Updated 2008-09-12 00:26
SEPTEMBER
Sunday Concert Series
Sundays throughout the fall
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
280 The Fenway, Boston
MBTA: Green Line to Museum of Fine Arts
$5-$23, 617-278-5156
www.gardnermuseum.org
The Gardner boasts the “oldest museum music program in the country,” and a schedule that features well-knowns and unknowns alike. Get yourself to their Tapestry Room, sit back, relax, and let the sweet sounds of a harpsichord or fortepiano take you away. Who knows, maybe a young musician will light a harpsichord on fire, stand on a bench, and coax the flames with his fingers.
Stay Postive: A Night of Hip-Hop Benefit Concert for MOAR (Massachusetts Organization of Addiction Recovery)
Sept. 12
Regent Theatre
7 Medford St, Arlington
$10-$12, 781-646-4849
www.regenttheatre.com
Comedian Big Moe hosts this hip-hop benefit for the Massachusetts Organization of Addiction Recovery. Expect block-rocking New England talent, including Lyrical, Sugar, Juma Tron, John the Babtist, and Sarita. Guaranteed to be at least one of the following: 1) fresh; 2) off the chain; 3) the bomb diggity.
NEC Jazz Orchestra with Sam Rivers
Sept. 12
Institute of Contemporary Art
100 Northern Avenue, Boston
MBTA: Silver Line to Courthouse
$20-$25, 617-585-1122
www.icaboston.org
Multi-instrumentalist and composer/arranger Sam Rivers has played with
Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, and Anthony Braxton. Dude also rocks some
mean flute shizz to boot. Now 84 years old, Rivers plays with his trio
and with the NEC Jazz Orchestra at this rare area appearance.
Brentano String Quartet
Sept. 13
Rogers Center for the Arts at Merrimack College
315 Turnpike St., North Andover
$4-$35 (children free), 978-474-6222
www.AndoverChamberMusic.org
The Brentano String Quartet digs out some oldies but goodies: the Haydn
String Quartet No 3, Op. 20; the Mendelssohn String Quartet, Op. 13;
and the Mozart Oboe Quartet, K.370, transcribed for flute. Some oboe
enthusiasts may be in an uproar about that last one, which is typical
for oboe enthusiasts, but regrettable all the same.
Melissa Ferrick
Sept. 13
Berklee Performance Center
136 Mass. Ave., Boston
MBTA: Green Line to Hynes
$30, 617-747-2261
www.berkleebpc.com
If, in the years between her tenure as a Berklee student and this
homecoming show at her alma mater, Melissa Ferrick has seen a million
faces, it's likely that she's rocked them all. Because what is a more
appropriate reaction to a million faces than unadulterated rockitude?
Mozart Requiem with Lexington Symphony
Sept. 13
Cary Hall
1605 Mass. Ave, Lexington
$15 to $35, 781-863-9581
www.lexingtonsymphony.org
In addition to featuring Mozart's haunting Requiem, the Lexington
Symphony's season opener includes Vaughan Williams' "Fantasia on a
Theme by Thomas Tallis" and Lutoslawski's "Dance Preludes." Greater
Boston's New World Chorale joins forces with the symphony, Justice
League style, while a conductor's talk precedes the show, so you can
finally learn why they wave that little stick around.
Yellow Brick Road: The Premiere Elton John Tribute Band
Sept. 13
Regent Theatre
7 Medford St., Arlington
$25-$35, 781-646-4849
www.regenttheatre.com
We've got a laundry list of possible Elton John tribute band names: the
Tiny Dancers, Madmen Across the Water, Rocket Men, Mona Lisas and Mad
Hatters, Bennie and the Jets, the Brown Dirt Cowboys. Until we actually
make our fantasy tribute band a reality, however, we'll let Yellow
Brick Road take the spotlight. This show is a benefit for the Elton
John AIDS Foundation.
