Washington Classical Review

Patrick Quigley will lead staged performances of Rameau’s Les Surprises de l’Amour with Opera Lafayette November 13-15. Photo: Dario Acosta

Mozart: Mitridate, Re di Ponto. Opera Philadelphia, September 9-13.

A trip to the City of Brotherly Love is in order for an early Mozart opera, which launches an excellent and varied season for Opera Philadelphia. This opera seria, a family drama centered on the titular Hellenistic ruler in the first century B.C., features a series of striking arias. The Philly cast should be ideal for the material: tenor Lawrence Brownlee, countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo, and soprano Lauren Snouffer. operaphila.org

Songs and arias by Monteverdi, Purcell, Handel, others. Iestyn Davies and Oliver Wass, October 23.

The voice of Iestyn Davies is among the most dulcet examples of the countertenor voice. With his velvety lyricism and gentle tone, he can hold the ear for the length of this solo recital accompanied only by harpist Oliver Wass. Alongside the expected baroque composers (Monteverdi, Purcell, and Handel) is music written by Schubert, Beach, and Poulenc, as well as solo harp pieces by Debussy, Falla, and Britten. dumbartonconcerts.org

Brahms: Piano Quartet No. 1. Chiarina Chamber Players, November 8.

You can hear two of the National Symphony Orchestra’s best principal musicians in this concert at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church on Capitol Hill. Concertmaster Nurit Bar-Josef and principal violist Daniel Foster join cellist Carrie Bean Stute and pianist Efi Hackmey, co-artistic directors of Chiarina Chamber Players. The main course, Piano Quartet No. 1 of Brahms, is introduced by Caroline Shaw’s string duet Limestone and Felt and Fauré’s Violin Sonata No. 1. chiarina.org

Schubert: Schwanengesang. Matthew Polenzani and Ken Noda, November 9.

Matthew Polenzani, known for his operatic performances with the Metropolitan Opera and National Symphony Orchestra, is a gifted recitalist as well. His last recital with Vocal Arts DC, in late 2020, ended up being presented virtually. The chance to hear him declaim the words and melodies of Schubert’s final song collection at La Maison Française is most welcome, matched by the soft touch of Ken Noda at the piano. Italian songs, not arias, by Cilea, Pizzetti, Leoncavallo, Donizetti, and Tosti follow on the second half. vocalartsdc.org

Rameau: Les Surprises de l’Amour. Opera Lafayette, November 13-15.

Patrick Quigley opens his second season at the helm of Opera Lafayette by going back to the ensemble’s French baroque roots. Madame de Pompadour, mistress of Louis XV, commissioned this opéra-ballet in 1748, for performance in her private Théâtre des Petits Appartements at Versailles. She even sang some of the soprano arias. The complete work was recorded only a decade ago, and this will be the first staging since its premiere, scheduled for three nights in the intimate theater of the Folger Shakespeare Library. operalfayette.org

Sol Gabetta performs Mieczysław Weinberg’s Cello Concerto with Gianandrea Noseda and the National Symphony Orchestra February 11-12, 2027.

Bach: Mühlhausen Cantatas. Ensemble Correspondences and Lucille Richardot/Sébastien Daucé, December 11.

Sébastien Daucé finally brings early music ensemble Ensemble Correspondances to the free concert series at the Library of Congress, after a virtual concert broadcast during the coronavirus pandemic. The striking mezzo-soprano Lucile Richardot features as principal soloist in three early cantatas composed by J.S. Bach while working in Mühlhausen: Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit, Aus der Tiefen ruf ich, Herr, zu dir, and Christ lag in Todes Banden. Works by J.C. Bach and Franz Tunder round out the program. loc.gov

Weinberg: Cello Concerto. National Symphony Orchestra/Gianandrea Noseda with Sol Gabetta. February 11-12, 2027.

In mid-August the National Symphony Orchestra finally announced the season it had planned back in February. Whether the Kennedy Center actually closes or not, the NSO will perform at six different venues around the city. In a particular highlight, Noseda gives a tribute to his predecessor, Mstislav Rostropovich, who would have celebrated his 100th birthday next year. Cellist Sol Gabetta plays the solo part in Mieczysław Weinberg’s Cello Concerto, which Rostropovich himself premiered 70 years ago. Noseda pairs it with Shostakovich’s Tenth Symphony for this very Russian evening at Lisner Auditorium. kennedy-center.org

Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5. Boston Symphony Orchestra/Andris Nelsons, April 12.

Boston Symphony Orchestra leadership announced last March that Andris Nelsons would not be renewed as that ensemble’s music director. The decision against the Latvian conductor, who had held the post since 2014, did not go over well with many BSO audience members. Don’t miss the chance to hear part of the orchestra’s last season with Nelsons, when Washington Performing Arts brings them to the Music Center at Strathmore. Teenage prodigy Himari joins as soloist in Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2. washingtonperformingarts.org

Music of Brahms and Schubert. Piotr Anderszewski, April 24.

Piotr Anderszewski’s greatest strength lies in sculpting intimate character pieces. Chamber Music Maryland presents him in just such a concert, centered on one of Schubert’s final works, the Piano Sonata in C Minor. A broad selection of the late piano pieces of Brahms leads off this autumnal program offered next spring at the Horowitz Center in Columbia, Maryland. Save yourself the trip to Carnegie Hall, where he will perform the same program a few days later. chambermusicmaryland.org

Brahms & Mozart: Clarinet Quartets. Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, April 25.

Daniel Hope officially took over as artistic director of the Chamber Music at the Barns series at Wolf Trap last season. His first year featured four programs by Chamber Music Society at Lincoln Center, a holdover from his predecessor, Wu Han. That ensemble will come to northern Virginia only once this season. Clarinetist Sebastian Manz will lead two of history’s celebrated clarinet quartets, with violinists Stella Chen and Chad Hoopes, violist Timothy Ridout, and cellist Clive Greensmith. wolftrap.org

Pianist Piotr Anderszewski will perform works of Brahms and Schubert for Chamber Music Maryland April 24, 2027. Photo: Simon Fowler