The Ronald S. Lauder Collection – Selections from the 3rd Century BC to the 20th Century, Germany, Austria, and France
Selections from one of the finest private art collections in the world are on view at Neue Galerie through April 2nd, to mark the tenth anniversary of this museum. The exhibition “The Ronald S. Lauder Collection – Selections from the 3rd Century BC to the 20th Century, Germany, Austria, and France” includes six areas of focus. They range from Medieval art, arms and armor, to fine and decorative arts from “Vienna 1900,” to Modern and contemporary art. Vincent van Gogh’s “Portrait of Joseph Roulin;” A Josef Hoffmann “Bonbonnière” acquired by Paul Wittgenstein; Pablo Picasso’s “Woman with a Raven;” “Mademoiselle Pogany II” by Constantin Brancusi; Gerhard Richter’s “Study for Serial Number 324;” Anselm Kiefer’s “Elizabeth of Austria”… are only some of the remarkable works selected for this anniversary show.

Bach and the Romantics
On February 2nd, Miller Theatre at Columbia University presents “Bach and the Romantics,” a concert that is part of Miller’s popular series “Bach and the Baroque.” This is pianist Simone Dinnerstein’s first recital at Miller Theatre. And it follows the recent release of her new Sony Classical album, “Something Almost Being Said: The Music of Bach and Schubert.” The album’s title “Something Almost Being Said” is a phrase drawn from the poem “The Trees” by English poet Philip Larkin. While working on this project, Ms. Dinnerstein was inspired by a shared quality in Bach and Schubert’s music. She described this as “wordless voices singing textless melodies.”

Charles Dickens at 200
“Charles Dickens at 200,” presented by The Morgan Library & Museum, remains on view through February 12th. The Morgan owns the largest collection of Dickens materials in the United States. And this exhibition celebrates the bicentennial of the great writer’s birth by showcasing a variety of artifacts, from manuscripts of his novels and stories, to letters, photographs, original illustrations and caricatures.

Canyengue — The Soul of Tango
On February 1st Le Poisson Rouge, the multimedia art cabaret just South of Washington Square Park, invites you to a concert inspired by the work of Astor Piazzolla. “Canyengue — The Soul of Tango” features musicians Maya Beiser and Pablo Ziegler. Beiser grew up on a kibbutz in Israel. Today she is a celebrated musician known for taking the cello beyond its classical boundaries. Ziegler, a pianist for Astor Piazzolla for a decade, was instrumental in creating the sound that elevated tango music from dance clubs to the concert hall. In their collaboration, Beiser and Ziegler explore the provocative and sensual nature of “canyengue” — the true soul of Buenos Aires tango.

Machiel Botman: One Tree
“Machiel Botman: One Tree,” an exhibition at Gitterman Gallery, on the Upper East Side, is based on a selection of rather mysterious and atmospheric photographs. On view through February 18th, the show’s black and white photos were taken during the past ten years. A key figure in Dutch photography, Botman seems unrestrained by photographic conventions. He utilizes a variety of exposures, depths of field and focal distances, creating a unique, personal vision.