EDO TO THE FOREFriday-next Sunday: Edo de Waart, music director of the Minnesota Orchestra from 1986 to 1995, returns to the Twin Cities in his new job as an SPCO ArtPart (artistic partner). De Waart, music director of the Milwaukee Symphony since 2009, doesn't have far to drive to get to his gigs with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, where he will conduct the next two weekends. First up is his program of Mahler's 65-minute song-symphony "Das Lied von der Erde ("The Song of the Earth"). The Mahler, with translated Chinese poems as text, is performed in a version scaled down for a chamber orchestra by Arnold Schoenberg and Rainer Riehn. The piece will feature mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke and tenor William Burden. Also on the program is Franz Schreker's Chamber Symphony. Weekend two features music of John Adams, Mozart and Strauss. (8 p.m. Fri.-Sat. at Ordway Center, 5th and Washington Sts., St. Paul; 2 p.m. next Sun. at Ted Mann Concert Hall, University of Minnesota, 2128 4th St., Mpls. $10-$40. 651-291-1144 or www.thespco.org.)
CLAUDE PECK
