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Classical Wed Jan 08 2014
Pulling Strings: For classical music in Chicago, you got a guy - January 2014
By Elliot Mandel
Yes, it's cold. Put on the big furry hat and go hear some stellar small ensembles this month.
Schola Antiqua of Chicago
In this sacred season of high-stakes football, one will surely hear every quarterback and wide receiver thank his divine maker for bringing victory at the expense of the faithless opponent. But back in the 13th Century, B.E. (before ESPN), an "athlete" referred to a "champion of Jesus," as is the case of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury. Hear Chicago's acclaimed early music vocalists perform songs from Medieval England that celebrate the martyred Becket. Schola Antiqua's concerts are always historically informed by its expert director, Michael Alan Anderson, and the singing is a musically fulfilling experience. Miley Cyrus performs at intermission.* Tickets are $25 for adults, $10 for students. Friday, January 10, 7:30 p.m. Rockefeller Memorial Chapel, 5850 S. Woodlawn, Chicago. Saturday, January 11, 8pm. St. Clement Church, 642 W. Deming Place.
*not confirmed
Northwestern University Winter Chamber Music Festival
NU's Winter Chamber Music Festival is the highlight of every January. The six-concert series presents a mix of nationally renowned ensembles and members of NU's own music faculty (who are all pretty darn good, too). The Miró Quartet kicks off the festival with pianist Shai Wosner in Brahms' Piano Quintet in f minor. The Parker Quartet includes Thomas Adès' Arcadiana on its program, and the Dover Quartet features Mozart, Shostakovich, and Mendelssohn. Members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra appear in quintets by Beethoven and Schubert, and add Britten's Three Divertimenti. The Bienen School of Music faculty recital features an electic program of works for strings and winds by Irving Fine, Max Reger, Ferdinand Thieriot, Schumann, and Mozart. And for the Brahms lovers, don't miss violinist Shmuel Ashkenasi, cellist Marc Johnson, and pianist Andrea Swan in a recital of Number Ones: the Violin Sonata, Cello Sonata, and Piano Trio. Festival subscriptions are $130 for the general public, $54 for students. Single tickets are $22-$24; student tickets are $10. January 10 - 26. Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, 50 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston.
Pacifica Quartet
After making everyone's best-recordings-of-2013 lists with its Shostakovich cycle, the Pacifica Quartet begins the year by performing the composer's String Quartet No. 7. The brief, three-movement work (about 13 minutes) flows without interruption between parody, plaintive meandering, and a vicious fugue. The program begins with Mozart's delightful String Quartet No. 23 and concludes with Brahms' String Quartet No. 1, a luscious and darkly-hued work. Tickets are $25 for the general public, $5 for students. Sunday, January 12, 3pm. Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th St.
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.