ARTS & EVENTS

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Presents Portrait of Courage: Gentileschi, Wiley, and the Story of Judith in January 2023

Two paintings depicting the Old Testament story of Judith slaying Holofernes—one by 17th-century Italian artist Artemisia Gentileschi and the other by contemporary American artist Kehinde Wiley—will continue their national tour at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston from January 25 through April 16, 2023. Presenting Gentileschi’s Judith and Holofernes (c. 1612-17) from the collection of the Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte in Naples and Wiley’s 2012 Judith and Holofernes from the North Carolina Museum of Art, Portrait of Courage: Gentileschi, Wiley, and the Story of Judith places the two paintings in dialogue with one another, revealing shared narratives and ideas across time and culture.

MUSEUMS

Asia Society Texas Center

Through LAIN SINGH BANGDEL: Apr 30 MOON OVER KATHMANDU

Museum Of Fine Arts, Houston

Through GORDON PARKS: STOKELY Jan 16 CARMICHAEL & BLACK POWER Through PHILIP GUSTON NOW Jan 16

Through ALBERTO GIACOMETTI: Feb 12 TOWARD THE ULTIMATE FIGURE Jan 25- PORTRAIT OF COURAGE: Apr 16 GENTILESCHI, WILEY, AND THE STORY OF JUDITH

Contemporary Arts Museum Houston

Through TROY MONTES MICHIE: Jan 29 ROCK OF EYE Through DIANE SEVERIN NGUYEN: Feb 26 IF REVOLUTION IS A SICKNESS Holocaust Museum Houston

Through HOPE: STORIES OF Jan 29 HOUSTON SURVIVORS Through WOMAN, THE SPIRIT OF Apr 2 THE UNIVERSE

Heights Epicurean Farmers Market Every First Saturday of the Month 1245 Heights Blvd Elanor’s Market Sat and Sun 9 am until 1 pm 2120 Ella Blvd.

Feb 3 - THE LIFE AND ART OF Apr 9 ALICE LOK CAHANA Feb 24 NEIGHBORS 1938. WE June 18 WERE ALL LADENBURGERS

Feb 24 through June 18

Menil

Through SAMUEL FOSSO: AFRICAN Jan 15 SPIRITS

Intown’s Classical Music Editor and Critic, the Hon. Philip Berquist,

Honorary Consul for the Republic of Croatia for Texas The 2022-2023 Arts Season Continues in January & February

The holidays are now firmly behind us and let’s begin the New Year by highlighting what is in store for us. Coming soon to a venue near you - Houston Grand Opera

HGO presents two operas in their winter repertoire, Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro and Massenet’s Werther.

Mozart’s comedy, The Marriage of Figaro, was composed in 1786. Dealing, as usual, with love and its trials and tribulations, it is considered by many as among the greatest operas ever written. This is a revival from 2016 and is set in Spain in the 1960’s.

The Marriage of Figaro 3 hours and 28 minutes, one intermission. Sung in Italian with projected English translation. Patrick Summers, Conductor, Michael Grandage, Original Director, Ian Rutherford, Revival Director

Price range - $20 - $210

Jules Massenet’s, Werther, was written in 1887 but had its first performance, in German, in Vienna in 1892. It was performed soon thereafter in its original French. These performances feature Matthew Polanzani and three time Grammy award winner, Isabel Leonard. Conducted by internationally acclaimed, Robert Spano.

Werther 2 hours and 52 minutes, 2 intermissions. Sung in French with projected English translation. Robert Spano, Conductor, Benoît Jacquot, Director

Price range - $20 - $210

All performances - Brown Theater at Wortham Center Houston Symphony Orchestra

The Houston Symphony has cleverly set its January and February performances as two festivals, “Riots and Scandals” and “Songs of the Earth.” Béla Bartók’s The Miraculous Mandarin was set to accompany a pantomime stage presentation and was initially considered to be in violation of current moral standards and was banned after its first performance in Prague. Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring achieved the highest honor of having the audience at its premier at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris in 1913 descend into an actual riot with fighting, screaming and the tearing of clothes. One patron famously considered his torn shirt collar a family heirloom! Now, over a hundred years later, the music is still provocative and is always a favorite.

The “Songs of the Earth” festival features what, in my opinion, will be the highlight of HSO’s first season with Music Director Juraj Valčuha - Das Lied von Der Erda - The Song of the Earth by Gustav Mahler. Written in 1909, only two years before his death, Mahler was very aware of the significance of a ninth symphony, with the ninth symphonies being the last of Beethoven and Schubert. As a result he did not label Das Lied as a symphony following his massive 8th. No less than Leonard Bernstein has declared it to be not only a symphony but to be Mahler’s greatest. Mahler next completed what he called his 9th Symphony which would be his final completed symphony, so it seems that one should not kid around with fate.

