by Paul Pelkonen
Bench coach: this is in no way an endorsement of the product pictured.
Image of Mr. Burns from Homer at the Bat, © 1992 by Gracie Films/FOX.
the simple monthly calendar guide to operas, concerts and upcoming events on the classical music scene.
With the opera season winding to a close, it's time for the return of the Metropolitan Opera's Robert Lepage production of Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen. With ticket prices slashed across the board, now's a good time as any to get yourself into one of the remaining seats for this season's lone major Wagner offering.
Happily, this much-troubled production is not the only thing happening in the month of April. Here's your handy guide to the month. We're experimenting with the format this month, separating out classical music concerts and opera performances. Let me know what you think at ppelkonen@gmail.com.
OPERA:
At the Met, the company re-launches its troubled Robert Lepage production of Wagner's Ring Cycle with Das Rheingold on April 6, Die Walküre on April 13, Siegfried on April 21 and finally, Götterdämmerung on April 24. There will be three performances of each opera. Tickets, now steeply discounted, are available, but there will be no rush seats sold for these shows.
On April 27, the Met unveils a rare revival of Janáček's The Makropoulos Case. The eternally young Karita Mattila sings the title role of an opera singer obsessed with her own apparent immortality. Since the company has done very little to market what is sure to be the most interesting revival of the Spring season, it's up to me to tell you: go see it.
Also this month:
- Natalie Dessay bows in La Traviata.
- Anna Netrebko vamps in Manon.
- Nadja Mitchell makes interesting sounds in Macbeth.
April 11 marks the opening of the Gotham Chamber Opera's eagerly anticipated revival of Mozart's Il Sogno del Scipione. This rarely performed one-act opera (written by Mozart at the age of 15) launched the GCO in 2002. This production is by Christopher Alden, whose Mozart for the New York City Opera (2010's Don Giovanni and this year's Cosí fan tutte, has drawn strong reviews.)
On the Upper East Side, the Dicapo Opera launches its own La Traviata which should satisfy traditionalists who don't like the Met's radcal Willy Decker verson of the opera. It opens April 12.
Speaking of Mozart, a new company, the brand-new New York Opera Exchange is performing Cosí fan tutte at the Church of the Covenant, with presumably less angst than the just-closed City Opera production. It opens April 26. Also, on April 27, the Juilliard Opera unveils an interesting take on Don Giovanni, presented here in its original Prague edition. That means there's no tacked-on ensemble in the last scene: the opera ends in hell-fire.
CLASSICAL MUSIC CONCERTS
On April 11, Joshua Bell brings the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields to Alice Tully Hall for an all-Beethoven program. That same day, the great pianist Mitsuko Uchida gives a recital at Carnegie Hall.
On April 12, the Orchestra of St. Luke's will perform Mozart's Requiem at Carnegie Hall under the baton of Iván Fischer.
April 12 marks the return of the New York Philharmonic. They'll play Prokofiev's Third Piano Concerto (featuring soloist Yuja Wang) and Mahler's First Symphony conducted by Jaap von Zwieden. Other notable Philharmonic concerts on the schedule include
- an evening of Mozart and Tchaikovsky with pianist Garrick Ohlsson, opening April 19.
- the New York premiere of Marc Neikrug's Concerto for Orchestra on April 26.
On April 19, the American Symphony Orchestra offers their final concert of the spring season at Carnegie Hall: an evening focusing on modern American iconoclast George Crumb.
Sir Simon Rattle returns to Carnegie Hall on April 27. The distinguished conductor will lead the Philadelphia Orchestra. The program features a pair of "threes": Brahms' Third Symphony and Schumann's "Rhenish" Symphony, also his Third.