COMMUNITY EVENTS
ONGOING IN MANHATTAN
New York & The Nation
Ongoing
The Robert H. and Clarice Smith New York Gallery of American History
170 Central Park West
Explore the story of New York and America in the Robert H. and Clarice Smith New York Gallery of American History. $20 for adults, $12 for students, $15 for seniors. NYHistory.org
Painting the Natural World
Tuesdays through Jan. 28 at 7 p.m.
American Museum of Natural History
In an after-hours painting workshop, artists Greg Follender, and Eric Hamilton provide hands-on instruction in acrylic paint. Get a glimpse into the history and craftsmanship behind world-class dioramas and take home a painting of your own. $255; $240 members. AMNH.org
VISUAL ARTS
NEW IN MANHATTAN
The Rhythmic Art of Thread
Jan. 12–Feb. 24
The Arsenal Gallery in Central Park, 830 Fifth Ave., Third Floor
The exhibition examines the constructs of contemporary life and the influences of the African aesthetic, as artists create through the use of threads. Free. NYC.gov/Parks
ONGOING IN MANHATTAN
Masterworks: Unpacking Fashion
Through Feb. 5
The Met Fifth Avenue in Galleries 980–981
The Costume Institute’s fall 2016 exhibition will feature significant acquisitions of the past 10 years and explore how the department has honed its collecting strategy to amass masterworks of the highest aesthetic and technical quality, including iconic works by designers who have changed fashion history and advanced fashion as an art form. $12–$25 suggested. METMuseum.org
The Secret Life of Textiles: Animal Fibers
Through Feb. 20
The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 599
The second in the Secret Life of Textiles exhibition series, this installation will feature works of art made from the most important animal fibers—wool, hair, silk, and feathers—by numerous cultures throughout history and in different regions of the world. The objects on view will include fibers from sheep, camelids, goats, yaks, horses, cows, and other small animals; silk filament from cultivated or wild silk worms; and feathers. $12–$25 suggested. METMuseum.org
Splendors of Korean Art
Through Sept. 17
The Met Fifth Avenue
Thirteen masterpieces on loan from the National Museum of Korea are highlighted, including Silla gold jewelry and pottery, Goryeo Buddhist sculpture and celadon, and Joseon porcelain and paintings—some of which have never before crossed the Pacific Ocean. $12–$25 suggested. METMuseum.org
ENDING IN MANHATTAN
Valentin de Boulogne: Beyond Caravaggio
Through Jan. 22
The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 999
This will be the first monographic exhibition devoted to Valentin, who is little known because his career was short-lived—he died at age 41—and his works are so rare. Around 60 paintings by Valentin survive, and this exhibition will bring together 45 of them, with works coming from Rome, Vienna, Munich, Madrid, London, and Paris. $12–$25 suggested. METMuseum.org
Jerusalem 1000–1400: Every People Under Heaven
Through Jan. 22
The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 899
This exhibition will illuminate the key role that the Holy City played in shaping the art of the period from 1000 to 1400. While Jerusalem is often described as a city of three faiths, that formulation underestimates its fascinating complexity. In fact, the city was home to multiple cultures, faiths, and languages. History records harmonious and dissonant voices of people from many lands, passing in the narrow streets of a city not much larger than midtown Manhattan. $12–$25 suggested. METMuseum.org
Cagnacci’s Repentant Magdalene: An Italian Baroque Masterpiece From the Norton Simon Museum
Through Jan. 22
The Frick Collection
Guido Cagnacci was one of the most eccentric painters of seventeenth-century Italy, infamous for the unconventionality of both his art and his lifestyle. Frick.org
PERFORMING ARTS
NEW IN MANHATTAN
Clarinet Trios
Jan. 24 at 7:30 p.m.
Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center
Featuring Alisa Weilerstein, Anthony McGill, and Inon Barnatan.The sonically elegant clarinet and the earthy cello are enveloped by the all-encompassing piano in bracing early Beethoven, an autumnal masterpiece of Brahms, and a new work by the exciting young American composer Joseph Hallman. $32–$70. ChamberMusicSociety.org
New Opera Showcase
Jan. 13 at 8 p.m.
The Town Hall, 123 W. 43rd St.
