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Spotlight: RE/CREATE — Friday through Sunday, Various Locations
John Milton, the 17th-century English poet best known for the epic Paradise Lost, was not only the son of a composer, but an accomplished musician in his own right, renowned for his prowess as an organist. Legions of composers — including Handel, Hubert Parry, and Eric Whitacre — have been inspired to set Milton’s words to music, and this weekend Philadelphia’s Kile Smith becomes the latest to join their ranks.
The world premiere of Smith’s “Endless Morn of Light,” which derives its title from the final words of Milton’s ode At a Solemn Musick, is the highlight of RE/CREATE, a joint offering from the vocal ensemble Variant 6 and the Sylvan Consort of Viols. The program also features Orlando di Lasso’s masterpiece Prophetiae Sibyllarum, an envelope-pushing early exploration of chromatic harmony published in 1600, eight years before Milton’s birth.
March 14 at 8 p.m, Fleisher Art Memorial, 719 Catharine Street;
March 15 at 3 p.m., First & Central Presbyterian Church, 1101 North Market Street, Wilmington, DE;
March 16 at 2 p.m., Levering Mill Tribute House, 382 Bala Avenue, Bala Cynwyd,
$16.30-$41.80; tickets and information.
Marin Alsop Leads Brahms, Mendelssohn, and Frank — Thursday through Saturday, Marian Anderson Hall
Three of classical music’s most charismatic ambassadors combine forces this week at Marian Anderson Hall: conductor Marin Alsop, the music director laureate of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and The Philadelphia Orchestra’s current principal guest conductor; 28-year old violinist Randall Goosby, acclaimed for his incendiary technique and lyrical sensitivity; and Gabriela Lena Frank, a Grammy-nominated composer, pianist, and educator. The program opens with the world premiere of Frank’s work Picaflor (Hummingbird), a Philadelphia Orchestra commission, followed by two warhorses — Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto and Brahms’ Variations on a Theme by Haydn. Star power of this magnitude rarely shares the same stage!
March 13 at 7:30 p.m., March 14 at 2 p.m., March 15 at 8 p.m., Marian Anderson Hall, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, 300 South Broad Street, $25-$195; tickets and information.
Elias Quartet — Friday, Perelman Theater
How do we say goodbye? Is it better to vanish without a trace or to make a grand exit? These questions preoccupy the Elias Quartet’s Friday evening program at the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, a meditation on mortality and meaning via the final works for string quartet — and last substantial musical statements — of Britten, Haydn, and Mendelssohn.
March 14 at 7:30 p.m., Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, 300 South Broad Street, $30, limited view seating options available; tickets and information.
Recorder Fest — Saturday, Settlement Music School
The recorder — one of the oldest, most important, and most polarizing members of the woodwind family — takes the limelight for Recorder Fest, Piffaro’s annual celebration of the instrument. Workshops, a community play-in, and performances from a variety of amateur recorder ensembles feature in this all-day event hosted by Settlement Music School in Queen Village.
March 15 beginning at 3 p.m., community play-in at 6 p.m., concert at 7 p.m., Settlement Music School, Marie Louise Curtis Branch, 416 Queen Street, free with registration, tickets and information.
Debussy Through the Lens — Sunday, Trinity at 22nd
The flute, viola, and harp trio is the peanut butter, marshmallow, and banana sandwich of chamber music: an unusual flavor pairing on paper, but absolute perfection on the plate. Led by flutist and artistic director Mimi Stillman, the Dolce Suono Ensemble curates a tasting menu of works for this piquant sonic combination, beginning with its most famous example, Debussy’s 1915 Trio for Flute, Viola and Harp, and followed by newer compositions by Zhou Tian, Fang Man, and Thomas Whitman.
March 16 at 3 p.m., Trinity at 22nd, 2212 Spruce Street, $10-$30, tickets and information.
