Finnish wunderkind
Finnish conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali is in town this week to lead the Minnesota Orchestra. At 32, Rouvali is already chief conductor of both the Gothenburg Symphony and Tampere Philharmonic orchestras, not to mention a guest conductor at the prestigious Philharmonia in London. He brings Brahms' First Symphony, the Suite from Strauss' opera "Der Rosenkavalier" and Prokofiev's First Violin Concerto with the excellent Gil Shaham as soloist. (11 a.m. Thu., 8 p.m. Fri.; Orchestra Hall, Mpls.; $12-$102, 612-371-5656 or minnesotaorchestra.org)
Rearranging old favorites
Intriguing arrangements of familiar pieces make this St. Paul Chamber Orchestra program particularly enticing. Top of the bill is a string quintet arrangement of Beethoven's magnificent "Kreutzer" Violin Sonata, played by the full SPCO string section. Also featured are Jean Françaix's Nonet and a mischievous chamber redaction of Strauss' "Till Eulenspiegel." (11 a.m. & 8 p.m. Fri., Wooddale Church, Eden Prairie; 8 p.m. Sat., St. Paul's United Church of Christ, St. Paul; 2 p.m. Sun., Benson Great Hall, Arden Hills; $11-$26, 651-291-1144 or thespco.org)
'Alone Together'
With its latest program, the eight-man Cantus vocal ensemble explores the human need for meaningful connection, even in today's digitally knitted world. The "Alone Together" program includes the Twin Cities premiere of "You," a new commission by Minnesota composer Libby Larsen, featuring settings of poems by Emily Dickinson and Edna St. Vincent Millay. Rounding out the concert are two more works written especially for Cantus — "We Two" by Steven Sametz and David Lang's "Manifesto" — as well as music by Laura Mvula, Lennon-McCartney and Beethoven. (7:30 p.m. Fri., MacPhail Center, Mpls.; 3 p.m. Sun., Wayzata Community Church, Wayzata; 11 a.m. Oct. 25, Colonial Church of Edina; 7:30 p.m. Oct. 26, Ordway Concert Hall, St. Paul; 7:30 p.m. Oct. 27, Trinity Lutheran Church, Stillwater; 2 p.m. Nov. 4, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Mpls.; $10-$43, cantussings.org)
Unfamiliar territory
The Minnesota Bach Ensemble kicks off a new season with an imaginative program. In fact, there's just one familiar selection: Bach's Second Brandenburg Concerto. Also featured is music by Fasch, Biber, Conti and Zelenka, with soloists Lynn Erickson (trumpet), Adam Kuenzel (flute) and Linh Kauffman (soprano). (3 p.m. Sat. & Sun., MacPhail Center, Mpls.; $10-$30, mnbach.org)
Baroque women
We're gradually learning more about the long-hidden female composers in classical music history. Consortium Carissimi's "The Magdalene Project" focuses on the early baroque period, with music by Chiara Margarita Cozzolani, Barbara Strozzi, Francesca Caccini and Isabella Leonarda. Julie Elhard (gamba) and Sara Thompson (baroque bass) join the singers for this fascinating recital. (7:30 p.m. Sat., 3 p.m. Sun.; Mount Olive Lutheran Church, Mpls.; $25, consortiumcarissimi.org)
TERRY BLAIN