An evening of orchestral readings of new and recently premiered operas: “Rated R for Rat,” “Charlotte Salomon: Der Tod und die Malerin,” “Machine,” “Before the Night Sky,” and “The Nefarious, Immoral but Highly Profitable Enterprise of Mr. Burke & Mr. Hare.” Featuring Erik Ochsner, music director, and Eric Malson, assistant conductor. $10 for members, $25 non-members. OperaAmerica.org/showcase
All Balanchine
Jan. 18–Feb. 5
David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center
From classical to contemporary, three spectacular ballets showcase Balanchine’s musical mastery, including his one-act revision of Swan Lake. With its corps of sleek black swans and icy landscape, he infuses this timeless story with new passion and heartbreak. $30–$175. NYCBallet.com
Carmen
Jan. 19–Feb. 18
Metropolitan Opera
Two French mezzo-sopranos, Sophie Koch and Clémentine Margaine, alternate as Bizet’s immortal heroine. Tenor Marcelo Alvarez is her hapless soldier Don José, and newcomer Maria Agresta—a sensation in her debut in La Bohème in the current Met season—is the devoted Micaëla, who fights to save him. Dan Ettinger and Louis Langrée share conducting duties. From $25. MetOpera.org
Rigoletto
Jan. 20–April 27
Metropolitan Opera
Michael Mayer’s hit production of Rigoletto places the action in a neon-bedecked Las Vegas in 1960. Stephen Costello and Joseph Calleja alternate as the womanizing Duke, Olga Peretyatko is the innocent Gilda, and Zeljko Lucic reprises his heartbreaking take on the tragic title role. Pier Giorgio Morandi conducts. From $25. MetOpera.org
Stravinsky x Five
Jan. 22–27
David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center
Igor Stravinsky’s colorful compositions and dynamic rhythms set the senses ablaze, igniting myriad emotions and inspiring generations of choreographers, including this quintet of NYCB’s most essential creators whose choreography ranges from animalistic instincts to cheerful camaraderie. $30–$175. NYBallet.com
The Sleeping Beauty
Feb. 8–19
David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center
Featuring luxurious sets and costumes, Tschaikovsky’s glorious score, and a cast of fantastical characters, it’s the ultimate romantic fairytale. $30–$175. NYCBallet.com
ONGOING IN MANHATTAN
Il Barbiere di Siviglia
Through Feb. 11
Metropolitan Opera
Peter Mattei reprises one of his most compelling portrayals, that of the wily barber Figaro. The Met’s popular production of Rossini’s comedic jewel—performed in the full-length Italian version—also pairs bel canto stars Pretty Yende and Javier Camarena as the lovers Rosina and Count Almaviva, with Maurizio Benini conducting. From $25. MetOpera.org
Shen Yun Performing Arts
Through Jan. 15
David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center
Fascinating stories from 5,000 years of Chinese culture are told through the vivid athleticism and deep expressiveness of classical Chinese dance, one of the most demanding art forms in the world. $80–$300. ShenYun.com
Balanchine Short Stories
Jan. 17–29
David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center
An ethereal sleepwalker leaving tragedy in her wake. A seductive siren interrupting the path toward redemption. A creature of flickering flame heralding the demise of an evil sorcerer. Three of Balanchine’s greatest narrative works coincide to demonstrate his masterful storytelling. $30–$175. NYCBallet.com
MUSIC
NEW IN MANHATTAN
The Cycle of Invention
Jan. 13 at 9 p.m.
Tenri Cultural Institute, 43 W. 13th St.
Guillaume de Machaut was the 14th century’s indisputable master of both music and poetry. He is credited with inventing the genre of polyphonic song that would influence many generations to come. $32–40. Tenet.nyc
Voices of Ascension Mozart and Haydn
Jan. 20 at 8 p.m.
36 Fifth Avenue
Vienna in the 1780’s was home to both Mozart and Haydn. There, at the end of his life, Mozart wrote “Ave Verum Corpus,'' a work that exemplifies his remarkable ability to convey compassion. By contrast, ”Exsultate Jubilate,“ written when he was only 17, bursts with joy. Haydn was already 59 when his friend Mozart died in 1791. It was in the years after this that Haydn wrote his greatest and most iconic works. Among them, the ”Lord Nelson Mass” may well be his single finest composition. ept.ms/choraljan20
Brahms Encounters: Romantic Spirit
Jan. 21 at 2:30 p.m.
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center
New York Classical Players continue their series of engaging concerts inspired by the Library’s collection of Johannes Brahms manuscripts. See Brahms’s hand-written sketch of melodies for the majestic Piano Trio no. 2, Op. 87. Gain an enhanced perspective on Brahms’ brilliance through conversation with the performers. Free. LincolnCenter.org
Palestrina’s Marcellus Mass
Jan. 21 at 8 p.m.
Church of St. Mary the Virgin, 145 W. 46th St.
New York Polyphony takes on the landmark work, Palestrina’s Missa Papae Marcelli, or Pope Marcellus Mass, a stalwart of many a music appreciation curriculum, and a splendid example of polyphony that is both technically impeccable and glorious to hear. $30–$45. MillerTheatre.com
Beloved Friend: Tchaikovsky and His World
Jan. 24–Feb. 11
Various locations
A luxurious deep dive into Tchaikovsky and composers close to him. Semyon Bychkov conducts the three-week festival, featuring pianists Yefim Bronfman and Kirill Gerstein. $31–$145. NYPhil.org
Pyotr the Great: The Songs of Tchaikovsky and His Students
Jan. 24 at 8 p.m.
Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Music Center, 129 W. 67th St.
The songs of Peter Ilytch Tchaikovsky are among the most beautiful of the Romantic era. Many of them seem autobiographical, giving expression to the emotional upheavals of his life. This program delves into the rich repertoire of Tchaikovsky’s vocal music, along with a selection of songs written by his students (Glière, Scriabin, Taneyev, and Rachmaninoff) and his teacher (Anton Rubinstein). $20–$55. KaufmanMusicCenter.org
The Splendor of the North German Baroque
Jan. 27 at 8 p.m.
Church of St. Luke in the Fields, 487 Hudson St.
Celebrating the innovative brilliance of North German Baroque composers, this program will include chamber cantatas paired with solo works for the organ by Dietrich Buxtehude, Nicolaus Bruhns, and Franz Tunder. Lecture at 7 p.m. $35. StLukeInTheFields.org
ONGOING IN MANHATTAN
Spiral Music
Wednesdays
Rubin Museum, 150 W. 17th St.
Spiral Music presents acoustic music every Wednesday evening at the base of the museum’s spiral staircase. Artists who specialize in music from the Himalayas and South Asia are invited to forge a connection between their music and the art in the galleries. Free. RubinMuseum.org
NEW ELSEWHERE
The Strength to Love—A Unity Concert
Jan. 15 at 9 p.m.
The Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph, 856 Pacific St., Brooklyn
A special tribute in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King’s vision for the future. This event will be presented by The Foundation for the Revival of Classical Culture and The Schiller Institute, and the program will include African-American spirituals and pieces by Brahms, Verdi, and Handel, and will feature the Roland Hayes’s song cycle “The Life of Christ.” $10 suggested. FftRoCC.org
