South Florida Classical Review

Susanna Mälkki has received enthusiastic reviews and acclaim for her appearances with major American and European orchestras. This weekend the Finnish conductor leads the New World Symphony in an adventurous and challenging program.

The too-rarely played “Rondes des Printemps” from Debussy’s Images opens the concert. Music by Henri Dutilleux, a latter day French master, follows with Tout un monde lointain…, a cello concerto written for Mstislav Rostropovich. Anssi Karttunen, a Finnish cellist who specializes in contemporary music, does the solo honors. The more familiar Symphonic Dances by Rachmaninoff concludes the program.

Performances are 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the New World Center in Miami Beach nws.edu; 305-673-3331.

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Brahms’ A German Requiem is one of the composer’s most beautiful and contemplative works. Although it is usually performed by large chorus and orchestra, Brahms made a reduced version for four-hand piano and chamber choir. Although the richness and depth of Brahms’ orchestral writing are missing, the reduced version is more intimate and  direct.

Seraphic Fire‘s 2011 recording of this version was nominated for a Grammy Award. Artistic director Patrick Quigley repeats the work this weekend with two impressive soloists. Soprano Tamara Wilson just received the coveted Richard Tucker Award and baritone Dashon Burton has given fine performances with both Seraphic Fire and the Master Chorale of South Florida in recent seasons.

Performances are 7:30 p.m. Friday at All Saints Episcopal Church in Fort Lauderdale; 8 p.m. Saturday at Miami Shores Presbyterian Church; and 4 p.m. Sunday at South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center in Cutler Bay. seraphicfire.org 305-285-9060.

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