Fenwick Smith
Sept. 14
Jordan Hall at the NE Conservatory
30 Gainsborough St., Boston
MBTA: Green Line to Symphony
Free, 617-585-1122
www.newenglandconservatory.edu/concerts
It ain't fall at the NE Conservatory until Fenwick Smith toots his
flute in this annual recital. And if you don't think the flute is sexy,
check out the cover art to Herbie Mann's "Push Push" album. Seriously.
Smith performs with pianist Judith Gordon and NEC faculty violist
Marcus Thompson.
J.S. Bach: The Brandenburg Concertos Gala Opening Concert
Sept. 18
Emmanuel Church
15 Newbury St., Boston
MBTA: Green Line to Arlington
$10-$200, 617-536-3356
www.emmanuelmusic.org
Emmanuel Music opens its 2008-2009 concert season with all six of
Bach's Brandenburg Concertos, which, taken together, are almost as
catchy as "Rock Me Amadeus."
Dr. Magpie with Ben Powell and Others
Sept. 18
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
280 The Fenway, Boston
MBTA: Green Line to Museum of Fine Arts
$5-$23, 617-278-5156
www.gardnermuseum.org
The acoustic string jazz sextet Dr. Magpie is described as a group
"whose sound draws equally from Appalachia, New York, and the
freewheeling Left Bank of pre-war Paris." They also belong to an
esteemed society of musical doctors, alongside such notables as Dr.
Hook, Dr. John, and the high priest of psych-boogie, Dr. Teeth.
Adam Pascal
Sept. 18 through 20
Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA
527 Tremont St., Boston
MBTA: Orange Line to Back Bay
$20-$45, 617 266-0800
www.huntingtontheatre.org
Adam Pascal has won awards for his performances in blockbuster musicals
like "Rent" and "Aida." For his solo show at the Calderwood, Pascal
will sing a mix of tunes from the songbooks of Broadway and classic
rock, as well as some originals. He should also consider changing his
stage name to Dr. Pascal, to give it that smarty-pants oomph and to
finally be a true colleague of Dr. Teeth.
Kal: The Rom Sound and Fury
Sept. 19
St. Botolph Hall
290 Huntington Ave., Boston
MBTA: Green Line to Symphony
Free, 617-585-1122
www.newenglandconservatory.edu/concerts
This Belgrade-based Romani band topped the European world music charts
with their 2006 self-titled album, a blend of music from Bosnia,
Croatia, Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Serbia. But you knew that, of course,
since you check the European world music charts on a weekly basis.
Mark O’Connor/Pro Arte Dinner Jam Benefit
Sept. 20
National Heritage Museum
33 Marrett Road, Lexington
MBTA: Red Line to Alewife Station and Change to Bus #62 or #76
$100-$250, 617-779-0900
www.proarte.org
Big-time fiddler Mark O'Connor is joined by jazz and bluegrass types,
quilt artists, folk historians, and members of the Harvard College
American Music Association and the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra for
hoedown throwdown. A champagne reception precedes the catered dinner
and jam session. Bluegrass and bubbly: does a body good.
John Gibbons and Eliot Fisk
Sept. 21
The Commander’s Mansion
395 Arsenal St., Watertown
$26, 617-923-0100
www.arsenalarts.org
New England Conservatory faculty members John Gibbons and Eliot Fish
pair up to rock the Commander's Mansion on harpsichord and guitar,
respectively. Now, we did opine on some possible harpsichord decadence
earlier, but it should be noted that Gibbons doesn't set his instrument
alight unless you throw money. Hopefully the Commander of the venue in
question will be ready to throw down some lettuce for such a show.
‘Joyful Noise’: Handel’s Messiah Rocks
Sept. 21
Cutler Majestic Theatre
219 Tremont St., Boston
MBTA: Green Line to Boylston
$55, 617-824-8000
www.maj.org
Christmas in September? Sounds cool, right? But that’s not even the coolest part. “Joyful Noise” combines classical music with classic rock, as in, “Hey, man, is that Handel’s ‘Messiah’? Well, turn it up, man!” The show will be filmed for a PBS special to air at a later date, so make sure you stick out your tongue and flash the devil hand sign each time the cameras pan by your face.
