Washington Classic Review » Blog Archive » Critic’s Choice 2022-23
David T. Little’s Black Lodge. Opera Philadelphia. October 1st
Just a couple of hours north in the City of Brotherly Love is this fall’s festival O22, a brew of experimental and unconventional works from Opera Philadelphia. In addition to Rossini’s stagings Othello and Hosokawa Raventhe company gives its world premiere Black Lodge, a new opera by David T. Little. Immersed in the surreal worlds of William S. Burroughs, the work combines film screening, industrial rock, classical string quartet and opera. operaphila.org
Jean Rondeau. Capriccio Baroque. October 26
This talented young French harpsichordist who published his own another recording Bach’s Goldberg Variations earlier this year, has said: “I will spend my life with them without a doubt.” As part of a great season of intimate harpsichord concerts, Capriccio Baroque offers the chance to hear Rondeau’s latest interpretation of this masterpiece in a complete performance without breaks in a small center downtown. capricciobaroque.org
Donizetti Roberto Devereux. Washington Concert Opera. December 4th
This will be the second year that the Washington Concert Opera presents operas that can hardly be heard anywhere else in the city. Donizetti’s English historical opera is in its first season Roberto Devereuxstarring tenor René Barbera and an Italian soprano Roberta Mantegna, his latter debut in the United States. Baritone Ricardo José Rivera, in the second group, and mezzo-soprano Elizabeth DeShong portray the Duke and Duchess of Nottingham. concertopera.org
Rihab Chaieb and Brian Zeger. Vocal Arts DC. December 8
Mezzo-soprano Rihab Chaieb is a strong bet in the five-concert season from Vocal Arts DC. Together with pianist Brian Zeger, he sings a song by Robert Schumann Maria Stuart-LiederRavel’s Songs Populaires and Shehérazade, and pieces by Bizet, Aubert and Golijov. The pair will also give a world premiere of works by Canadian composer Matthew Ricketts, as well as Arabic songs that reflect Chaieb’s roots in Tunisia, accompanied by guitar. vocalartsdc.org
Emerson’s String Quartet. Barns in Wolf Trap. December 9th
The Emerson String Quartet has decided to disband at the end of this season. The acclaimed group bids farewell with a farewell concert tour that will make one local stop at the Barns at Wolf Trap for a suite of chamber music shepherded by pianist Wu Han. The program is dedicated to Beethoven, a composer the Emersons have studied time and time again. After the String Quartet No. 8, the ensemble says its last word with the String Quartet No. 13, which is crowned by the final movement Beethoven originally composed for it, now known as the “Grosse Fuge”. wolftrap.org
by Gregory Spears Travel companions. Virginia Opera. 4-5 February 2023
Virginia Opera finally brings to the region this promising new opera by Virginia-born composer Gregory Spears. Based on Thomas Mallon’s 2007 novel, the plot even unfolds here in Washington, a gay love story set in the Joseph McCarthy-era 1950s. Joseph Lattanzi and Andres Acosta star in the production, directed by Kevin Newbury, and members of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra are conducted by Adam Turner. vaopera.org
Bach Collegium Japan, led by Masaaki Suzuki and Roderick Williams. February 11th
After two and a half years of Covid-uncertainty, the Library of Congress’ free concert series is returning to an in-person performance in one of the city’s best acoustics. One of the many highlights is the return of Bach Collegium Japan. Masaaki Suzuki conducts Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 2 and baritone Roderick Williams sings Telemann’s cantata, Erquicktes Herz, sei voller Freudenand Bach’s moving Cantata No. 82 “Ich habe genug”. loc.gov
Manuel de Fallan El retablo de maese Pedro. PostClassical Ensemble conducted by Angel Gil-Ordóñez. April 19
In the summer, Joseph Horowitz resigned as artistic director of the PostClassical Ensemble, leaving music director Angel Gil-Ordóñez as the group’s sole director. His first production season ends with a program dedicated to Falla’s chamber opera El retablo de maese Pedro, coinciding with the work’s centenary. The opera, performed with animation synchronized to the score, will be combined with Derek Goldman’s world premiere. Entangledtells about the friendship between Falla and the poet Federico Garcia Lorca. postclassicalensemble.webflow.io
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jonathon Heyward and Khatia Buniatishvili. May 4-7
The eyes are in this orchestra in the north, when Jonathon Heyward will take the reins of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra as music director next season. The young conductor will present Charm City in May with two programs. In the first of them, he connects Tania Léon Passengers and Rachmaninoff Symphonic dances, a typical juxtaposition of old and new. Pianist Khatia Buniatishvili will perform Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 as a soloist. bsomusic.org
Helsinki City Orchestra, conducted by Susanna Mälkki, accompanied by Claire Chase. May 8th
Washington Performing Arts crowns a well-deserved season with a rare visit from Finland’s premier performers, the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra. The program is also completely Finnish, in this concert at the Kennedy Center’s concert hall. Susanna Mälkki conducts Sibelius’ second symphony and “The Return of Lemminkäinen”, part of the composer’s composition. Four legends suite. Claire Chase is the soloist L’Aile du SongeKaija Saariaho’s flute concerto. washingtonperformingarts.org