From the Spring Festival to a zoological carnival, 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:
New York City Ballet revives Christopher Wheeldon鈥檚 Carnival of the Animals for five performances this week, running February 12-16. The ballet adapts Camille Saint-Sa毛ns鈥� animal-inspired suite into a nocturnal tour of a museum with narration written by John Lithgow, who will also appear on stage as the narrator. Carnival of the Animals will be performed alongside two classic ballets by George Balanchine: Divertimento No. 15, set to the work by Mozart; and Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, set to a movement from Swan Lake. Performances also continue this week of an all-Balanchine program including Scotch Symphony, set to the third symphony by Felix Mendelssohn; Sylvia: Pas de Deux, an excerpt from the classic ballet by L茅o Delibes; and Stravinsky鈥檚 Firebird, a collaboration between Balanchine and NYCB鈥檚 other co-founding choreographer Jerome Robbins, featuring designs by the painter Marc Chagall. NYCB Principal Dancer Ashley Boulder will give her final performance with the company February 13, dancing the title role in Firebird.
The New York Philharmonic celebrates the Lunar New Year February 11 with a special concert conducted by Tianyi Lu and featuring violinist Inmo Yang. The program will include Li H.鈥檚 Spring Festival Overture, an excerpt from Unsuk Chin鈥檚 Alice in Wonderland, suites from Casella鈥檚 La donna serpente and Bizet鈥檚 Carmen, and Chen Yi鈥檚 Chinese Folk Dance Suite. The Philharmonic will then celebrate Valentine鈥檚 Day with an Artist Spotlight concert featuring soprano Ren茅e Fleming and pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, performing songs by Faur茅, Messiaen, Hahn, Richard Strauss, and Alan Fletcher.
Conductor Karina Canellakis will join the New York Philharmonic to lead three performances February 13, 15, and 18, of a modern and impressionistic program including Saariaho鈥檚 Lumi猫re et pesanteur, Messiaen鈥檚 Les Offrandes oubli茅es, 顿别产耻蝉蝉测鈥檚 La Mer, and Berg鈥檚 Violin Concerto with soloist Veronika Eberle.
Musicians from the New York Philharmonic will also perform at the Kaufman Music Center鈥檚 Merkin Hall February 16 in a NY Phil Ensembles concert. A chamber ensemble of eight NY Philharmonic musicians, joined by pianists H茅l猫ne Jeanney and Sean Botkin, will perform works by Kod谩ly, Schuman, and Brahms.
The Orchestra Now will present Transcription as Translation at Carnegie Hall鈥檚 Stern Auditorium February 11. The concert program comprises three transcriptions of piano and chamber works: Mily Balakirev鈥檚 Chopin Suite, George Szell鈥檚 orchestration of Smetana鈥檚 quartet From My Life, and Felix Weingartner鈥檚 orchestration of Beethoven鈥檚 Hammerklavier sonata.
Vocal ensemble Theatre of Voices will perform at Carnegie Hall鈥檚 in-the-round Zankel Hall Center Stage February 11. Led by Artistic Director Paul Hillier, the ensemble will perform Michael Gordon鈥檚 A Western, the U.S. premiere of John Luther Adams鈥� A Brief Descent into Deep Time, and the world premiere of a new work by Julia Wolfe. On February 13, The Brentano String Quartet will present an all-Haydn program at the venue, performing the composer鈥檚 first six string quartets. Carnegie Hall鈥檚 Weill Recital Hall will house performances this week from Ensemble Connect February 10, and countertenor Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen February 13. Also on the 13th, the Orchestra of St. Luke鈥檚 will perform at Carnegie鈥檚 Hall鈥檚 Stern Auditorium, giving a concert of works by Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven.
The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center presents an all-Russian program at Lincoln Center鈥檚 Rose Studio February 13, featuring Arensky鈥檚 Quintet in D major for Piano, Two Violins, Viola, and Cello, and Rimsky-Korsakov鈥檚 Sextet in A major for Two Violins, Two Violas, and Two Cellos. There will be two performances of the program, one at 6:30 PM, and then a late-night performance at 9 PM.
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