Shostakovich on cello
It's been 30 years since principal cello Anthony Ross joined the Minnesota Orchestra. The group marks the occasion by adding Shostakovich's Second Cello Concerto to its repertoire. Conductor Brett Mitchell leads a program that also includes Beethoven's Seventh Symphony. (11 a.m. Thu., 8 p.m. Fri. & Sat.; Orchestra Hall, Mpls.; $12-$107, 612-371-5656 or minnesotaorchestra.org)
Britten rarity
Benjamin Britten's comic "Albert Herring" opera (from 1947) tells the story of a timid shop assistant who wins a May Day pageant in small-town England. The University of Minnesota's Opera Theatre offers a rare opportunity to see the work, with a staging directed by Twin Cities mainstays (and U alumni) Christina Baldwin and Jennifer Baldwin Peden. (7:30 p.m. Thu.-Sat., 1:30 p.m. Sun., Ted Mann Concert Hall, University of Minnesota, Mpls., $5-$25, 612-624-2345 or tickets.umn.edu)
Apocalyptic quartet
French composer Olivier Messiaen wrote and performed "Quartet for the End of Time" as a POW during World War II. Clarinetist Alexander Fiterstein (who taught at the U until recently) leads a recital of this 20th-century masterpiece, with violinist Elena Urioste, cellist Nicholas Canellakis and pianist Michael Brown. Also featured is the seldom heard Clarinet Sonata by Polish composer Mieczysław Weinberg. (4 p.m. Sun., St. Anthony Park United Church of Christ, St. Paul, $21-$31, 651-292-3268 or schubert.org)
A rare 'symphonic psalm'
Here comes a welcome opportunity to hear Swiss composer Arthur Honegger's symphonic psalm "King David." Written for choir, soloists and orchestra, "King David" tells the story of the Old Testament character who slays Goliath and becomes ruler of Israel. Honegger matches David's colorful story with 70 minutes of music referencing jazz, baroque and Gregorian chant, plus Middle Eastern influences. Philip Brunelle leads the joint choirs of Plymouth Congregational Church and St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral. (2 p.m. Sun., Plymouth Congregational Church, Mpls., free, plymouth.org)
Minnesota's own
The Wayzata Symphony Orchestra spotlights works by Twin Cities composers Steve Heitzeg and Linda Tutas Haugen. That includes Heitzeg's "While We Breathe, We Hope" (featuring words by Barack and Michelle Obama) as well as Haugen's "Transformations of Darkness and Light." Also featured is Italian composer Tomaso Vitali's Chaconne in G Minor. (3 p.m. Sun., Wayzata Community Church, Wayzata; free, thewso.org)
TERRY BLAIN
