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Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Sundays at 8pm
CSO_Muti-Photo-High-Res_credit-Todd-Rosenberg

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Hear live performances by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra alongside selections from the orchestra’s expansive catalog of recordings. Find out the fascinating stories found inside the music; get insights from the CSO musicians, guest artists, and composers themselves; and learn more about the music and programmatic themes highlighted during the CSO’s concert season. Hosted by Lisa Simeone.

Schedule
  • August 16
    Composers’ Early Successes

    Most of the music on this program was written by teenagers: Mendelssohn was seventeen years old when he composed his Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Rachmaninov completed his First Piano Concerto, Strauss his First Horn Concerto at age eighteen, and nineteen-year-old Shostakovich submitted his First Symphony as a graduation exercise from the Petrograd Conservatory. The overture to Rienzi, an early triumph for Wagner, completes the program.

    Richard Wagner

    Overture to Rienzi
    Daniel Barenboim, conductor

    Richard Strauss

    Horn Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Major, Op. 11
    Dale Clevenger, horn
    Daniel Barenboim, conductor

    Igor Stravinsky

    Fireworks, Op. 4
    Pierre Boulez, conductor

    Sergei Rachmaninov

    Piano Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp Minor, Op. 1
    Byron Janis, piano
    Fritz Reiner, conductor

    Felix Mendelssohn

    Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Op. 21
    Jean Martinon, conductor

    Dmitri Shostakovich

    Symphony No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 10
    Leonard Bernstein, conductor

  • August 23
    Benny Goodman in Nielsen and Weber

    American jazz clarinetist and bandleader Benny Goodman—known as the “King of Swing”—appeared with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on several occasions in the 1960s. He also recorded concertos by Weber and Nielsen with the ensemble under Jean Martinon and Morton Gould for RCA along with a very special Windy City–themed encore.

    Carl Maria von Weber

    Overture to Oberon
    Sir Georg Solti, conductor

    Carl Maria von Weber

    Clarinet Concerto No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 73
    Benny Goodman, clarinet
    Jean Martinon, conductor

    Carl Nielsen

    Helios Overture, Op. 17
    Jean Martinon, conductor

    Carl Nielsen

    Clarinet Concerto, Op. 57
    Benny Goodman, clarinet
    Morton Gould, conductor

    Carl Maria von Weber
    (arr. Hector Berlioz)

    Invitation to the Dance, Op. 65
    Fritz Reiner, conductor

    Carl Maria von Weber

    Clarinet Concerto No. 2 in E-flat Major, Op. 74
    Benny Goodman, clarinet
    Jean Martinon, conductor

    Fred Fisher
    (arr. Morton Gould)

    Chicago
    Benny Goodman, clarinet
    Morton Gould, conductor

  • August 30
    Janáček; J. Strauss, Jr. & Mussorgsky

    This week, Seiji Ozawa opens the program with Janáček’s Sinfonietta. Next on the program, Morton Gould leads Copland’s Dance Symphony, followed by a collection of Johann Strauss Jr.’s best loved waltzes, polkas and overtures under Fritz Reiner’s baton. Closing the broadcast, Carlo Maria Giulini conducts Mussorgsky’s Pictures from an Exhibition.

    Leoš Janáček

    Sinfonietta
    Seiji Ozawa, conductor

    Aaron Copland

    Dance Symphony
    Morton Gould, conductor

    Johann Strauss, Jr.

    Wiener Blut, Op. 354
    Fritz Reiner, conductor

    Johann Strauss, Jr.

    Rosen aus dem Süden, Op. 388
    Fritz Reiner, conductor

    Johann Strauss, Jr.

    Der Zigeunerbaron, Op. 418
    Fritz Reiner, conductor

    Johann Strauss, Jr.

    Unter Donner und Blitz, Op. 324
    Fritz Reiner, conductor

    Modest Mussorgsky
    (orch. Maurice Ravel)

    Pictures at an Exhibition
    Carlo Maria Giulini, conductor

  • September 6
    Afkam & Gluzman

    On today’s broadcast, David Afkham leads the CSO in Shostakovich’s First Violin Concerto, featuring Vadim Gluzman. Also included in this program are Debussy’s La mer and two pieces by Ravel: Menuet antique and La valse. Closing out the program, Bernard Haitink conducts Webern’s Im Sommerwind.

    Conductor

    David Afkham

    Maurice Ravel

    Menuet antique

    Dmitri Shostakovich

    Violin Concerto No. 1 in A Minor, Op. 77
    Vadim Gluzman, violin

    Valentin Silvestrov
    ENCORE

    Serenade
    Vadim Gluzman, violin

    Claude Debussy

    La mer

    Maurice Ravel

    La valse

    Anton Webern
    BONUS

    Im Sommerwind
    Bernard Haitink, conductor

  • September 13
    Mäkelä Conducts Lemminkäinen and Ein Heldenbelen

    Zell Music Director Designate Klaus Mäkelä leads the CSO in Ein Heldeleben by Richard Strauss and Sibelius’ Lemminkäinen. Opening the broadcast is Wagner’s Prelude to the third act of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, in a vintage RCA recording conducted by sixth music director Fritz Reiner.

    Richard Wagner

    Prelude to Act 3 of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
    Fritz Reiner, conductor

    Jean Sibelius

    Lemminkäien, Op. 22
    Klaus Mäkelä, conductor

    Richard Strauss

    Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40
    Klaus Mäkelä, conductor

  • September 20
    Muti Conducts Cavalleria rusticana

    This week, Riccardo Muti leads the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana, featuring Anita Rachvelishvili, Piero Pretti, Luca Salsi, Ronnita Miller and Sasha Cook. The broadcast closes with choral works by Verdi, including selections from Otello, Nabucco, Macbeth and the Requiem.

    Pietro Mascagni

    Cavalleria rusticana
    Anita Rachvelishvili, mezzo-soprano
    Piero Pretti, tenor
    Luca Salsi, baritone
    Ronnita Miller, mezzo-soprano
    Sasha Cooke, mezzo-soprano
    Chicago Symphony Chorus
    Duain Wolfe, director

    Giuseppe Verdi

    “Fuoco di gioia!” from Otello
    Chicago Symphony Chorus
    Duain Wolfe, director

    Giuseppe Verdi

    “Gli arredi festivi” from Nabucco
    Chicago Symphony Chorus
    Duain Wolfe, director

    Giuseppe Verdi

    “Patria oppressa!” from Macbeth
    Chicago Symphony Chorus
    Duain Wolfe, director

    Giuseppe Verdi

    Libera me from Messa da Requiem
    Barbara Frittoli, soprano
    Chicago Symphony Chorus
    Duain Wolfe, director

  • September 25
    Mäkelä Conducts Symphonie fantastique

    Hector Berlioz

    Harold in Italy, Op. 16
    Antoine Tamestit, viola
    Klaus Mäkelä, conductor

    Hector Berlioz

    Symphonie fantastique, Op. 14
    Klaus Mäkelä, conductor

    Hector Berlioz

    Les francs-juges Overture, Op. 3
    Sir Georg Solti, conductor
    (London 1973-74)