RiverSing 2008: Bridging the Charles with Voice & Light
Sept. 21
Charles River by the Weeks Footbridge between Allston and Cambridge
MBTA: Red Line to Harvard
Free, 617-972-8300
www.revels.org
The first day of fall gets its slightly pagan-esque props with this fifth annual celebration, a communal jam of group-sing, folksongs, New Orleans jazz, and giant puppets. If you happen to be chilling on the Charles, having a picnic or romantic moment, and this thing descends on you, you will be freaked out.
Just Fiddlin’: A Pro Arte Concert Performance
Sept. 21
Sanders Theatre
45 Quincy St., Cambridge
MBTA: Red Line to Harvard
$15-$50, 617-779-0900
www.proarte.org
If you'd like to experience a Mark O'Connor performance without the
champagne buzz, try this program of O'Connor works with guest conductor
Joel Smirnoff. Unless, that is, Smirnoff is that Smirnoff and there's a
pre-concert round of vodka tonics.
Laurence Lesser and HaeSun Paik
Sept. 21
Jordan Hall
30 Gainsborough St., Boston
MBTA: Green Line to Symphony
Free, 617-585-1122
www.newenglandconservatory.edu/concerts
Most people celebrate their birthday with some cake, a few beers, and
friends. For his 70th birthday, however, cellist Laurence Lesser is
performing Beethoven's complete works for cello and piano. We thought
about following his lead and starting a trend, but our bond with beer
and cake is too strong. HaeSun Paik guests on piano.
The “Be-Bop” Guitars
Sept. 22
Arsenal Center for the Arts
321 Arsenal St., Watertown
$15, 617-923-0100
www.arsenalarts.org
This band of Berklee faculty members, directed by John Boboian,
consists of trumpet, vibes, bass, drums, and five guitars. Five
guitars, yo. That's like a serious load of shredding, wailing, and
strumming, so serious that we can only declare it a shredwailstrum.
Lei Liang
Sept. 22
Jordan Hall
30 Gainsborough St., Boston
MBTA: Green Line to Symphony
Free, 617-585-1122
www.newenglandconservatory.edu/concerts
The music of Lei Liang, graduate of NE Conservatory and Harvard's
Junior Fellows program, and currently a faculty member at the
University of California San Diego, is featured. The Callithumpian
Consort, a collection of NEC students, alumni, and “new music
enthusiasts,” performs.
Boston Symphony Orchestra, ’08-’09 Season
Sept. 24 through May 2
Symphony Hall
301 Mass. Ave., Boston
MBTA: Green Line to Symphony
$19-$115, 617-266-1200
www.bso.org
The new season promises Seiji Ozawa, rarely heard Mozart sympho-nies, Verdi’s “Simon Boccanegra,” Orff’s “Car-mina burana,” and Berlioz’ “Te Deum.”
Franz Liszt's Transcendental Etudes with pianist Russell Sherman
Sept. 25
Jordan Hall
30 Gainsborough St., Boston
MBTA: Green Line to Symphony
Free, 617-585-1122
www.newenglandconservatory.edu/concerts
Russell Sherman, Distinguished Artist-in-Residence at the NE
Conservatory, performs Liszt's complete “Transcendental Etudes.” Dude
loves his 'tudes -- he recorded them for both an album in 2004 and a
new live DVD out this fall.
Drum Summit with Terri Lyne Carrington and Cindy Blackman
Sept. 26
Berklee Performance Center
136 Mass. Ave., Boston
MBTA: Green Line to Hynes Convention Center
$30 to $40, 617-747-2261
www.beantownjazzfestival.org
Groove hounds, get ready: Terri Lyne Carrington and Cindy Blackman, two killer drummers who also happen to be ladies, will get seriously in the pocket at this event. Carrington has played with a plethora of jazz legends, including Dizzy Gillespie and Herbie Hancock, while Blackman is best known for laying down backbeats behind Lenny Kravitz. Give the drummer(s) some!
Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival
Sept. 27
Berklee College of Music
Columbus Ave., starting at Mass. Ave., Boston
MBTA: Orange Line to Mass Ave.