Gamelan refers to the historical Indonesian music of percussion. This will be featured along with Debussy’s Quartet in G Minor performed by plays of HSO. This will be a special one evening concert at a significantly reduced general admission ticket.

Lastly, famed violinist and collaborator with HSO, Itzhak Perlman will perform a recital on Sunday evening, February 26th. “Riots and Scandals Festival” Program -

Bartók, The Miraculous Mandarin Music Director Juraj Valčuha, Conductor Yefin Bronfman, piano Houston Symphony Chorus, Allen Hightower, Director 1 hours, 45 minutes, one intermission

Price range - $29 - $144

“Riots and Scandals Festival” Program -

Revueltas, Sensemayá Tchaikovsky, Piano Contero No. 1 Stravinsky, The Rite of Spring Music Director Juraj Valcčula, Conductor Khakis Buniatishvili, Piano 1 hour, 30 minutes, one intermission

Price range - $30 - $144

“Songs of the Earth Festival” Program -

Q.Chen, Itinerary of an Illusion (Orchestral Variations) Mahler, Das Lied von der Erde - Song of the Earth Music Director, Juraj Valčula, Conductor Sasha Cooke, Mezzo-Soprano Clay Holley, Tenor 1 hour, 45 minutes, one intermission

Price range - $30 - $144

“Songs of the Earth Festival” Program -

Debussy, String Quartet in G Minor Gamelan of the New Moon Members of the Houston Symphony - MuChens Hsieh, Principal Violin Tong Yan, Violin Samuel Petersen, Viola Louis-Marie Fardet, Cello

Thursday, 16 February, 7:30pm

Special price, $20, General Admission

“Songs of the Earth Festival”

Ravel, Mother Goose Suite Takemitsu, Quotation of Cream (Say Sea, Take Me!) T Hosokawa, Autumn Wind Debussy’s La mer Music Director Juraj Valčula, Conductor Lucas and Arthur Jussen, Piano Kojiro Umezaki, Shakuhachi (Japanese bamboo flute) 1 hour, 30 minutes, one intermission

Price range - $29 - $109 Itzhak Perlman in Recital

Program to be announced Itzhak Perlman, Violin Rohan De Silva, Piano

Sunday, 26 February, 7:30pm

Price range - $29 - $135

All performances - Jones Hall Houston Ballet

Houston Ballet will present the magnificent music of Prokofiev to accompany Stanton Welch’s choreography set to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. This is Prokofiev at his absolute best and should not be missed. Prokofiev, Romeo and Juliet

Prices begin at $25

All performances - Brown Theater at Wortham Center

Looks to me like a very impressive January and February. Go for it!

Keep letting me hear from you at classicalmusicberquist@gmail.com

Mar 12 MOTHERWELL DRAWING: AS FAST AS THE MIND ITSELF Through WALTER DE MARIA: BOXES Apr 23 FOR MEANINGLESS WORK Through WALL DRAWING SERIES: Sept MEL BOCHNER

Houston Museum Of Natural Science

Special Exhibits

TRANSCENDING AUDUBON DREHER MATERWORKS1 BODY WORLDS & THE CYCLE OF LIFE KING TUT’S TOMB MUSIC & DANCE

CLASSICAL UPDATE BY PHILIP BERQUIST. LET ME CONTINUE TO HEAR FROM YOU AT CLASSICALMUSICBERQUIST@GMAIL.COM. FOR UPDATES GO TO WWW.HOUSTONINTOWN.COM

THEATER

ALLEY THEATRE

Jan 20 CAMBODIAN ROCK BAND Feb 12

Broadway Across America Hobby Center

Jan 3 - PRETTY WOMAN THE Jan 8 MUSICAL Jan 17 - JESUS CHRIST Jan 22 SUPERSTAR Feb 22 - MOULIN ROUGE! THE Mar 12 MUSICAL

STAGES REPERTORY THEATER

Jan 20 - ROE Mar 5

Feb 10 - CULLAD WATTAH Mar 31 SPORTS

Basketball

Houston Rockets Toyota Center

Jan

2 DALLAS 5 UTAH 8 MINNESOTA 18 CHARLOTTE 23 MINNESOTA 25 WASHINGTON 28 CLEVELAND Feb 1 OK CITY 3 TORONTO 6 SACRAMENTO 8 SACRAMENTO 28 DENVER