KCMETROPOLIS.org
Kansas City's Online Journal of the Performing Arts

UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance
Dialogues of the Carmelites
Thursday, November 18 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, November 19 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, November 20 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 21 at 2:30 p.m.
White Recital Hall
James C. Olson Performing Arts Center
4949 Cherry, Kansas City, MO

For tickets call the Central Ticket Office at 816-235-6222 or online at www.umkc.edu/cto.

 Francis Poulenc’s landmark opera Dialogues of the Carmelites is one of the most beautiful and significant of twentieth-century operas, and almost alone represents the high point of twentieth-century French operatic music.  The opera is the true story of the brave Carmelite sisters during the dark days of the French Revolution, and their courageous decision to embrace death at the guillotine for protecting endangered citizens. The work offers numerous opportunities for women’s voices (there are only three male voices, all in minor roles), from the powerful Madame de Croissy, the prioress and the leader of the group, to Madame Lidoine, the new prioress, to the novices Blanche de la Force and Sister Constance, whose young lives are bound up with those of their older compatriots.

The opera also contains one of the most startling and dramatically effective finales in all of operatic literature; if you haven’t heard or seen it already, I’m not going to spoil the effect.

It has been many years, since this opera has been heard in Kansas City, so these performances offer you an exceptional opportunity to experience one of the great opera works of the last century.  The opera will be sung in French with English supertitle and is directed by Marciem Bazell. 

University of Kansas School of Music
Kansas University Symphony Orchestra and University Dance Company
Thursday, November 18 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, November 19 at 7:30 p.m.
Lied Center
University of Kansas Campus
1600 Stewart Drive, Lawrence, KS

For admission call 785-864-2787 or online at www.lied.ku.edu

The Kansas University Symphony Orchestra, led by talented conductor David Neely, joins with the University Dance Company to present an orchestral and dance program at the Lied Center featuring the work of flamenco choreographer Melinda Hedgecorth.

Friends of Chamber Music
Pinchas Zukerman, violin, and Yefim Bronfman, piano
Friday, November 19 at 8:00 p.m.
Folly Theater
12^th and Central, Kansas City, MO

For tickets call 816-561-9999 or online at www.chambermusic.org. 

Both of these artists are among the most extraordinary performers on their respective instruments on the concert scene today. In this performance at the Folly Theater, Zukerman and Bronfman will perform the music of Mozart, Beethoven and Brahms, including Beethoven’s popular “Spring” Sonata.

After the duo plays this recital in Kansas City, it is headed to Philharmonic Hall in Boston and to New York’s Carnegie Hall for the same recital. The ticket prices here in Kansas City are way cheaper, so save your shekels on a trip to Boston or New York and just see them here. Then boast to your friends on the East Coast that you heard them here, first, courtesy of Cynthia Siebert’s fantastic series.

Kansas City Symphony
Stern Conducts Barber and Berlioz
Friday and Saturday, November 19 and 20, at 8:00 p.m.
Lyric Theatre
11^th and Central, Kansas City, MO
Sunday, November 21, at 2:00 p.m.
Yardley Hall, Carlsen Center
Johnson County Community College
12345 College Boulevard, Overland Park, KS

For tickets call 816-471-0400, or purchase online at www.kcsymphony.org.

American composer Samuel Barber, born in 1910, came of age when twentieth-century music was being dominated by composers of serial and atonal music. It was thought by many that tonally-based music had run its course, was out date, was rejected by audiences and musicians alike, and was bound to die out in favor of scores which appealed to the more challenging intellects among us (which some composers thought atonal music did). James Tocco will serve as soloist on Barber’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Piano Concerto.  The Symphony’s principal violist Christine Grossman is soloist for Berlioz’s Romantic viola-obbligato composition, Harold in Italy.  Hugo Wolf’s Italian Serenade completes the program.

Westport Presbyterian Church Brown Bag Series
David White, tenor and Lamar Simms, piano
Friday, November 19, 12:10 p.m.
Westport Presbyterian Church
201 Westport Road, Kansas City, MO

For more information visit http://www.westportcenterforthearts.org/calendar.html.

These free recitals given at Westport Presbyterian Church on Friday noons are an excellent opportunity to get away from the hustle and bustle for an hour or so and enjoy fine music for no charge (although contributions are gratefully accepted).  The cookies aren’t bad, either.

Harriman-Jewell Series
Alessio Bax, piano
Saturday, November 20 at 7:00 p.m.
Folly Theater
12^th and Central, Kansas City, MO

Free Discovery Concert.  Tickets are required, however; call 816-415-5025 or print your own at www.hjseries.org.

Among the great Kansas City musical benefits offered to the community at no are the Discovery Concerts of the Harriman-Jewell Series.  The featured performers are no slouches, and often attain substantial international fame soon after their appearances here (or even before, as was the case with tenor Laurence Brownlee last season).

Appearing in this recital is pianist Alessio Bax, winner of the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant for 2009.  He was the first prize winner at the Leeds International Pianoforte Competition in 2000. He will perform music of Brahms, Rachmaninoff, Bartók, Granados, and Ravel.