Free, 617-747-2261
www.beantownjazzfestival.org
Entire blocks are shut down for the Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival — probably the only time each year that the citizens of a major American city are forced to listen to jazz.
Rachael Yamagata
Sept. 29
Cafe 939
939 Boylston St., Boston
MBTA: Green Line to Hynes
$25, 617-747-2261
www.berklee.edu/events
Singer-songwriter Rachael Yamagata plays Berklee's Cafe 939 to promote
the October release of “Elephants...Teeth Sinking into Heart,” a
“single record in two parts.” Isn't that called vinyl?
OCTOBER
Hugh Wolff conducts NEC Philharmonia
Oct. 1
Jordan Hall
30 Gainsborough St., Boston
MBTA: Green Line to Symphony
Free, 617-585-1122
www.newenglandconservatory.edu/concerts
This is Hugh Wolff's debut season as the NE Conservatory’s Stanford and
Norma Jean Calderwood Director of Orchestras. Already he's billing
himself as the Bob Marley of orchestral studies, promising, “We're
going to stir it up.” Right on. The NEC's senior orchestra runs through
a program consisting of Kernis' “New Era Dance,” Barber's “Music for a
Scene from Shelley, Op. 7,” and Beethoven's “Symphony No. 7.”
Celebrate Handel!
Oct. 3 through Oct. 5
Symphony Hall
301 Mass. Ave., Boston
MBTA: Green Line to Symphony
$15-$70, 617-266-3605
www.handelandhaydn.org
We love the smell of Handel in the morning, so naturally this one looks
like a delicious Handel omelet to us, with some metaphorical veggies
and ham and other Handelian goodness. On tap are Handel's Coronation
Anthems and arias from “Jephtha” and “Semele.”
Leon Fleisher 80th Birthday Celebration
Oct. 3
Jordan Hall at the NE Conservatory
30 Gainsborough St., Boston
MBTA: Green Line to Symphony
$40-$350, 617-482-2595
www.celebrityseries.org
Remember we told you about that guy performing Beethoven for his
birthday? Well, apparently when you turn 80, and you are a well-known
pianist and teacher, they throw you a “star-studded” celebration.
Because who does this Beethoven guy think he is?
New England Percussion Ensemble
Oct. 4
Camilla Blackman Hall
36 King St., Littleton
$10-$12, 978-486-9524
www.indianhillmusic.org
Here's some good, clean, polyrhythmic fun for the whole family.
Percussionists Bob Otto, Bill Manley, and Abe Finch don't want to play;
they just want to bang on the drum all day. Get into the groove and hip
yourself to everything “from African dance rhythms and Brazilian samba
to spirit-shaking stones, sticks and rattles.”
‘Transcendent Music I Have Heard’
Oct. 4
Chameleon Arts Ensemble of Boston at the Goethe-Institut
170 Beacon St., Boston
MBTA: Orange Line to Back Bay
$5-$38, 617-427-8200
www.chameleonarts.org
Chameleon Arts Ensemble enters its second decade with performances of
Debussy's Sonata for flute, viola, and harp, Brahms' B Major Piano
Trio, and Krzysztof Penderecki's Sextet, which critics are calling “the
first undeniable masterpiece of the 21st century.” We thought the first
undeniable masterpiece of the 21st century was Ja Rule's “Put It on
Me,” cuz every thug needs a lady.
‘From the Top’
Oct. 5
Jordan Hall at the
N.E. Conservatory
295 Huntington Ave., Boston
MBTA: Green Line to Symphony
$20-$25, 617-437-0707
www.fromthetop.org
NPR’s showcase of America’s best young classical musicians, hosted by pianist Christopher O’Riley, holds another live taping in Boston. Live taping, national broadcast. … let’s hope the pressure to be perfect isn’t too much for the wunderkinds.
‘Sorry, Wrong Number’
Oct. 6 through Oct. 7
Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA
527 Tremont St., Boston
MBTA: Orange Line to Back Bay
$60, 617-933-8600
www.SpeakEasyStage.com
A big hit upon its debut last season, this benefit concert “showcases
Boston's top musical theatre talent as they perform favorite songs from
roles in which they would never be cast.” Oh, sweet typecasting-bucking
hijinx!
