When the Friends of Chamber Music decided to expand its offerings in 2007-08 with the launch of a piano-recital series, the choice of debut repertoire and soloist emerged in quick and logical progression.
For the first edition of the three- concert lineup, the organization wanted to offer a loose chronological overview of the keyboard literature. The obvious place to begin was the great baroque master, Johann Sebastian Bach, whose towering keyboard works never have been surpassed.
Once that decision was made, it didn’t take long for Friends leaders to settle on pianist Angela Hewitt, who has performed twice before on the series. Though not exactly a star name, she ranks among the world’s top Bach interpreters and is a favorite among keyboard devotees.
“She really is, I think, the most exciting interpreter of Bach’s music. She just gets it,” said Rosemarie Murane, a Friends board member who oversaw the establishment of the piano-recital series.
Hewitt was featured on the cover of the February 2007 issue of Gramophone magazine, which headlined her as the piano world’s “cult figure.”
“Angela Hewitt: superstar?” writes Harriett Smith. “Somehow this concept seems at odds with the image of this acclaimed Canadian pianist. Yet her concerts are packed out, her recordings sell extremely well, and she has a loyal following around the world.”
In 2007-08, Denver joins about 40 cities worldwide, including Tokyo, Bogota and Oslo, where Hewitt will present both sections of Bach’s “The Well-Tempered Clavier” in two concerts. The work consists of two sets of 24 preludes and fugues, which demonstrate the full range of fugal writing and showcase late baroque style.
“We’re pretty excited that she is going to do that here,” Murane said of the massive keyboard work. “For pianists, that’s what you take to the desert island.”
Hewitt will perform the first part of “The Well-Tempered Clavier” during the inaugural concert of the piano-recital series at 4 p.m. Sept. 30 and perform the second part at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 3 as part of the Friends’ main series.
The main series is sold out, but season tickets remain for the piano-recital series. Call 303-388-9839 or visit .
Here’s a look at 10 other noteworthy classical events this fall:
Takács Quartet Denver is lucky enough to have one of the world’s great string quartets right in its backyard. The longtime ensemble-in-residence at the University of Colorado at Boulder returns for its annual Lakewood appearance. Adding appeal are the $26 tickets – a comparative bargain.|Sept. 20, Lakewood Cultural Center, .
Renée Fleming, soprano This rare one-night concert features one of the most celebrated singers of our time. Fleming, who stars later in the fall in “La Traviata” at New York’s Metropolitan Opera, will perform Strauss’ “Four Last Songs” and operatic arias with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra.|Sept. 29, Colorado Symphony, Boettcher Concert Hall, .
“Stories from the Edge of the World,” Ensemble Galilei, Neal Conan, narrator This multidisciplinary event, presented in conjunction with EcoArts, combines music, texts by great explorers in history and giant projections of National Geographic Society photographs.|Oct. 5, Macky Auditorium, CU-Boulder, CU Artist Series, .
Mass in B minor, Denver Bach Society Any opportunity to hear this towering choral masterwork, written over several decades in the first half of the 18th century by Bach, is a much-anticipated event.|Oct. 20, Christ Episcopal Church, Oct. 21, Cherry Hills Community Church, .
“Dead Man Walking,” CU Opera Dozens of operas are premiered each year and nearly all are quickly forgotten. A notable exception is Jake Heggie’s “Dead Man Walking,” which debuted to much acclaim at the San Francisco Opera in 2000. This will be its collegiate debut.|Oct. 26-28, Macky Auditorium, .
Rocky Mountain Contemporary Music Festival, Libby Larsen, composer- in-residence This widely recognized Minneapolis composer, who has written more than 200 works in virtually every conceivable form, will be the focus of this fall’s edition of this annual event.|Nov. 6, student ensembles concert, Nov. 7, Larsen lecture and faculty concert, . Colorado State University, Fort Collins
Andrew Manze, violin, Richard Egarr, fortepiano Manze has become something of a Colorado regular, performing alone and with assorted ensembles. This time he will appear with Egarr, his longtime duet partner, performing an evening of intimate works by Mozart and Schubert in period style.|Nov. 9, University of Denver, Newman Center for the Performing Arts, Newman Center Presents, .
“La Traviata,” Opera Colorado This tragic love story, which opens Opera Colorado’s 25th-anniversary season, consistently remains an audience favorite.|Nov. 9, 11, 13, 15 and 18, Ellie Caulkins Opera House, .
Pinchas Zukerman, violin, Amanda Forsyth, cello, Colorado Symphony Zukerman, a long-celebrated star in the classical firmament, returns to Denver for performances of concertos for violin and cello by Vivaldi and Brahms.|Nov. 16-17, Boettcher Concert Hall
Midori, violin, Colorado Symphony Midori, who first gained fame as an attention- grabbing prodigy, has matured into a veteran artist of depth and substance. She joins the orchestra for Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto – a staple of the classical repertoire.|Dec. 7-9, Boettcher Concert Hall
Fine arts critic Kyle MacMillan can be reached at 303-954-1675 or kmacmillan@denverpost.com.
