BERKELEY — At First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way, Kent Nagano leads Berkeley Akademie Ensemble in two programs examining works by Bach, Brahms, Beethoven, and more on Sunday, May 17, and Sunday, May 31, at 7 p.m.

This is the second season for Berkeley Akademie, a program of Berkeley Symphony founded to explore repertoire for small orchestra in intimate settings. These performances officially mark the conclusion of Nagano’s 30-year tenure as music director with the orchestra.

In the May 17 program, Nagano leads Berkeley Akademie in W. A. Mozart’s “Divertimento,” K. 136, the world premiere of Alexander Muno’s “Masques & Divertissements,” and the Serenade No. 1 in D Major by Johannes Brahms.

Though there is some question as to whether Mozart meant his “Divertimentos” to be played by a string quartet or larger string ensemble, historical evidence suggests that he envisioned them being played one on a part, the format that Berkeley Akademie has chosen to present the work.

German composer Alexander Muno loosely based his “Masques & Divertissements” on such inspirations as Monet’s painting “Water Lilies” and a line from Mahler’s “Lied von der Erde.” Brahms composed his D Major Serenade in 1857-58 when he was quite young, having been moved to do so by being exposed to many Mozart serenades and divertimentos performed by the court orchestra.

In the May 31 program, Nagano leads Berkeley Akademie in a new arrangement of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Italian Concerto by Joachim F. W. Schneider, Charles Ives’s Third Symphony, and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Septet in E-flat Major.

The arrangement of the Italian Concerto is intended as a translation of Bach’s work using contemporary compositional techniques, yet without changing the original contents or the idea behind the music. Such an arrangement is in keeping with the traditions of Bach himself, who transcribed several violin concertos of Antonio Vivaldi for organ and for harpsichord.

The subtitle of Ives’s Third Symphony, “The Camp Meeting,” refers to the religious revival meetings of the composer’s youth, but rather than being programmatic in the narrative sense, it concerns itself more abstractly with exploring hymn tunes.

The Beethoven Septet was one of the composer’s most successful and popular works. Its overall layout resembles a serenade but Beethoven expands the form by the addition of substantial introductions to the first and last movements.

Now in its second season, Berkeley Akademie continues a long-standing tradition of music- making in Europe. Nagano describes the Akademies as founded with the purpose of “sharing music, which had been primarily reserved for the aristocracy, with the community at large. They had an enormous following, and interestingly enough the more new music that was presented, the more intriguing the concert was. It was very much music of the times and for people of the times.

“That is the spirit in which we wanted to create the Akademie here in Berkeley.”

Nagano has served as music director of Berkeley Symphony since 1978 and officially steps down from this position at the conclusion of these two Berkeley Akademie concerts. He will continue his association with the organization in the role of conductor laureate.

Nagano is currently music director of the Montreal Symphony and general music director of the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, where his contract was recently renewed through 2013.

Previously, he held leadership positions with the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester, Opéra National de Lyon, Los Angeles Opera, and Deutsches Symphonie Orchester in Berlin.

Nagano is the recipient of three Grammy Awards for classical music recordings.

He will be succeeded as music director by Joana Carneiro, a 32-year-old Lisbon native and former assistant cdonductor with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, who begins her inaugural season with Berkeley Symphony on Oct. 15, at UC Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall.

Details of the 2009-2010 season were recently announced, the press release for which is available online at http://berkeleysymphony.org/news.htm.

The inaugural seasons of Berkeley Akademie Ensemble are supported in part by commitments from an anonymous donor.

Tickets are $60, $40 and $20 (student rate). New subscribers can get tickets to both concerts for the price of one. To order, call (510) 841-2800 or visit
www.berkeleysymphony.org. Visit Nagano’s website at www.kentnagano.com.