The Highbrow Guide to Fall
The Highbrow Guide to Fall
(Bloomberg Businessweek) -- The world’s museums, concert halls, and theaters might traffic in old material, but that doesn’t mean they can’t give it a new twist. This fall, so-called high culture is being infused with youth, novelty, and spectacle. Summer’s almost over, but these performances, exhibitions, and events should more than compensate for any cold-weather blues.
Art Exhibitions
33rd Bienal de São Paulo The most reliably exciting biennial in South America comes with a new twist: Its seven sections are curated by artists. Sept. 7–Dec. 9; bienal.org.br
Delacroix at the Metropolitan Museum of Art This retrospective in New York of French Romantic Eugène Delacroix showcases his best-known paintings alongside rarely seen ephemera. Sept. 17–Jan. 6; metmuseum.org
Anni Albers at the Tate Modern Visitors to this London retrospective of the artist’s abstract textiles and paintings will be pleased to discover that her talent rivaled—if not outpaced—that of her better-known husband, Josef. Oct. 11–Jan. 27; tate.org.uk
Cubism at Centre Pompidou Can this be the first major exhibition devoted to Cubism in France since 1953? Paris’s Pompidou is making up for lost time with 300 artworks, including major loans from MoMA and the Musée National Picasso. Oct. 17–Feb. 25; centrepompidou.fr
“The Renaissance Nude” at the Getty Center With its almost limitless budget, L.A.’s Getty knows how to put on a blockbuster: One hundred objects by the likes of Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, and Michelangelo will induce even the most priggish art lover to make the trek. Oct. 30–Jan. 27; getty.edu
Theater
King Lear It’s said to be Ian McKellen’s last Shakespeare role ever, and London critics are almost unanimous in their praise. Until Nov. 3; kinglearwestend.com
Mephisto An old standby, reimagined at Vienna’s Burgtheater by visionary director Bastian Kraft and performed by a superb cast. Sept. 7–Oct. 3, with more dates to be announced; burgtheater.at
Antony and Cleopatra It’s hard to think of a more compelling pair of leads than Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okonedo. Star power extends to the director’s chair, as Simon Godwin helms the production in London. Sept. 18–Jan. 19; nationaltheatre.org.uk
A Very Very Very Dark Matter Jim Broadbent stars as Hans Christian Andersen in Martin McDonagh’s new play in London. If the title is any indication, this will be far from a children’s story. Oct. 12–Jan. 6; bridgetheatre.co.uk
To Kill a Mockingbird Written by Aaron Sorkin, this fresh adaptation of Harper Lee’s iconic novel at New York’s Lincoln Center Theater stars Jeff Daniels as Atticus Finch. Nov. 1–March 17; lct.org
Dance
The New Classics at the Dutch National Ballet In Amsterdam, crowd pleasers old and new include Wayne McGregor’s Chroma and Jerome Robbins’s Dances at a Gathering. Sept. 11–25; operaballet.nl
21st Century Choreographers at the New York City Ballet The showstopper program for the ballet’s opening night gala will repeat the same roster of new commissions a day later for those of us not in tuxedos. Sept. 27 and 28; nycballet.com
Carmen at Copenhagen’s Royal Danish Ballet Spanish choreographer Marcos Morau refocuses the story, based on the original novella by Prosper Mérimée, to paint the protagonist as a proto-feminist and her suitors as possessive and vengeful. Sept. 28–Nov. 1; kglteater.dk
Decadance at the Palais Garnier In this new addition to the Parisian ballet’s repertory by the Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin, dancers will use his trademark “Gaga” technique, which, sadly, has nothing to do with the pop performer of the same name. Sept. 25–Oct. 19; operadeparis.fr
Wahada by Abou Lagraa at the Ballet de Grand Théâtre Genève French choreographer Lagraa bridges the divide between classical ballet and contemporary dance in this highly anticipated world premiere. Nov. 27–Dec. 2; geneveopera.ch
Music
Cédric Tiberghien with the Berlin Philharmonic The virtuoso French pianist will join a program that includes the excellent ChorWerk Ruhr chamber choir. Sept. 8 and 9; berliner-philharmoniker.de
Simon Rattle with the London Symphony Orchestra Rattle conducts an opening night program of new British music, including the world premiere of a composition by Harrison Birtwistle. Sept. 16; lso.co.uk
Samson et Dalila at the Metropolitan Opera The much hyped production of Camille Saint-Saëns’s masterpiece in New York will star tenor Roberto Alagna and mezzo-soprano Elina Garanča. Sept. 24–March 28; metopera.org
Gustavo Dudamel with the L.A. Philharmonic Kicking off LA Fest, the Philharmonic’s centennial celebration, Dudamel conducts a world premiere by Andrew Norman, known for his lush, frenetic compositions. Oct. 4–7; laphil.com
Jonas Kaufmann at New York’s Carnegie Hall The German tenor is the closest thing the opera world has to a superstar. Anyone who hears his voice in person will understand why. Oct. 5; carnegiehall.org
Books
Lucian Freud The artist’s catalogue raisonné won’t come out for another four years (at least), but hundreds of rarely seen works in two massive volumes will provide an excellent stopgap until then. Sept. 7; phaidon.com
Iran Modern The exiled Empress Farah Pahlavi hasn’t exactly lived in obscurity, but this book will raise the profile of her (mostly Western) art collection, much of which remains in Tehran. Sept. 17; assouline.com
Empresses of China’s Forbidden City, 1644–1912 Qing dynasty women get their due with a wealth of color plates and essays by noted academics, as well as an exhibition at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Mass., which then moves to the Smithsonian. Sept. 18; yalebooks.yale.edu
The Country House: Past, Present, Future: Great Houses of the British Isles Written by the leading British historian David Cannadine, this isn’t just another empty paean to lost glory. Sept. 25; rizzoliusa.com
Between Worlds: The Art of Bill Traylor As the art world (and art market) discovers the work of black artists, it’s good to remember unsung naturals like Traylor, who was 12 when the Civil War ended. An accompanying exhibition opens on Sept. 28 at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Oct. 4; press.princeton.edu
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Justin Ocean at jocean1@bloomberg.net, James Gaddy
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