Longwood Symphony Orchestra’s Fall Concert to Benefit Families of Spinal Muscular Atrophy
Oct. 11
Jordan Hall at the
N.E. Conservatory
290 Huntington Ave., Boston
MBTA: Orange Line to Mass Ave.
$15-$30, 617-667-1527
www.longwoodsymphony.org
Finally, we can go see our doctor and not have to endure his stern-yet-fatherly advice about our unhealthy lifestyle. Boston’s medical community puts down its stethoscopes for a night and picks up some stringed things in this benefit for Families of Spinal Muscular Atrophy.
Vissily Primakov
Oct. 12
The Arsenal Center for the Arts
321 Arsenal St., Watertown
$26, 617-923-8487
www.arsenalarts.org
Moscow-born pianist Vassily Primakov’s reputation precedes him: awards
from the Cleveland International Piano Competition, the Chopin Prize,
and the Tchaikovsky Young Artists Competition, and performances with
the San Diego Symphony, the Westchester Philharmonic, the Yakima
Symphony, and the Utah Symphony all add serious weight to his resume.
Still, he ain't no piano player in our book until he kicks out Jerry
Lee's "Breathless" with his feet.
Oct. 16
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
280 The Fenway, Boston
MBTA: Green Line to Museum of Fine Arts
Call for ticket info, 617-278-5156
www.gardnermuseum.org
There isn't enough space here to get into "spectral music," and to be
honest, we're still fuzzy on the compositional process, beyond the
existence of algorithms. Let's just say this: Philippe Hurel, a
contemporary Spectralist, "combines instrumental colors of uncanny
beauty with the propulsive energy of jazz" and "makes gorgeous French
sounds sparkle and fizz with rhythm and motion."
‘Heaven and Earth’
Oct. 17 and 18
Midway Theatre
15 Channel Center St., Boston
MBTA: Red Line to South Station
Free, 617-750-8900
www.fortpointtheatrechannel.org
This performance art installation of Stockhausen’s “Tierkreis” and Mark Warhol’s “Voyage of the H.M.S. Beagle,” presented by Warhol and visual artist Sylvie Agudelo, is being described as “a celebration of the beauty of the universe and the wonder of nature.” Don’t say we didn’t warn you if your mind gets blown.
The Haydn Songbook with Collegium Vocale Gent and Kristian Bezuidenhout
Oct. 18
First Church in Cambridge
11 Garden St., Cambridge
MBTA: Red Line to Harvard
$19-$64, 617-661-1812
www.bemf.org
Collegium Vocale Gent, the vocal ensemble founded by Philippe
Herreweghe now approaching its fifth decade, taps into songs written by
Haydn in the 1790s. Feel free to party like it's 1799 if you'd like,
just don't spill your 18th century hooch on our newly ironed shirts.
Fortepianist Kristian Bezuidenhout directs.
The Esterhazy String Quartet
Oct. 19
Arsenal Center for the Arts
321 Arsenal St., Watertown
$26, 617-923-8487
www.arsenalarts.org
For three decades, the Esterhazy String Quartet has fused classical and
modern works into a style hailed for its "intelligence, refinement, and
palette of tonal colors." Tonal colors, eh? Did a Spectralist say that?
This will mark their 12th Boston area appearance.
Sweetness of Solitude: Music by Mendelssohn and Fauré
Oct. 19
Sanders Theatre
45 Quincy St., Cambridge
MBTA: Red Line to Harvard
$8-$50, 617-349-0086
www.bostonchambermusic.org
The sweetness of solitude is sweet, indeed -- one might even say it
promotes a certain sort of silent lucidity, no? The Boston Chamber
Music Society tries to find that feelin' with performances of
Mendelssohn's Piano Trio No. 2 in C minor, Fauré's Piano Quartet No. 2
in G minor, and Duruflé's Prelude, Recitative, and Variations.
