Do As I Say

AARGH! There is too much to do in January. No I can’t believe it either. But worst of all, the intensity of the local performing arts schedule has led me to have to make some very tough scheduling decisions. Try as I might, there are three shows this month that I am dying to see but am going to have to miss because of a variety of other commitments. Don’t make the same mistakes I have! My advice is to buy tickets to these shows now.

First is the latest concert from L.A.’s classical music young fresh fellows (and fellowesses) Wild Up, who’ll give a program they’re calling “Ornithology” at the Armory Center for the Arts in Pasadena on Saturday the 14th at 8pm. The evening includes their typical eclectic mix of surprises such as Messiaen, Haydn, Ferneyhough, Charlie Barker, songs from Andrew Bird and works from their own Chris Kallmyer. The subject is birds, of course, and you shouldn’t miss this one. And while you're at it, stop by their kickstarter page and help support their upcoming vinyl release of music from Shostakovich and Rzewski.

Then there is the upcoming program from Musica Angelica under their musical director Martin Haselböck which will take place on the evening of Jan 28 and again on the afternoon of the 29th in two different locations. Musica Angelica has invited vocalists Daniel Taylor and Emma Kirkby to join the in an evening of Bach's version of Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater. This is some very beautiful music performed by L.A.’s own Baroque specialists, so I encourage you to do the right thing and go.

Rinde Eckert Photo: Caleb Wertenbaker

Finally, I’m somehow going to miss out on REDCAT’s first big show of the spring, Rinde Eckert’s And God Created Great Whales which will run from the 25th through the afternoon of the 29th downtown. Eckert’s much lauded piece about a tortured composer slowly losing his mind over the composition of an opera based on Moby-Dick comes in advance of Heggie’s real opera on the same book, which will open in San Diego next month though I suspect the two works are world’s apart. REDCAT’s missteps are very few and far between, so again don’t follow my lead, get down there.

Oh and one other quick note: Anna Deavere Smith's Let Me Down Easy, one of 2011's best shows in L.A., will be broadcast on KOCE tomorrow night at 9pm PST so watch or record it.