Kansas City Civic Orchestra
From Rameau to Schubert
Saturday, November 20 at 7:30 p.m.
Atonement Lutheran Church
9948 Metcalf, Overland Park, KS

For more information visit http://www.kccivic.org

The Kansas City Civic Orchestra, our city’s longtime community orchestra now performing under the direction of Christopher Kelts, will present a varied program including French Baroque composer Rameau’s Suite from Les indes galante, the Concerto for Bassoon in E Minor and the Concerto for Piccolo in C Major, both by Vivaldi, and Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony.

James Keel Williams is the soloist in the bassoon concerto and Sophia Tegart takes the honors in the piccolo concerto.  Both are standouts from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance.

Northland Community Choir
Amazing Grace: An American Portrait
Saturday, November 20 at 7:00 p.m.
Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel
8700 N.W. River Park Drive, Parkville, MO

 Tickets available at the door. For more information visit http://www.northlandcommunitychoir.org/

The Northland Community Choir presents its 37^th-annual fall concert on the campus of Park University.  Suzanne Hatcher is the director.  No further information about this concert is available at press time.

Kansas City Symphony, City Symphony Chorus, and Independence Messiah Choir Kansas
Handel’s Messiah
Saturday, November 27, at 8:00 p.m.
Community of Christ Auditorium
1001 West Walnut St., Independence, MO

 For tickets call 816-471-0400, or purchase tickets online at www.kcsymphony.org.

 As has been the case for the past few years, the Kansas City Symphony is the first out of the starting gate for holiday programming, performing Handel’s evergreen Messiah on Thanksgiving weekend at the Community of Christ Auditorium in Independence.  Singing with the Kansas City Symphony Chorus in the concert will be the Community of Christ's Independence Messiah Choir. In addition to a full orchestra, therefore, you will be treated to a total of more than 250 voices.  This is just a few more than the composer had in mind when writing the piece (it was originally intended for performance by a choir of much smaller size), but the sound will undoubtedly be impressive.

For the Community of Christ singers, this performance represents the 93^rd-annual performance of the Messiah, an impressive accomplishment.  This will put you in the holiday spirit, for sure.

Southminster Concert Series
Lawrence Wind Quintet
Sunday, November 28 at 2:00 p.m.
Southminster Presbyterian Church
6306 Roe Avenue, Prairie Village, KS

For more information call 913-432-3505 or visit http://www.southminsterpres.com/#/music/special-events

The Southminster Concert Series presents the Lawrence Wind Quintet in a free concert this afternoon. The group is drawn from the faculty of the School of Music at the University of Kansas.

University of Kansas School of Music
Kansas University Symphonic and University Bands Concert
Tuesday, November 30 at 7:30 p.m.
Lied Center
University of Kansas Campus
1600 Stewart Drive, Lawrence, KS

For admission call 785-864-2787 or online at www.lied.ku.edu

This concert will feature the symphonic and university bands of the University of Kansas.  No further information is available at press time for this issue.

UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance
University Choirs: A Season for Giving
Tuesday, November 30 at 7:30 p.m.
Atonement Lutheran Church
9948 Metcalf Avenue, Overland Park, KS

For more information call 816-235-2799 or visit http://conservatory.umkc.edu

For eight years now, the University choirs from UMKC have joined together in a concert of fine vocal music to benefit the Harvesters Community Food Network.  The program for this year’s concert has not been announced as of press time for this issue, but the concert should be excellent and the cause is worthy as donations of non-perishable food items and monetary contributions to Harvesters will be requested.

UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance
Graduate Fellowship String Quartet
Tuesday, November 30 at 7:30 p.m.
White Recital Hall
James C. Olson Performing Arts Center
4949 Cherry, Kansas City, MO

For more information call 816-235-2799 or visit http://conservatory.umkc.edu

The UMKC Conservatory’s Graduate Fellowship String Quartet is one of the finest of its excellent array of student ensembles.  This writer does not know the program for the concert as of this writing, but the quality of playing is always high.

By Don Dagenais

City Classics Music and Dance Columnist; Classical Contributor

A lifelong classical music fan, Don Dagenais is a frequent preview speaker for the Lyric Opera of Kansas City and has taught classical music and opera courses at several Kansas City venues. He has served on the boards of directors of a number of performing arts organizations including the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, the Lyric Opera Guild, UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance, Opera Volunteers International, the Civic Opera Theater of Kansas City, Inspiration Point Fine Arts Colony, Octarium, and the Friends of the Symphony.  He has been the past president of most of these organizations and is current the president of the Friends of the Symphony. 

Dagenais co-authored a history of the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, published on the occasion of its 50th anniversary (2007) and has written books on the histories of both the Lyric Opera Guild and Opera Volunteers International, as well as an introductory book for opera novices (Your Passport to the Opera).  He has received several local and national awards for outstanding volunteer work for the arts, including a lifetime achievement award from The Coterie Theatre in 2000, the Kansas City Musical Club's annual award in 2001, a Partners in Excellence Award from Opera Volunteers International in 2002, a Bravo Award from Opera Volunteers International in 2004 and a community service award from the Daughter of the American Revolution in 2008 honoring him for his community service to the arts.

In addition to his music interests, Don is president of the board of directors for the Metropolitan Ensemble Theater and has served on the boards of The Coterie Theatre and the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, serving as president of each organization.  He publishes newsletters for seven arts organizations.  When not involved in the performing arts, Don is a senior real estate attorney with Lathrop & Gage LLP in Kansas City, Missouri, where he has practiced law since 1976 after graduating from the Cornell Law School.