The Little Prince
A soaring opera version of the French classic finally gets off the ground.
• November 12 through 20.
An American Tragedy
The true tale of a young pregnant woman drowned by her boyfriend in an Adirondack lake in 1906.
• Premieres December 2.
A Season of Dance for (Almost) Free
Inexpensive dance performances abound this month. Below, a world-class, only–in–New York lineup of talent, with tickets that cost less than a Chinese takeout order.
Marin Alsop Conducts the New York Philharmonic
The Baltimore Symphony fought her hiring. But Marin Alsop is still upbeat.
• October 14, 15, and 18.
The Commandments
“Not too long ago, an English choir director was surprised I play jazz, and I thought, I’ve finally made it,” says Dave Brubeck. At the Jewish Music Heritage Festival, the jazzman, now 84, premieres The Commandments, an a cappella work he conceived as a soldier in 1944. “If I live through this,” he recalls thinking, “I’m gonna write about ‘Thou shalt not kill.’ ” As for his genre-mixing, “jazz musicians keep alive the tradition of classical music,” he says. “Bach was further out than we’ll ever get.” —A.Z. • September 14.
Mariza at Carnegie Hall
The last time the Portuguese fado sensation Mariza played New York, she did one brief set. But when she makes her Carnegie Hall debut next month, the stage will be all hers. Fado (“fate”) is the Portuguese blues, with African, Brazilian, Jewish, and Arabic overtones. The singers can be somber, but not Mariza. “I’m half-African. Maybe that influenced the way I do things,” she explains in lilting, mellifluous tones. “I try to shrink the theater and make a small taverna.” —A.Z. • October 7.
The Best of the Rest
Music
Orpheus and Euridice
Composer, librettist, and songwriter Ricky Ian Gordon’s modern spin on the classic Greek myth turns it into an AIDS allegory, choreographed by Doug Varone.
• October 5, 7, and 8; Rose Theater, Lincoln Center.
Virgil Fox Anniversary
In a three-day tribute to the organist and visionary, he “performs” 25 years after his death, thanks to note- recognition software and a 1963 Bach recording.
• October 7 through 10; Trinity Church and other venues.
“Days of Awe: Isaac Bound”
The biblical story of Abraham’s binding of his son Isaac inspires a concert, with commentary, featuring Giacomo Carissimi’s seventeenth-century oratorio, Abraham et Isaac, and Benjamin Britten’s 1952 Canticle II (“Abraham and Isaac”).
• October 9; 92nd Street Y.
Shostakovich Centennial
The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center presents three concerts of the late Soviet composer’s works, including performances by Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg and Anne-Marie McDermott.
• October 28 and 30, November 1; Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center.
Orpheus Chamber Crchestra
The conductor-less ensemble and the Bach Choir of New York begin a two-part series on the Bach cantatas at the Metropolitan’s Medieval Sculpture Hall.
• October 31; Metropolitan Museum of Art.
American Composers Orchestra/Pilobolus Dance Theater
In Edward Bilous’s Lucid Dreams, the forward-thinking ensemble and thrillingly flexible Pilobolus join forces.
• November 11; Zankel Hall, Carnegie Hall.
Juilliard Orchestra and Choral Union
As the prestigious conservatory turns 100, events ring out all year long. In this biggie, alumnus James Conlon (also conducting An American Tragedy at the Met) leads Mahler’s Symphony No. 3.
• December 11; Carnegie Hall.
Dance
Juilliard Dance Ensemble
The world premiere of Eliot Feld’s Drumming, to Steve Reich’s classic work of Minimalism.
• September 28 through October 2; Juilliard Theater, Lincoln Center.
Ligeti Festival
Isn’t it nice when composers are recognized while they’re still alive? Transylvanian György Ligeti gets his due with a trio of dances by New York City Ballet’s Christopher Wheeldon performed as the Flux Quartet plays Ligeti’s music.
• September 28 and 30, October 1; Miller Theatre, Columbia University.
National Ballet of China
Dance version of the 1991 movie Raise the Red Lantern features visuals by filmmaker Zhang Yimou (House of Flying Daggers).
• October 11 through 15, Howard Gilman Opera House, Brooklyn Academy of Music.
Dance Theater Workshop
For 40 years, DTW has nurtured choreographic creativity. A free house party with performances throughout the building celebrates its history.
• November 7; Dance Theater Workshop.
Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker
Acclaimed Belgian dancer and choreographer delivers a solo show set to a Joan Baez concert album.
• November 8 through 13; Joyce Theater.
Opera
“Trouble in Tahiti”
Leonard Bernstein’s one-act post–World War II opera about an unhappy suburban couple.
• October 8; Caramoor, Katonah, N.Y.