1 hours, 45 minutes, one intermission
Friday, 13 January, 8:00pm
Saturday, 14 January, 8:00pm
Sunday, 15 January, 2:30pm
Price range – $29 – $144
“Riots and Scandals Festival”
Program
Revueltas, Sensemayá
Tchaikovsky, Piano Contero No. 1
Stravinsky, The Rite of Spring
Music Director Juraj Valcčula, Conductor
Khakis Buniatishvili, Piano
1 hour, 30 minutes, one intermission
Friday, 20 January, 8:00pm
Saturday, 21 January, 8:00pm
Sunday, 22 January, 2:30pm
Price range – $30 – $144
“Songs of the Earth Festival”
Program
Q.Chen, Itinerary of an Illusion (Orchestral Variations)
Mahler, Das Lied von der Erde – Song of the Earth
Music Director, Juraj Valčula, Conductor
Sasha Cooke, Mezzo-Soprano
Clay Holley, Tenor
1 hour, 45 minutes, one intermission
Friday, 10 February, 8:00pm
Saturday, 11 February, 8:00pm
Sunday, 12 February, 2:20pm
Price range – $30 – $144
“Songs of the Earth Festival”
Program
Debussy, String Quartet in G Minor
Gamelan of the New Moon
Members of the Houston Symphony –
MuChens Hsieh, Principal Violin
Tong Yan, Violin
Samuel Petersen, Viola
Louis-Marie Fardet, Cello
Thursday, 16 February, 7:30pm
Special price, $20, General Admission
“Songs of the Earth Festival”
Ravel, Mother Goose Suite
Takemitsu, Quotation of Cream (Say Sea, Take Me!)
T Hosokawa, Autumn Wind
Debussy’s La mer
Music Director Juraj Valčula, Conductor
Lucas and Arthur Jussen, Piano
Kojiro Umezaki, Shakuhachi (Japanese bamboo flute)
1 hour, 30 minutes, one intermission
Friday, 17 February, 8:00pm
Saturday, 18 February, 8:00pm
Sunday, 19 February, 2:30pm
Price range – $29 – $109
Itzhak Perlman in Recital
Program to be announced
Itzhak Perlman, Violin
Rohan De Silva, Piano
Sunday, 26 February, 7:30pm
Price range – $29 – $135
All performances – Jones Hall
Houston Ballet
Houston Ballet will present the magnificent music of Prokofiev to accompany Stanton Welch’s choreography set to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. This is Prokofiev at his absolute best and should not be missed.
Prokofiev, Romeo and Juliet
Thursday, 23 February, 7:30pm
Saturday, 25 February, 7:30pm
Sunday, 26 February, 2:00pm
Friday, 3 March, 7:30pm
Saturday, 4 March, 1:30pm and 7:30pm
Sunday, 5 March, 2:00pm
Prices begin at $25
All performances – Brown Theater at Wortham Center
Looks to me like a very impressive January and February. Go for it!
Keep letting me hear from you at classicalmusicberquist@gmail.com