We’re already barreling toward the end of January, and we have a really cool slate of performances this weekend. You can find some lighter fare down in Wilmington, while here in town there’s music that used to inspire riots; alternate takes on the birth of our country; and an experiment from Curtis alumni and students that should yield some fascinating results.
Spotlight: Bandwidth Residency — Saturday, Curtis Institute of Music
Nate’s World is a trio comprising bassist Nate Farrington, percussionist Gabriel Globus-Hoenich, and conductor and pianist Teddy Abrams, who have been making music and creating spontaneous programs together since their days at the Curtis Institute of Music. This week, they’re back at their alma mater for what’s being called the Bandwidth Residency, working with students as they create their own quickly assembled programs, the results of which will be performed in a recital this Saturday. This program will stem entirely from the students’ ideas as they incorporate newly composed music, original arrangements, and elements from outside traditional instrumentation and performance. Whatever goes on stage is what comes from the students pushing their creative curiosity, so you might leave this performance with new ideas about what music can be.
Jan. 31 at 7:30 p.m., Gould Rehearsal Hall, Curtis Institute of Music, 1726 Locust Street, free with reservation, tickets and more information.
Ruckus / Davóne Tines — Thursday, Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral
The celebrated bass-baritone Davóne Tines and the early music ensemble Ruckus — both known for stretching the bounds of convention — join forces for a concert of reimagined music of the American revolution. This is part of Penn Live Arts’ America Unfinished series, asking questions about how we address our stated foundational virtues in the 21st century and acknowledging our struggle to meet their promise. Ruckus has been described (San Francisco Chronicle) as a “period instrument rock band,” so together with Tines’ bold presentation, we should be able to hear in the music some interesting takes on how we’ve evolved as a country.
Jan. 29 at 7 p.m., Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral, 19 South 38th Street, $55, tickets and more information.
Waltzing with the Delaware Symphony — Friday, Grand Opera House
If the cold has got you down, the Delaware Symphony has a concert of great waltzes to brighten things up. I can say that honestly, too; some of the waltzes on this program are high on my personal list, like Richard Strauss’ Rosenkavalier suite and Maurice Ravel’s more conceptual La valse. There’s also a recent work with some lilt to it by Anna Clyne — and the headliner comes from someone I would dub the Waltz Tsar, Pyotr Tchaikovsky: his violin concerto (whose middle movement is in 3/4 time).
Jan. 30 at 7:30 p.m., The Grand Opera House, 818 North King Street, Wilmington, DE, $35-95, tickets and more information.
The Rite of Spring — Saturday and Sunday, Marian Anderson Hall
The Philadelphia Orchestra’s bill this weekend not only features three titans of the 20th century repertoire, but also two works that the ensemble originally premiered in this country. It makes me wonder how the 1922 Philadelphian audience handled Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring after its notoriously tumultuous reception in Paris; it probably helped that Leopold Stokowski gave an introduction from the stage before the downbeat. The Orchestra also gave the premiere of Shostakovich’s first piano concerto 12 years later; Seong-Jin Cho is in town for that part of the show this weekend. Rounding out the program is Maurice Ravel’s Mother Goose suite.
Jan. 31 at 8 p.m., Feb. 1 at 2 p.m., Marian Anderson Hall, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, 300 South Broad Street, $77-252, tickets and more information.
This week from PCMS — Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, Perelman Theater
The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society has three performances this week, and at press time, only one was sold out; that would be the Terra Quartet, who will perform quartets by Haydn, Borodin, and Brahms. Soprano Axelle Fanyo and pianist Julius Drake’s program on Friday offers an interesting exploration of the relationship between two 20th-century teacher-student relationships: Arnold Schoenberg and John Cage, and Olivier Messiaen and William Bolcom. Rounding out the week on Sunday, the Catalyst Quartet bring their program Against All Odds, featuring works by composers who suffered hardships in their lives, restricting their careers for reasons having nothing to do with music.
This week at Curtis
I should give a hat tip to Robert King (@doorclimber) on Instagram (follow us @wrtimusic and check out my Scherch for Music series) for reminding me just how many opportunities we have to hear great performances for free, and that would be usually around three times a week at Curtis. This week, they’ve got a recital headlined by Shostakovich’s first cello concerto on Monday, a recital featuring harp, oboe, and violin works on Wednesday, and a piano-heavy recital on Friday.
Looking ahead:
Complications in Sue — starts February 4, Academy of Music
Hilary Hahn returns to the stage — February 12-14, Marian Anderson Hall
Johnny Gandelsman: This is America — February 14-15, two different venues
Miro Quartet / Karen Slack — February 22, Kimmel Center
Solitude + S P A C E — February 25, Benjamin Franklin Hall
La Passion de Simone — February 26, Philadelphia Film Center
