10.28.09 | Classic November
November blasts off and heads for the stratosphere when the quicksilver fingers and contemplative intellect of Vladimir Feltsman come to the Great Hall. He’ll unveil Bach’s translucent Partita No. 1 in B-flat Major, BWV 825, and offer nuance and bravado on Chopin’s lyrical Two Polonaises, Op. 26, and Ballade No. 3 in A-flat Major, Op. 47 on November 5. Impeccable, vibrant, and Musical America’s 2009 Ensemble of the Year, the Pacifica Quartet joins him for a singular—and unmissable—performance of Brahms’ towering Quintet in F Minor, Op. 34. Intrigued? Get just a sample of the raves for Feltsman and the Pacifica Quartet.
Classic music of an entirely different stripe—Wilson Pickett, Sam and Dave, Van Morrison, Huey Lewis and the News, and Chicago—will rock the Lobby when the Tons O’ Fun Band and its powerful horns let it rip on November 6 at 5pm in the Lobby. This brass-charged, reed-galvanized free event can’t help but get you moving.
And the music keeps on coming when Mozart’s delightfully witty and delectably mellifluent opera of revolution is presented by the School of Music Opera Program. Opening on November 12, The Marriage of Figaro will bring the glorious “Voi, che sapete” “Che soave zeffirito,” “Non più andrai, farfallone amoroso," and so many other unforgettable moments to the Tryon Festival Theatre. Be sure to keep tabs on the news from behind the scenes through this year’s Opera Program blog.
That same evening, the luminous Dena Vermette will set the Studio Theatre ablaze with her interpretations of classics from the potent women of American song—Billie Holiday, Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Natalie Cole, Rosemary Clooney, Judy Garland—and The Woody Woodward Trio offers up some Gershwin and Sammy Cahn. Right now tickets are unavailable for this beguiling three-night event, but you can sign still up for the waiting list (you never know!).
Dylan + Bono + punk = the garage band sound of The Walkmen. Called “brilliant” by Rolling Stone, this limber group can be epic, pounding, tender, or shattering on tunes like “Rat,” “Louisiana,” and “Little House of Savages.” Make a night of it right here on November 14 and end it with this free Pygmalion Afterglow event. Get a taste of the lilting and thrashing to come, and we’ll see you at about 9:30pm in the Lobby.
In October 2008, Elena Urioste charmed a Great Hall crowd when she soloed with the Sphinx Chamber Orchestra on Ástor Piazzolla’s Invierno Porteño (Winter in Buenos Aires). A two-time winner of the Sphinx Competition—which awards black and Latino/Latina classical string players with opportunities to perform with professional musicians—Urioste will showcase her impressive technical skills and gorgeous tone on works by Schubert, Strauss, Prokofiev, and Hubay on November 15. Tickets for this Sunday Salon Series performance are currently unavailable, but you may be able to get into the show if you sign up on the waiting list. While you’re waiting to hear about tickets, you can listen to some of Urioste’s audio clips.
On November 19, we’ll loop the musical globe with the Boneyard Jazz Quintet. Most of these guys have been playing together for decades, and their easy camaraderie will shine on Latin, jazz, and swing from the likes of Duke Ellington, Cole Porter, and Miles Davis. This 9:30pm Afterglow event is free—so stand near the stage or settle into your seat but get ready to groove. Until then, get news about the band’s upcoming gigs and listen to some clips.
This spirit of collaboration takes flight when Dance at Illinois showcases synergistic pieces during November Dance: SFX on November 12-14. Guest artist Millicent Johnnie offers excerpts from her choreography for the Department of Theatre’s production Hip-Hop Project: Insight into the Hip-Hop Generation, faculty member Linda Lehovec pairs rap and rock from Flobots with 12 soaring, rolling, floating students. Sonia Warfel kicks the show (literally) into high gear with an homage to Vaudeville-era tap in a synthesis of jazzy, lightning-fast footwork. Hope Goldman’s Acquiring the Frontier spotlights zeal and passion, while Nicholas Duran turns to coastal landscapes for inspiration. Duran also takes an impassioned solo turn in a reworking of faculty member Cynthia Oliver’s Corpus Againstus.
“I live with the uneasy feeling that society has shaped me as a result of something that was stolen from us when Abraham Lincoln was killed. The cynicism and alienation that I feel in my head and heart arose because of this strange turn of destiny.” With these words Bill T. Jones hints at what led him to create Fondly Do We Hope . . . Fervently Do We Pray as a meditation on what we lost and gained through Lincoln’s life and death. A poignant, authoritative work combining movement, video, music, and memory, the piece will envelop the Tryon Festival Theatre on November 18. Known for emotion-tugging, graceful, riotous, thought-provoking work, the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company is a pillar of the modern dance world, and Jones forges art that ignites all of the senses. Since its premiere on September 17, this new masterpiece has continued to evolve, and you can view its progression before the company comes to Krannert Center.
Also this month: the final performances of The Crucible by the Department of Theatre; November Dance Exchange, a conversation event with members of Dance at Illinois; choral, jazz, band, and orchestral pieces from students and faculty at the School of Music; Krannert Uncorked on November 5, 12, and 19; tasty treats and healthy lunches at Intermezzo; gifts and cards—and toys!—at The Promenade; and beverages and appetizers meant for unwinding at the Stage 5 Bar.
You may not approve of November’s weather, but we think the atmosphere at Krannert Center will suit you. We’ll love creating it for you.
