Boston Classical Review

John Harbison

The music of John Harbison has remained a fixture in Boston’s rich and varied music scene; his symphonies, in particular, crop up regularly in concerts by the city’s many orchestras. 

This Friday, Emmanuel Music will offer the composer’s Symphony No. 5, a work for mezzo-soprano, baritone, and orchestra that recasts the doomed tale of Orpheus and Eurydice through poetry by Milosz, Glück, and Rilke. Krista River and David Tinervia will appear as soloists.

Filling out the program will be a recent score by Matthew Aucoin. The Orphic Moment, which will feature Jacob Regan as solo dancer, captures in music the split second before Orpheus looks back at Eurydice during his journey out of the underworld.

Rounding out this evening of Greek drama will be Stravinsky’s Oedipus Rex, which will spotlight singers Jon Jurgens, Michelle Trainor, David Kravitz, David Cushing, and Matthew Anderson. Ryan Turner conducts.

The performance will take place 8 p.m. Friday at the Sanders Theatre. emmanuelmusic.org