As we’ve been leading up to the Super Bowl, it’s been a quiet week in Philadelphia… or at least, an intimate one. This week’s picks are all in the chamber music realm, offering considerable variety.
Spotlight: Roderick Williams and Julius Drake – Wednesday, Perelman Theater
If you haven’t heard the English singer Roderick Williams – well, simply put, you should. Blessed with a beautiful baritone voice and clear, natural, and direct delivery, he is perfectly paired with one of the great living collaborative pianists, Julius Drake, in this Philadelphia Chamber Music Society recital. That would be enough to attract me, no matter the repertoire. That we’ll get to hear two rarely performed song cycles – Beethoven’s An die ferne Geliebte and the Magelone-Lieder of Brahms – adds to the anticipation. Throw in narration by The Philadelphia Orchestra’s beloved storyteller Charlotte Blake Alston, and imagery from visual artist Amsterdam-based illustrator Cristina Garcia Martin, and this recital is just too intriguing to miss.
Feb. 12 at 7:30 p.m., Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, 300 South Broad Street, $30; tickets and information.
Steven Isserlis and Connie Shih – Monday, Perelman Theater
You’ll want to jump on this one if you haven’t already heard about it. Chances to hear the ever-questing British cellist Steven Isserlis in chamber music are relatively rare on this side of the Atlantic, so kudos to Philadelphia Chamber Music Society for bringing him here with Canadian pianist (and Curtis Institute alumna) Connie Shih. Their recent recordings for Bis have been impressive, and I expect this typically thoughtful and wide-ranging program will be, too. In between a beloved Beethoven sonata and a very fine Grieg sonata that we should hear more often are rarities by Bohuslav Martinů and Nadia Boulanger.
Feb. 10 at 7:30 p.m., Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, 300 South Broad Street, sold out, but call 215-569-8080 or email boxoffice@pcmsconcerts.org to join the waiting list; tickets and information.
Concordia Chamber Players – Feb. 16, Trinity Church, Solebury
Here’s a treat for music lovers in or around Bucks County. Concordia’s roster of chamber musicians have impressive credentials, and this program, mostly of string sextets, holds some promising finds to add to Richard Strauss’s reliably beautiful prelude to the opera Capriccio. Can you imagine the Prelude and “Liebestod” from Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde as a string sextet? No need to imagine, it’s here. Perhaps a little less improbably, Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante for violin, viola, and orchestra gets the string sextet treatment, as well. To open, Bucks County native Missy Mazzoli – better known for her orchestral works and operas – is represented by her string trio with a catchy title: Lies You Can Believe In.
Feb. 16 at 3 p.m., Trinity Church, 6587 Upper York Road, Solebury, $40; tickets and information.
Looking Ahead: The Philadelphia Orchestra with Fabio Luisi and Leonidas Kavakos – Feb. 21-23, Marian Anderson Hall
Dallas Symphony music director Fabio Luisi impressed last season with his exciting yet elegant Carmina burana. I’m mostly familiar with his work as a conductor of opera, so I’m curious to hear his approach to the venerable Brahms Fourth Symphony. Evening Land, a 2017 tone poem by Danish composer Bent Sørensen, opens the program. In between, the superb Greek violinist Leonidas Kavakos serves up Korngold’s Hollywood-infused Violin Concerto. This delightful work is filled to the brim with gorgeous melodies from the composer’s classic film scores, transformed into entirely convincing concert music.
Feb. 21 and 23 at 2 p.m., Feb 22 at 8 p.m., Marian Anderson Hall, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, 300 South Broad Street, $25-$195; tickets and information.
