December Concerts Announced At 92Y's Tisch Center for the Arts

December concerts at 92Y's Tisch Center for the Arts open with a recital by legendary pianist Peter Serkin, Saturday, December 1 (8 pm). The centerpiece of his program is J. S. Bach's Goldberg Variations, which Serkin last performed in New York in 1993. Writes The New York Times, "In his hands, even the most formidable works are fluid and expressive." Serkin will open the evening with a pair of late works by Mozart: the enigmatic and richly chromatic Adagio in B Minor, thought to be a musical memorial of his father, Leopold; and the courtly Sonata in B-flat Major, redolent of the soon-to-be-composed The Magic Flute. Complete program and ticketing details appear below.

On Sunday, December 9 (3 pm), Orpheus Chamber Orchestra unveils a true rarity: the U.S. premiere of German composer Hans Rott's Symphony for String Orchestra in A-flat Major, composed when Rott was only sixteen. Born in 1858, Rott was a brilliant but unstable protégé of Bruckner and Mahler; he died at 26 of tuberculosis in a psychiatric hospital. (After Brahms criticized Rott's Symphony No. 1, Rott pulled a gun on a fellow train passenger who was trying to light a cigar, convinced that the flame would set off explosive charges rigged by Brahms to assassinate him.) Said Mahler, Rott's classmate at the Vienna Conservatory: "It is impossible to estimate what music lost in him." Indeed, Rott's symphony is a marvel: a vibrant opening, harmonically daring middle movement, and witty Scherzo suggest tremendous promise. The program also includes renowned British cellist Steven Isserlis in C.P.E. Bach's lively Cello Concerto in A Major. Regarding Isserlis' Grammy-nominated recording of this concerto, Gramophone wrote, "[his] refinement and elegance...throw an entirely new perspective on the concerto." Mahler's luxurious arrangement of Schubert's "Death and the Maiden" string quartet completes the evening.

Hailed for her Haydn interpretations, Israeli pianist Einav Yarden brings two selections by the composer to her 92Y debut in a late-evening Soundspace concert, Friday, December 7 (9 pm). Described by The Washington Post as "a probing, incisive pianist with a beautiful sound and an impressively transparent touch," Yarden opens her program with Schumann's late-period Fantasy Pieces, then turns to Haydn's buoyant F Major sonata before performing Bartók's dance-inflected Burlesques. Two more "fantastic" pieces in C Major conclude the program: Haydn's Fantasia, based on an Austrian folk tune, and Schumann's Fantasie, dedicated to Liszt.

Called "the royal family of the guitar" by The New York Times, the Romero Guitar Quartet returns to 92Y on Saturday, December 15 (8 pm) with an eclectic program of masterworks. Opening with Three Dances by Renaissance composer Michael Praetorius, the program moves through the centuries to Vivaldi's Lute Concerto in D Major (arranged for quartet), and works by Anton Diabelli and Marco Giuliani, contemporaries of Beethoven. Other highlights include a new holiday suite arranged by the legendary Pepe Romero, pieces from Romero family patriarch Celedonio Romero, and works by Granados, Schubert and Pepe Romero.

Saturday, December 1 (8 pm): PETER SERKIN, piano

MOZART: Adagio in B Minor, K. 540

MOZART: Sonata in B-flat Major, K. 570

BACH: Goldberg Variations, BWV 988

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Friday, December 7 (9 pm): EINAV YARDEN, piano

Soundspace

SCHUMANN: Fantasy Pieces, Op. 111

HAYDN: Sonata in F Major, Hob. XVI:29

BARTÓK: Three Burlesques, Op. 8c

HAYDN: Fantasia in C Major, Hob. XVII:4

SCHUMANN: Fantasie in C Major, Op. 17

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Sunday, December 9 (3 pm): ORPHEUS CHAMBER ORCHESTRA + STEVEN ISSERLIS, cello

ROTT: Symphony for String Orchestra in A-flat Major, N. 37 US Premiere

C.P.E. BACH: Cello Concerto in A Major, H. 43

SCHUBERT/MAHLER: String Quartet No. 14 in D Minor, "Death and the Maiden" (arr. Mahler)

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Saturday, December 15 (8 pm): THE ROMERO GUITAR QUARTET

PRAETORIUS: Three Dances

VIVALDI: Concerto in D Major, RV93

DIABELLI: Serenade in F Major, Op. 63

GUILIANI: Grande Overture

PEPE ROMERO: Christmas Suite

DE MADINA: Danza Rapsódica

GRANADOS: Intermezzo from Goyescas

SCHUBERT: Three Waltzes

LLOBET: El Noi de la Mare

CELEDONIO ROMERO: Soleares and Alegrias, from Suite Andaluza

C. ROMERO: Zapateado

P. ROMERO: de Cadiz a la Habana

C. ROMERO: Noche en Málaga

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92nd Street Y is a center for the arts and innovation, a convener of ideas, and an incubator for creativity. Founded in 1874, it seeks to create, provide and disseminate programs of distinction that foster the physical and mental growth of people throughout their lives. From its New York headquarters, 92Y offers thousands of programs, including talks with leaders in every field; outstanding performing, visual and literary arts presentations and classes; fitness and sports programs; and activities for children and families. 92Y also creates community far beyond its walls, bringing people from all over the world together through innovations like the award-winning #GivingTuesday and the Social Good Summit. Along with live webcasts and a growing online archive of free talks and performances, these breakthroughs are transforming the way people share ideas and translate them into action all over the world. All of 92Y's programming is built on a foundation of Jewish values, including the capacity of civil dialogue to change minds; the potential of education and the arts to change lives; and a commitment to welcoming and serving people of all ages, races, religions and ethnicities.