Irish composer Charles Villiers Stanford died in 1924, and the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland is marking that centenary by performing some of his works throughout their season. The first Stanford 100 concert takes place Feb. 2 and features his Clarinet Concerto with soloist Carol McGonnell. Mihhail Gerts will also conduct Brahms’ Fourth Symphony. https://bit.ly/45tBrQR
Finnish composer Lotta Wennäkoski’s Om fotspår och ljus (Of Footprints and Light – Helsinki Variations) will receive its U.K. premiere with the London Symphony on Feb. 4. Another Finn is on the program: Jean Sibelius, whose Symphony No. 2 will be conducted by Thomas Søndergård. Leif Ove Andsnes is the soloist for Beethoven’s Fifth Piano […]
The Bavarian State Opera is creating a new production of Tchaikovsky’s Pique Dame, directed by Benedict Andrews and conducted by Aziz Shokhakimov. Brandon Jovanovich stars as Hermann. The production runs Feb. 4-20. https://www.staatsoper.de/en/productions/pique-dame/2024-02-04-1800-14096
Conductor Oksana Lyniv leads the U.K. premiere of the Cello Concerto by fellow Ukrainian Victoria Vita Polevá with the London Philharmonic on Feb. 9. Inbal Segev will be the soloist. The program opens with a suite from Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen and concludes with Dvořák’s Eighth Symphony. https://lpo.org.uk/event/oksana-lyniv-conducts-dvorak/
Roland Wood stars as Karl Marx in the U.K. premiere of the comic opera Marx in London! at Scottish Opera. The production, which covers Marx’s time in London in 1871 will be staged in Glasgow on Feb. 13-17 before moving to Edinburgh Feb. 22-24. Conducted by Stephen Barlow and designed by Yannis Thavoris. https://www.scottishopera.org.uk/shows/marx-in-london/
Eun Sun Kim, music director of the San Francisco Opera, makes her debut with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal Feb. 15-17. She will conduct Ravel’s orchestration of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition as well as two works featuring pianist Louis Lortie: Mozart’s Rondo, K. 382, and Fauré’s Ballade, Op. 19. https://www.osm.ca/en/concerts/mozart-and-faure-with-louis-lortie-and-eun-sun-kim/
Bookended by two Stravinsky works, the London Philharmonic’s Feb. 16 program includes the world premiere of Ciudad sin Sueño, a fantasia for piano and orchestra (featuring Javier Perianes) by Spanish composer Francisco Coll. Under the baton of Gustavo Gimeno, the evening prolongs the Iberian vibe with Villa Lobos’ Nights in the Gardens of Spain. https://lpo.org.uk/event/colour-and-fantasy/
Beta, a world premiere by Deutsche Oper Berlin running Feb. 17-March 2, is investigative music theater exploring not only the potential of digital tools but also the risks inherent in the relinquishing of private data. The opera is by Christiane Mudra (libretto, research, and stage direction and Dariya Maminova (music) and will incorporate CGI and VFX […]
Although Alexander Zemlinsky wrote the opera George the Dreamer in 1904-6, it was not premiered until 1980. The story, although filled with the magic of fairy tales, takes a realistic look at the pain of being an outsider in society. Oper Frankfurt will present a new production of this rarely seen work on Feb. 25-March […]
Ireland’s National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by John Wilson, will present the European premiere of Ligeia, a trombone concerto by Joe Chindamo, with Peter Moore as soloist. The March 1 program will also include Holst’s The Planets. https://bit.ly/3tAbDoI
On March 3 the London Symphony Orchestra will present the world premiere of John Adams’ Frenzy. Simon Rattle conducts this all-American program, which includes Roy Harris’ Symphony No. 3 and Gershwin’s Piano Concerto, featuring Kirill Gerstein. https://www.lso.co.uk/whats-on/sir-simon-rattle-listening-to-america/
Directed by Barrie Kosky, Komische Oper Berlin’s new production of Handel’s Hercules demonstrates that oratorios can, in fact, be staged. Mezzo-soprano Paula Murrihy sings the lead role of Dejanira, long-suffering wife of Hercules (March 3-April 5). https://www.komische-oper-berlin.de/en/what/a-z/hercules/
