Weekend of Debuts
The Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra, appears Saturday for its first concert of the season. HRO presents Beethoven and Mozart, plus Natalie Hinderas, winner of the Leventritt Competition, as soloist in the Ginastera Piano Concerto No. 1. Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 ("Pastoral") should be a proud showcase of the talent of the HRO instrumentalists. The orchestra has also selected the Overture to "The Magic Flute," one of Mozart's finest and most popular short works. The concert is Saturday at 8:30 at Sanders Theatre. Tickets are available at Holyoke Center for $1.50.
Concentrating on Romantic and contemporary concerts. Ariel Chamber Ensemble begins its season with program of Brahms, Ravel, Stravinsky and Milhaud Ariel emphasizes "dramatic works" and the relationship between music and theater. The chamber group will play Ravel's "Trois Poemes de Stephane Mallarme," Milhaud's "La Creation du Monde," and Brahms' Quintet Op. 111. There will also be two works by Stravinsky--"Fanfare" and "Trois Poesies de la Lyrique Japonaise." The performers are professional musicians interested in, according to its pamphlet, the "growth of a new and innovative form, music/theater." Ariel will be in Sanders Theatre on Friday night. Tickets are $4 at the door. Call 492-5749 for more information.
The Boston Symphony Chamber Players, the twelve main players of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, joined by pianist Gilbert Kalish, begin their three-concert series this Sunday with another romantic-contemporary program. Among the works performed will be Richard Strauss' "Till Eulenspiegel" Op. 28, arranged for chamber ensemble. The piece is a good introduction to the unusual musical world of Strauss, although I don't know how much of the real flavor actually comes through in a chamber transcription. Beethoven's "Kakadu" Variation for Piano Trio, Yehudi Wyner's Serenade (1958) for seven instruments and Brahms' Quintet for clarinet and strings Op. 115 will also be done. The concert is Sunday at 4 p.m. at Jordan Hall in Boston. Call 266-1492 for info and subscription tickets.
Baroque and classical works aplenty will be offered this week in Cambridge and Boston. Banchette Musicale begins its season on Friday with a performance of baroque and classical music on original instruments. The orchestra will perform Telemann's Ouverture for Oboes, Horns, Bassoon and Strings, concerti by Stamitz and Tartini, and Bach's Cantata 170. Show up at 8:30 in Paine Hall, Music Building. Tickets are $2.50 at the door or by calling 661-3958.
The Museum of Fine Arts is also "going baroque" this week with "Gallery Gig." Robert Hill plays the 1756 Parisian Hemsch harpsichord, which is part of the MFA Musical Instruments Collection. Hill will play music of Rameau, Forquerary and Balbastre. The Gallery Gig is on Tuesday 7 p.m., in Gallery 2D16. It's free.
Flutist Jeffrey Cohan, winner of the 1977 Erwin Bodky Award for Early Music, and Harpsichordist Aline Parker, winner prizes from Paris Conservatory, will present a program of French baroque flute sonatas. Cohan and Parker will go through music by Bach, Hotteterre, de la Barre, and Blavet at the Friends Meeting House, 5 Longfellow Park, off Brattle St. Doors open at 7:30. The charge is $2.50 for students.
Busch-Reisinger Museum's Thursday Noon Recital Series also offers early music this week. Robert and Catherine Strizich perform today at 12:15 in a concert of lute and baroque guitar music.