From Brandenburg to Brooklyn, the classic arts scene in New York is never quiet. Here is just a sampling of some of the classic arts events happening this week:
The Metropolitan Opera’s annual holiday presentation of The Magic Flute returns to Lincoln Center starting December 12. Julie Taymor’s vibrant puppet-filled production of Mozart’s final opera is performed in English and abridged to a two-hour running time for family audiences. Soprano Kathryn Lewek returns to her signature role, the Queen of the Night, in which she has appeared more than any other performer in Met history. Lewek shares the role with Aigul Khismatullina, making her Met debut. Sopranos Hera Hyesang Park and Emily Pogorelc share the role of Pamina, the Queen of the Night’s daughter, with tenors David Portillo and Duke Kim as the prince Tamino, who is tasked with going on a quest to rescue her from the sorcerer Sarastro. Baritones Will Liverman and Sean Michael Plumb alternate as Papageno, the easily frightened bird-catcher who accompanies Tamino on his quest. Basses Soloman Howard and Peixin Chen round out the cast as Sarastro.
An opera inspired by The Magic Flute, Strauss’ Die Frau ohne Schatten (The Woman Without a Shadow) also continues performances at the Met this week. Soprano Elza van den Heever leads the cast as the Empress, the daughter of the spirit king Keikobad. The Empress, who has married a mortal Emperor and wishes to stay in the human world, is tasked with acquiring a shadow in three days, or she will be forced to return to the spirit realm. Soprano Nina Stemme plays the Empress’ Nurse, with soprano Lise Lindstrom as the Dyer’s Wife, baritone Michael Volle as the Dyer, tenor Russell Thomas as the Emperor, and bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green as the Spirit Messenger.
Brooklyn Ballet brings back The Brooklyn Nutcracker December 12-15 for six performances at The Theater at City Tech. Conceived by Lynn Parkerson, the reimagining of Tchaikovsky’s Christmas classic blends ballet with hip hop, African dance, belly dance, traditional Native American Hoop Dance, Chinese dance, flamenco, traditional Ukrainian Hopak, and more, featuring dancers from around the world. The production sets the ballet among an array of Brooklyn landmarks.
In the second Brooklyn-based reinvented Nutcracker opening this week, the Mark Morris Dance Group starts performances of The Hard Nut at the Brooklyn Academy of Music December 12. Running through December 22, Mark Morris’ retro-modern reimagining of Tchaikovsky’s ballet based on the story by E.T.A. Hoffman sets the action in the 1970s, with Colin Fowler conducting the MMDG Music Ensemble.
The New York Philharmonic presents Handel’s Messiah December 11-14. Tom Koopman conducts Handel’s iconic Christmas oratorio (not to be confused with Bach’s Christmas Oratorio) with soprano Maya Kherani, countertenor Maarten Engeltjes, tenor Kieran White, and bass-baritone Klaus Mertens as the soloists. Musica Sacra, New York City’s longest continually performing professional chorus, joins the Philharmonic to provide the oratorio’s many famous choral movements.
Carnegie Hall presents a week of recitals, with tenor Piotr Beczala and pianist Helmut Deutsch (December 9); violinist Janine Jansen and pianist Denis Kozhukhin (December 10); pianist Hélène Grimaud (December 11); soprano Asmik Grigorian with pianist Lukas Geniušas (December 12); vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant with pianist Sullivan Fortner (December 13); and siblings cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason and pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason (December 15).
The Martha Graham Dance Company will present a preview of Lloyd Knight’s solo dance work, The Drama, at the Martha Graham Studio Theater December 13 and 14. Commissioned by Guggenheim’s Works & Process and DANCECleveland, The Drama uses dance, text, and video, to explore Knight’s time as an artist.
The 92nd Street Y presents The Living Earth Show and Post:ballet in Lyra, a new reimagining of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, with music by Samuel Adams and choreography by Vanessa Thiessen. Post:ballet is a California-based contemporary dance company founded by Robin Dekkers. Lyra features dancers Emily Hansel as Atropos; Babatunji Johnson as Orpheus; Moscelyne ParkeHarrison as Eurydice; Mia J. Chong, Colleen Loverde, and Anthony Pucci as Cerberus; Cora Cliburn as Hades; and Landes Dixon as Persephone. The Living Earth Show, a contemporary chamber music duo comprising guitarist Travis Andrews and percussionist Andy Meyerson, will also appear on stage as Clotho and Lachesis. The performance will take place December 14 at Buttenwieser Hall at The Arnhold Center.
Pianist Jeremy Denk returns December 12 to the 92nd Street Y to perform a wide-ranging program including works by Beethoven, Joplin, Gottschalk, Charles Ives, William Bolcom, and Nina Simone.
The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s Baroque Festival continues with the society’s annual presentation of Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos. The Society will present three performances of all six concertos, December 13, 15, and 17, at Alice Tully Hall.
The Orchestra Now, conducted by Leonardo Pineda, presents a free holiday concert December 15 at the Talent Unlimited High School on the Upper East Side. Joined by the All-City High School Orchestra, the orchestra will perform selections from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker and Holst’s The Planets, as well as Johann Strauss’ Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka, and the Polovtsian Dances from Alexander Borodin’s opera Prince Igor.
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