MUSIC
THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2019
7:30 PM

Iestyn Davies: England's "Orpheus"
Zankel Hall, Carnegie Hall
881 Seventh Avenue, Midtown, Manhattan

$78
https://www.carnegiehall.org/Calendar/2019/05/16/Iestyn-Davies-Countertenor--Thomas-Dunford-Lute-0730PM

Accompanied by Thomas Dunford on lute, world-beating countertenor Iestyn Davies focusses on songs by three composers who were, in their various times, denominated "England's 'Orpheus'":  John Dowland, Henry Purcell, and Handel (yeah, too bad England's all-time greatest composer was German).  Dowland's incredibly moving lute songs are a very peak of British music (those snickering that that's not very high praise will stay in the back of the room) (anyway, shut up:  the Beatles are pretty good).  Purcell's are lots of fun.  Handel, well . . . Handel didn't write any lute songs, but I'm sure the arrangements of his opera/oratorio arias will sound fine in these extremely capable hands.

MAKE A NIGHT OF IT:  When I was very very young, I thought the basic French bistro at La Bonne Soupe was le fin du fin -- and even a high school student could afford to splurge on it.  I'm almost afraid to try it now.  But really, how bad could it be?