| « Preview: LeAnna Eden at Elastic Arts, 4/6 | Inspired Clowning: An Interview with Mucca Pazza's Mark Messing » |
Classical Thu Apr 04 2013
Pulling Strings: For classical music in Chicago, you got a guy - April 2013
By Elliot Mandel
As Argentina has found itself in the news recently, it's a fitting coincidence that several programs this month celebrate the country's significant contributions to music while reflecting on a complicated and painful history. In the center of this flurry of programs is the great tango composer Astor Piazzolla, whose music bridges the worlds of Bach and the bandoneón.
Bach Week Festival
Get your fill of fugues with the Chicago area's only annual Bach celebration. Hear keyboard concertos, harpsichord by candlelight, and the Goldberg variations in the charming Nichols Concert Hall in Evanston. The Festival concludes with a stellar program at North Park University's Anderson Chapel, featuring the Cello Suite No. 3 with Chicago Symphony Orchestra cellist Katinka Kleijn, Brandenburg Concert No. 2 with CSO principal trumpet Christopher Martin, and the joyous Magnificat. Tickets start at $20. April 19 - May 5. Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Ave., Evanston; Anderson Chapel, North Park University, 5149 N. Spaulding, Chicago.
University of Chicago Presents: Antigona Furiosa and the Pablo Aslan Quintet
Jorge Liderman was one of the most talented composers of his generation, winning numerous awards before taking his life in 2008. The Argentina native and University of Chicago graduate scored his Sophocles-inspired operetta for three vocalists, three percussionists, and three pianists, and set it during the military dictatorship of the late 1970s. The program's second half features renowned Argentinian bassist Pablo Aslan and his band, which picks up the jazz-tango idiom that Astor Piazzolla propelled to international attention. Tickets are $25; $5 for students. Saturday, April 13, 7:30pm.; Sunday, April 14, 3pm. Performance Hall, Logan Center for the Arts, University of Chicago, 915 E. 60th, Chicago.
María de Buenos Aires at Chicago Opera Theater
Astor Piazzolla's feverish, sultry nuevo tango style is a perfect vehicle for his only opera, a journey through memory, love, pain and destruction. Chicago Opera Theater stages María de Buenos Aires against the backdrop of the Dirty War, allowing Piazzolla's tango writing to serve as the quintessential Argentinian symbol of sadness and hope. COT presents several programs in its Viewpoints series that provide context and perspective on the Dirty War, the tragic effects of which are still felt today. Tickets for María start at $45; students half price. April 20 - 26, 7:30pm.; April 28, 3pm. Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph, Chicago.
Programs, artists, and prices subject to change. Tickets subject to availability.
About the author: Elliot Mandel plays cello, attends lots of concerts, writes reviews, and takes pictures. He recently returned from the land of Mozart, Beethoven, and Mahler. They say hello.
