What did Mozart's piano sound like?

It's interesting to think that neither Beethoven nor Mozart would recognize the piano as it sounds today. That's because the modern concert grand is vastly bigger, louder and more smoothly sonorous than the fortepiano, for which their keyboard sonatas were originally intended. How different is the sound? Very. Hear for yourself during this fascinating recital by early music specialist Michael Tsalka, who plays pieces by Ries, Beethoven, Mozart and Cherubini on a fortepiano from the Schubert Club's historical instrument collection. (7:30 p.m. Tues.; Schubert Club Museum, Landmark Center, St. Paul; $10-$16, 651-292-3268 or schubert.org)

Minnesota Orchestra plays Paulus

It's been two years since Minnesota composer Stephen Paulus passed away. His legacy is marked by the Minnesota Orchestra in its first performance of Paulus' choral work "Mass for a Sacred Place," originally written for Washington National Cathedral. Ginastera's Harp Concerto and Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 are also featured, with Osmo Vänskä conducting. (11 a.m. Thu., 8 p.m. Fri. & Sat.; Orchestra Hall, Mpls.; $25-$79, 612-371-5656 or minnesotaorchestra.org)

Georg Telemann completists

Of his four-hour compendium Tafelmusik (Table Music), German baroque composer Georg Philipp Telemann once wrote: "I hope this work will bring me fame." It did. Musicians and audiences throughout Europe marveled over the mix of styles and formats — overtures, concertos, trios, quartets, sonatas — packaged as a self-contained musical banquet. Tafelmusik is often cherry-picked by programmers, but the Lyra Baroque Orchestra offers the rare opportunity to hear Part Two in its entirety in one evening. (7:30 p.m. Fri., First Presbyterian Church, Rochester; 7:30 p.m. Sat., Sundin Hall, Hamline University, St. Paul; $10-$25, lyrabaroque.org)

Liquid Music's latest

Twenty-five years ago a recording of Polish composer Henryk Górecki's Symphony of Sorrowful Songs became an unexpected success, selling a million copies. Colin Stetson revisits the piece with "Sorrow," part of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra's innovative Liquid Music series. A saxophonist by training, Stetson adds drums, violin, synthesizers and electric guitars to the mix, re-imagining Górecki's haunting music. (Fri. 8 p.m., Walker Art Center, Mpls.; $25, 651-291-1144 or thespco.org)

Drinking music

It's beer festival time in Bavaria. The Pavia Wind Quintet casts a thirsty glimpse across the Atlantic with "Oktoberfest," a themed program of pieces by Austrian and German composers. Works by Sobeck, Zemlinsky and Mendelssohn feature, with a cheeky arrangement for wind instruments of Richard Strauss' orchestral piece "Till Eulenspiegel." (7 p.m. Mon., Sateren Auditorium, Augsburg College, Mpls.; free, paviawinds.com)

TERRY BLAIN