Music from the Peterhouse Partbooks: Tallis, Taverner, Aston & Jones
Oct. 24
First Church in Cambridge, Congregational
11 Garden St., Cambridge
MBTA: Red Line to Harvard
$10-$50 (under 18 free), 617 960-7956
www.blueheronchoir.org
You've been waiting all year to get your annual fix of English music
from just before the Reformation, and finally, courtesy Blue Heron,
it's here. Featuring Robert Jones' "Magnificat," votive antiphons by
Tallis, Taverner, and Aston, and songs from Henry VIII's songbook. Free
pre-concert talk.
Instrumental Music from the Time of Cervantes
Oct. 25
Sanders Theatre
45 Quincy St., Cambridge
MBTA: Red Line to Harvard
$19-$64, 617-661-1812
www.bemf.org
Hespèrion XXI, with viola da gambist Jordi Savall at the lead, pays
homage to Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes with this program of
instrumental dances. That's a good idea. Next time we run into John
Updike on the street, instead of paying him a compliment in words, we
will dance for him.
Schumann Chamber Series
Oct. 26
Emmanuel Church
15 Newbury St., Boston
MBTA: Green Line to Arlington
$10-75, 617-536-3356
www.emmanuelmusic.org
The Schumann Chamber Series kicks off with this concert of three
Schumann piano works: "Kreisleriana, Op. 16," "Fantasie, Op. 17," and
"Arabesque, Op. 18." The Schumann loved him some opuses, right?
Long-time Emmanuel Music collaborator Russell Sherman performs.
Mario Frangoulis
Oct. 30
Cutler Majestic Theatre
219 Tremont St., Boston
MBTA: Green Line to Boylston
$35-$150, 800-233-3123
www.maj.org
When Mario Frangoulis, internationally acclaimed classical-crossover
tenor, puts on a show, homeboy doesn't fool around. He'll sing in five
languages at this concert, and likely rock your body equally with each
one. He'll perform with a chamber orchestra of leading Boston-based
musicians, and pianist Theodore Economou.
NOVEMBER
Rachmaninoff, All-Night Vigil (Vespers)
Nov. 7
Old South Church
645 Boylston St., Boston
MBTA: Orange Line to Back Bay
$20-$40, 617-267-7442
www.choruspromusica.org
Some call the 15 a cappella hymns of the “all-night Vigil” Rachmaninoff’s greatest achievement. We say the composer’s greatest achievement is how well his multi-syllabic name fits into a hip-hop rhyme. We’ll let you be the judge.
Cantata Singers
Nov. 7
Jordan Hall at the NE Conservatory
30 Gainsborough St., Boston
MBTA: Green Line to Symphony
$17-$56, 617-868-5885
www.cantatasingers.org
The Cantata Singers open their Benjamin Britten season with a
performance of Britten's "Cantata misericordium," originally composed
to honor the founding of the Red Cross. They'll pair it with Gabriel
Fauré’s Requiem, as well as Britten's "Hymn to the Virgin," which we're
hoping is like proto-Madonna.
Coro Allegro
Nov. 16
Church of the Covenant
67 Newbury Street, Boston
MBTA: Green Line to Arlington
$18-$38, 617-236-4011
www.coroallegro.org
Boston's chorus for members and friends of the LGBT community, Coro
Allegro, performs Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem in D minor and Francis
Poulenc’s Figure Humaine. When some French people say “humaine,” do
they do that annoying thing where they make a silent “h” like some
people do in English?
Boston University Symphony Orchestra and Symphonic Chorus
Nov. 24
Symphony Hall
301 Mass. Ave., Boston
MBTA: Orange Line to Massachusetts Ave.
$10-$25, 617-262-1200
www.bostonsymphonyhall.org
The two major ensembles from BU's School of Music hit the symphonic
big-time in this program featuring John Adams' "Fearful Symmetries" and
Maurice Ravel's "Daphnis et Chloé." If this devolves into a grudge
match between ensembles, our money's on the Symphonic Chorus, cuz those
dudes are just dirty.