Papa, Can You Hear Them?

Joseph Haydn straddled the end of the classical patronage system in Europe and the beginning of the "high artist" period, when artists consciously created works designed to last for eternity and not for a patron's afternoon delight. Haydn's unique stature as a bridge between these two eras was enhanced by the almost-universal adulation he received for his works during his lifetime; Haydn was no struggling artist on the fringes, he was a titan of his field. And he also had a famous sense of humor that led him to sprinkle his works with jokes and surprises. The Sheldon Chorale salutes the composer with its program Remembering Papa Haydn at 8 p.m. at the Sheldon Concert Hall (3648 Washington Boulevard; 314-533-9900 or www.thesheldon.org). The Chorale will perform two choruses from Haydn's epic, pure music oratorio The Creation (Awake the Harp and The Heavens Are Telling), and the whole of the Missa in Angustiis (Mass in Times of Distress) with accompaniment by members of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra and organist Dennis Bergin. Tickets are $10 to $15.
Mon., March 9, 2009