The Circle Of Life
The Lion King’s Julie Taymor returns to opera, reimagining The Magic Flute for the Met.
Oscar Wilde, With Strings Attached
The “dancers” in this adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s The Happy Prince are part human and part paper.
Salman Rushdie And Charles Wuorinen Try Their Hand At Opera
Slated for a 2002 opening at the New York City Opera and bumped twice, Haroun and the Sea of Stories finally gets a world premiere this fall.
The Shock Of The Old
Meredith Monk’s acolytes honor her 40 years of edgy experiment.
The Lollapalooza of World Music
This season, the WMI marks twenty years with far more than sitars and guitars.
Music Of The Spheres
At BAM, Terry Riley brings astrophysics to the avant-garde.
What Are You Looking Forward To This Fall?
Ask a radio host.
Margaret Juntwait, host of WNYC radio’s “Evening Music With Margaret Juntwait”
Taste Vocal music. It doesn’t have to be a solo voice; a well-blended ensemble can make me go all prickly with goose bumps.
Looking Forward To “Kurt Weill’s Berlin,” at the New York Festival of Song in October. Leif Ove Andsnes and Ian Bostridge: Schubert’s Winterreise, from EMI; Bostridge’s voice is teasingly reserved and sits right in the pocket of the pitch. And I’m really curious about Julie Taymor’s Magic Flute.
Wish List More from jazz singer Jane Monheit, singing simply and straight-out.
Best Of The Rest
New York Philharmonic
Lorin Maazel conducts the world premiere of Augusta Read Thomas’s Gathering Paradise, settings of Emily Dickinson poems for soprano and orchestra, featuring Heidi Grant Murphy. Lang Lang performs Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 on the same program.
September 29 through October 2 and October 5; Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center.
Boston Symphony Orchestra
James Levine makes his first New York appearance as Seiji Ozawa’s successor, leading the orchestra in Mahler’s Symphony No. 8.
October 25, Carnegie Hall.
“Fall For Dance Festival”
Bringing dance to the masses with $10 tickets (“more affordable than a night at the movies”) and 30 companies, including top-flight groups like Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Merce Cunningham Dance Company, Martha Graham Dance Company, ABT, and Garth Fagan Dance.
September 28 to October 3, City Center.
New York City Ballet
If you’ve somehow never seen George Balanchine’s Nutcracker, it’s time, as the holiday classic turns 50.
Season begins November 26, New York State Theater, Lincoln Center.
Metropolitan Opera
One of the most anticipated events in the opera world is tenor Ben Heppner’s appearance in the title role of Verdi’s Otello, a role he has sung many times, but never at the Met.
Opens September 20, Metropolitan Opera, Lincoln Center.
Venice Baroque Orchestra
Carnegie Hall’s new Baroque music series begins with the New York premiere of Vivaldi’s rarely performed Andromeda Liberata.
November 29, Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall.