Now that summer has ended, it's time once again to look forward to the coming season of classical music and opera in New York City. I've already purchased my subscriptions and single tickets and am looking forward with great anticipation to seeing a number of great performances over the next several months.
The Met Opera, having resolved its labor disputes for this year at least, will be offering a number of important works in repertoire. I considered last season, when I attended eleven performances, to be the best the Met had put on in decades and I'm now hoping for more of the same. In making my selection of tickets, I was most anxious to attend those performances that will be conducted by James Levine. As he approaches retirement, Levine has distinguished himself many times over as one of the greatest opera conductors of the past century. At this point, any occasion on which he takes the podium should be considered a historic performance and a "must see" for anyone with the slightest interest in the vocal arts. Those operas which I will be attending and that Maestro Levine is scheduled to conduct include a new production of Le Nozze di Figaro as well as Les Contes d'Hoffmann, Ernani and Un Ballo in Maschera. In addition to those conducted by Levine, there are other significant operas in repertory. These include Massenet's Manon, a new production of La Donna del Lago featuring Rossini specialist Joyce DiDonato, and a double bill that pairs Tchaikovsky's Iolanta with Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle, both conducted by Valery Gergiev.
At Carnegie Hall, I will be seeing more of James Levine as he leads the Met Opera Orchestra in three Sunday matinee performances, one of which will include Mahler's Ninth Symphony. Still more Mahler symphonies have been programmed by the Philadelphia Orchestra (#2) and the San Francisco Symphony (#7). Other great orchestras that will be on stage this season will include the Berlin Philharmonic, conducted by Simon Rattle, performing Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances together with Stravinsky's Firebird and the Chicago Symphony, led by Riccardo Muti, performing Scriabin's First and Third Symphonies. Joyce DiDonato will be appearing several times at Stern Auditorium as part of the Perspectives series, most notably in a concert version of Handel's Alcina conducted by Baroque specialist Harry Bicket. As far as recitals, there will be more than the usual number of talented pianists. These include Richard Goode, András Schiff, Daniil Trifonov, Yuja Wang and Leif Ove Andsnes.
With ticket prices beginning at only $10, the Jupiter Symphony Players have established themselves as one of the best values for chamber music available in New York City. The ensemble consistently puts together intriguing programs that include lesser known works along with old favorites. This season the group's guest artists will include such excellent musicians as Seymour Lipkin and Cynthia Phelps.
Finally, but not least, Mannes Music School continues to show its support for the community by offering most performances for free. The highlights here will be a series of four recitals by the extraordinary Orion Quartet and a faculty recital that features Gilbert Kalish with Timothy Eddy. There will also be free performances given by the Mannes student orchestra at Alice Tully Hall.
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