Classical

The great conductor Otto Klemperer was known, especially in his later years, to lecture his musicians about the pieces they were rehearsing. According to legend, one exasperated player finally shouted out, "Hey Klemp! You talka too much!" Musicians tend to want to just get on with it; what about audiences? Pre-concert lectures are fairly well attended, and Cristoph Eschenbach's post-concert chats and informal jams have been surprisingly popular. Now Kimmel is debuting a new series titled Keyboard Conversations, a project of the American concert pianist Jeffrey Siegel, featuring a mix of music and history in a concert setting. The debut features piano music of Beethoven. This is a solid, if relatively unchallenging place to start, since there are few more compelling biographies in classical music than that of old Ludwig van. Siegel's program covers a broad range of the composer's life, including the enigmatic "Für Elise," the popular "Moonlight" Sonata, and the neo-baroque Sonata Opus 110, written when the old lion was already stone deaf. Siegel, a fine raconteur, is not interested in overwhelming his audiences with technical fine points, concentrating instead on the personal and historical context of his subject. In between the chatting and interaction with his audience, Siegel will play all three works in their entirety.

Mon., Nov. 7, 7:30 p.m., $26, Perelman Theater, Broad and Spruce sts., 215-893-1999, kimmelcenter.org.