E6 RECORDINGS
Mozart’s contemporaries present a sound comparison Matthias
Contrasting their styles puts the compositions in historical context
“Contemporaries of Mozart Collec- tion: Symphonies — Krommer, Sta- mitz, Pleyel, Kozeluch, Wranitzky.” London Mozart Players conducted by Matthias Bamert. Chandos (five discs)
by Mark J. Estren
If you really want to take the measure of Mozart (1756-1791) as a symphonist, do not juxtapose him with Haydn, the other ne plus ul- tra of the time. Compare him in- stead with such highly respected composers as Franz Krommer (1759-1831), Carl Philipp Stamitz (1745-1801), Ignace Joseph Pleyel (1757-1831), Leopold Kozeluch (1747-1818) and Paul Wranitzky
(1756-1808). That is what audiences of the time did — often preferring con- temporaries whose names are now barely known. And that is what Matthias Bamert and the London Mozart Players give 21st- century listeners the chance to do in this excellent collection of 15 symphonies by some of the “big names” of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It is surprisingly easy to see, or rather hear, what made these
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Visit us at
cfa.gmu.edu Aquila Theatre
A Midsummer Night’s Dream Friday, November 19 at 8 p.m.
“Gleefully engaging…almost unbearably fun,” The New York Times says of the acclaimed British/American touring company. Imaginatively setting Shakespeare’s timeless comedy about love and its complications against a classical Athenian backdrop, Aquila weaves a theatrical web that shows the heart of the enchanted forest, the injustice of the Athenian court, and the political strife of the Fairy Kingdom. “Timely and pleasing… this ‘dream’ soothes the eye and tickles the funny bone.” (The New York Times)
A Midsummer Night’s Dream $34, $26, $17
This tour of Aquila Theatre is made possible by a grant from Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.
New Orleans Nights with Allen Toussaint, Nicholas Payton, and the Joe Krown Trio
Sunday, November 21 at 7 p.m. Allen Toussaint
New Orleans Nights brings together three musical legends: Allen Toussaint, Nicholas Payton and the Joe Krown Trio. Described by The Washington Post as “the embodiment of New Orleans music,” Allen Toussaint’s numerous honors include induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and a Grammy Trustee Award. The New York Times has called Grammy Award- winning trumpeter Nicholas Payton “abundantly gifted.” They are joined by the Joe Krown Trio, described by offBEAT Magazine as “a killer combination [of] three of New Orleans greatest players.” Be sure to catch this incredible evening of rich swingin’ music in tribute to the grand epicenter of jazz. ff
$44, $36, $22 Virginia Opera Così fan tutte
Così fan tutte Friday, December 3 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, December 5 at 2 p.m.
Virginia Opera asks the age-old question, “are all women alike?” when it brings Mozart’s popular Così fan tutte to the stage this fall. This hilarious opera tells the story of two sisters in Naples whose soldier fiancés make a bet with a cynical old bachelor to test the women’s love and fidelity. Pretending to go off to war, they instead disguise themselves and attempt to seduce the sisters. Filled with comedy, romantic drama, and the sublime voices of the Virginia Opera, this deliciously wry tale takes an ironic look at the foibles of love. Sung in Italian with English supertitles.
$86, $72, $44 – Friday $98, $80, $48 – Sunday
Turtle Island Quartet With Cyrus Chestnut and Mike Marshall
Saturday, December 4 at 8 p.m. Turtle Island Quartet ff
= FAMILY FRIENDLY: Youth through grade 12 half price!
“A sterling example of first-rate jazz music-making,” (Los Angeles Times) Formed 25 years ago by four virtuosos, this Grammy-Award-winning quartet began redefining chamber music by integrating jazz improvisation and rhythms and including different music styles. Celebrating their anniversary in grand style, Turtle Island Quartet invites pianist Cyrus Chestnut and mandolin player Mike Marshall to join them onstage. A remarkable evening of classic jazz, Americana, and holiday favorites.
$44, $36, $22 On the Fairfax campus, six miles west of Beltway exit 54 at the intersection of Braddock Road and Rt. 123.
Center for theArts 888-945-2468 or
cfa.gmu.edu
You, too,could have home delivery. 1-800-753-POST SF
www.strathmore.org (301) 581-5100 Strathmore Ticket Office 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda, MD
M/T/TH/F 10AM–5PM, W 10AM–9PM, SA 10AM–2PM GROUPS SAVE! (301) 581-5199
BALTIMORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AT STRATHMORE violin concerto SAT, NOV 20, 8 PM
BSO favorite Günther Herbig introduces young Taiwanese virtuoso Tianwa Yang who is making her BSO debut in Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 1, a work of great inner beauty clothed in a fiery exterior. The program also features the fairy tale-based Mother Goose Suite by French composer Maurice Ravel and Shostakovich’s Tenth Symphony.
Presenting Sponsor: DLA Piper
Call 1.877.BSO.1444 or purchase online at
BSOmusic.org.
Coming in January! Icarus at the Edge of Time
SAT, JAN 15, 8 PM Author Brian Greene teams up with American composer Philip Glass in this multimedia recreation of Greene’s book.
