Naomi Chung is an artist of considerable ability who breathes new life into the tired formulae of Impressionist landscape art.

Naomi Chung: New Works. Through November 26, 2008 at Gross McCleaf Gallery, 127 S. 16 St. (215) 665-8138 or www.grossmccleaf.com.

Did Terrence McNally deliberately set out to write a play about shallow people? Or did he just write a shallow play? Either way, Unusual Acts of Devotion provides ample food for thought, even for someone like me who found it annoying as hell to sit through.

Unusual Acts of Devotion. By Terrence McNally; directed by Leonard Foglia. Philadelphia Theatre Co. production through November 23, 2008 at Suzanne Roberts Theatre, 480 S. Broad St. (at Lombard). 215-985-0420 or www.philadelphiatheatrecompany.org.

James Conlon has long championed the forgotten generation of composers who were silenced by the Nazis, most of them because they were Jewish. His podium manner Friday was colloquial, comprehensive and not at all intimidating. Why isn’t he being considered for the Philadelphia Orchestra’s music director?

Philadelphia Orchestra: Beethoven Schreker, Zemlinsky. James Conlon, conductor; Mary Dunleavy, soprano; Rodrick Dixon, tenor. October 30-31, 2008 at Verizon Hall, Kimmel Center. (215) 893.1900 or www.philadelphiaorchestra.org.

Four out of five isn’t bad usually, even in a piano recital, but when it’s the Appassionata you miss, that’s a problem. An exemplary performance of the Les Adieux sonata did make substantial amends in the second half of Andras Schiff’s all-Beethoven recital, but the major work on his program suffered from a studied underplaying that robbed it of its force, and even made parts of it sound dull.

Andras Schiff: All-Beethoven piano recital. Presented by Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, October 31, 2008 at Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center. 215) 569-8080 or www.pcmsconcerts.org.

Terrence McNally’s newest play about five residents of a Greenwich Village apartment building is often engrossing and moving but fails to meet McNally’s usual high standards. His characters' monologues and dialogues are spoken, too often, in the voice of McNally himself.

Unusual Acts of Devotion. By Terrence McNally; directed by Leonard Foglia. Philadelphia Theatre Co. production through November 23, 2008 at Suzanne Roberts Theatre, 480 S. Broad St. (at Lombard). 215-985-0420 or www.philadelphiatheatrecompany.org.

Psalms of a Questionable Nature provides a showcase for two remarkable actresses. But the disjointed script itself suggests a playwright who suffers from attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Psalms of a Questionable Nature. By Marisa Wegrzyn; directed by Pirronne Yousefzadeh. Nice People Theatre Company production through November 9, 2008 at Walnut Street Theatre’s Studio 5, 825 Walnut St. (267) 909-3309 or www.nicepeopletheatre.org.

Catherine de’ Medici encountered her problems as queen of France. But Piffaro reminds us that she got to listen to some great music while she was dealing with them.

Piffaro: “Italy and France, A Florentine Patroness at the Parisian Court.” Verdelot, Pisano, Certon, other Italian and French composers. Shari Alise Wilson, soprano; Grant Herreid, Greg Ingles, Joan Kimball, Christa Patton, Priscilla Smith, Robert Wiemken, Tom Zajac, musicians. Joan Kimball and Robert Wiemken, co-directors. October 25, 2008 at Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, 8855 Germantown Ave. (215) 235-8469 or www.piffaro.com.

The Choral Arts Society bet its season opener on a single popular young choral composer— Eric Whitacre, who’s not yet 40. Call it another example of the Society’s intelligent adventurousness under conductor Matthew Glandorf.

Choral Arts Society: Whitacre, i thank You God for most this amazing day, Five Hebrew Love Songs, This Marriage, Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine, When David Heard, Water Night, Cloudburst. Joshua Stafford, piano; Patricia Franchescy and Gabriel Globus-Honic, percussion; Matthew Glandorf, conductor. October 26, 2008 at Philadelphia Cathedral, 3723 Chestnut St. (215) 240-6417 or www.choralarts.com.

The Berlin Street Scene series of Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, assembled for the first time in New York and presented with a generous selection of early work and sketches, is one of the great achievements of German art, and a prophecy no less relevant to our time than to its own.

“Kirchner and the Berlin Street.” Through November 10, 2008 at Museum of Modern Art, Fifth Avenue and 53rd St., New York. (212) 708) 9400 or www.moma.org.

The ancient Assyrians’ bull- and lion-headed sculptures were figures of mythic power. Kate Javens does much the same thing, but her creations are at rest, threatening no one.

“Father Ram and the Green Darner,” new paintings by Kate Javens. Through December 5, 2008 at Schmidt Dean Gallery, 1710 Sansom St. (215) 569-9433or www.schmidtdean.com.