The Music Center at Strathmore
BSOmusic.org | 1.877.BSO.1444
composers so popular in their day. At a minimum, as in the four sym- phonies by Stamitz, these are buoyant, well-constructed pieces of geniality and elegance. Stamitz — a son of Johann Wenzel Anton Stamitz, who famously polished the Mannheim orchestra to a bril- liant sheen — meets expectations in his three-movement works, and sometimes exceeds them: A G ma- jor symphony has a surprisingly substantial first-movement devel- opment section and expert use of the full-orchestra Mannheim cre- scendo, while one in D major de- serves its “La Chasse” nickname for its persistent outer-movement horn calls. Stamitz’s charms are on the sur- face, but those of Pleyel — once the most popular composer in Western Europe — are somewhat more substantial. For modern lis- teners, Pleyel’s works suffer by comparison with greater ones: A respectable if scarcely innovative C Major symphony dates from 1803, the year of Beethoven’s “Eroica,” while one in D minor dates to 1791, the year of Mozart’s death — and includes a dramatic slow introduction that is reminis- cent of “Don Giovanni,” written four years earlier. Despite some clever touches, such as slow ron- dos and prominent flute parts, Pleyel’s symphonies sound best when they resemble those of other
Bamert and the London Mozart Players give 21st-century listeners the chance to hear 15 symphonies by some of the “big names” of the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
composers, notably Haydn. Kozeluch’s best sections are
Haydnesque, too, although con- temporaries were impressed that the composer seemed less influ- enced by Haydn than were many others. The most interesting Ko- zeluch work offered here, dating to 1787, is the composer’s only mi- nor-key symphony — in G minor.
STRATHMORE
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TONIGHT AT 7PM Philip Glass & Robert McDuffie’s
THE SEASONS PROJECT Robert McDuffie,
violin soloist & leader with The Venice Baroque Orchestra
PHILIP GLASS Concerto No. 2 for Violin & Orchestra, “The American Four Seasons” (Washington Premiere) ANTONIO VIVALDI “The Four Seasons”
Robert McDuffie Philip Glass
“One of the most exciting musical evenings of the year” (Toronto Star). Tickets: $25–$55 (Stars Price $22.50–49.50)
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2 & 8PM O COME LET US ADORE HIM:
MORMON ORCHESTRA & CHOIR OF WASHINGTON, DC Begin your holiday season with soaring arrangements of such traditional carols as “The First Noel,” “O Holy Night,” “See Amid the Winter’s Snow” and many more. Tickets $21–$25 (Stars Price $18.90–$22.50)
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This is the key of two profound Mozart symphonies (Nos. 25 and 40) and one almost-profound one by Haydn (No. 39). Kozeluch’s well-made three- movement work does not ap- proach any of these, despite some unusual elements of design (a de- velopment section using two themes instead of one) and instru- mentation (two natural horns us- ing different tubing, so one sounds in G and one in B-flat). There is some tension and drama here, but little sense that it is any- thing other than formulaic. Krommer’s symphonies are more interesting, although they, too, echo other works — in fact, the D major one played here was written, like Pleyel’s C major, in 1803, and also opens with a dra- matic slow section reminiscent of “Don Giovanni.” But Krommer’s is a broader work, with a Beethoven- ish Scherzo and Mozart-like slow- movement theme (developed, however, rather oddly). The other Krommer symphony here, in C minor, is more substantial, using four horns and three trombones and featuring some Schubertian themes and fine wind writing. In historical context, though, there is less to it, since it was written later than Beethoven’s Seventh and Eighth symphonies. Structurally, the most interest- ing symphony on these CDs is for strings rather than full orchestra: Wranitzky’s Grand Characteristic Symphony for the Peace With the French Republic, which includes English and Austrian-Prussian marches, a lament (played with mutes) for the death of Louis XVI, a representation of battle and a fi- nale of rejoicing. Wranitzky’s other two sympho- nies here are also well construct- ed, their most interesting sections being their quiet ones, such as the start of the main first-movement theme in the D major and the gen- tle slow movement of the C minor. Indeed, the C minor is fairly close in sensibility to some of Mozart’s works. But like all the other well- written symphonies here, it serves mainly to show that even among all the very fine composers of Mo- zart’s time, Mozart himself truly was transcendent.
stylereview@washpost.com
WASHINGTON ARTS BRIEFS
‘Oklahoma!’ sales sizzle Off to what company officials
say is the briskest sales pace in Arena Stage’s history, the new re- vival of “Oklahoma!” is drawing the interest of New York pro- ducers, who are coming to Wash- ington to scout director Molly Smith’s well-received production. Edgar Dobie, Arena’s managing
director, says ticket sales are far outstripping the company’s for- mer pacesetter, a 2002 production of “South Pacific.” On Saturday, when reviews of “Oklahoma!” be- gan to appear, the box office set a new house record. “That day, we beat ‘South Pacific’ by 50 percent,” Dobie says. He adds that while there are still tickets available, they are going fast and that Arena is mulling the possibility of an ex- tension of the run past the sched- uled closing date of Dec. 26. —Peter Marks
‘Rockwell’ hours extended The crowds at the Norman
Rockwell show at the Smithsonian American Art Museum have prompted the museum to extend its hours during the upcoming holidays. Since “Telling Stories: Norman
Rockwell From the Collections of George Lucas and Steven Spiel- berg” opened in July, attendance at the museum has soared 30 per- cent. Though Rockwell is one of America’s most familiar artists, this show had a unique cultural twist. For the first time, the film- makers — two of the most suc- cessful of their generation — lent the works of their favorite illustra- tor, previously displayed in their offices and studios. Some of the scenes inspired their own work. Usually an extension means a
later hour. But American Art is al- ready open from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., catching the after-work crowd in Gallery Place and Penn Quarter. So the museum is open- ing earlier, at 10 a.m., on Thanks- giving weekend — Nov. 26, 27 and 28 — and will open 90 minutes early the entire week from Dec. 26 to Jan. 2. As of now, only the Rockwell ex- hibit will have the early starting time. The staff promises the cafe and the museum store will also open early. The museum hasn’t had to ex- tend hours since 1998, when an Ansel Adams collection had the galleries busting at the seams and they stayed open till 11 p.m. the final weekend of the show. —Jacqueline Trescott
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