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Chicago Symphony: Muti Conducts Beethoven and Glass
On this CSO Radio episode, Riccardo Muti leads the orchestra in the Symphony No. 11 by Philip Glass. The broadcast opens with Beethoven’s Overture to The Ruins of Athens and continues with his Piano Concerto No. 4 featuring Mitsuko Uchida. Rounding out, Fritz Reiner conducts Debussy’s Ibéria from Images for Orchestra. Listen here: Broadcast available through April 8, 2024 Beethoven Overture to The…
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Three-Minute Composer Biographies
Dvořák’s father played the zither in a local tavern. Sibelius was fascinated with migrating birds, as reflected in his Fifth Symphony. Bruckner spent his formative years – and then some – in a monastery in St. Florian, Austria.
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Chicago Symphony Orchestra: Gaffigan & Yeh
On this CSO broadcast, James Gaffigan leads principal percussionist Cynthia Yeh and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in the U.S premiere of Avner Dorman’s Eternal Rhythm followed by a performance of Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 8. The program concludes with Ravel’s Boléro led by Sir George Solti from a 1976 London recording. This CSO broadcast is available through April 5, 2023…
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Chicago Symphony Orchestra: Muti Conducts Shostakovich 6
On this Chicago Symphony Orchestra radio broadcast, Riccardo Muti leads Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 6 in B Minor and Liszt’s Mazeppa. The program, recorded in September 2019, also includes the world premiere of Rands’ DREAM for Orchestra, Mendelssohn’s Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage Overture and Schoenberg’s Transfigured Night recorded for CSO Sessions. Listen here: Shostakovich’s Sixth Symphony After his triumphant Fifth Symphony, Dmitri Shostakovich…
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Chicago Symphony Brass: A History – Part 3
Back in 1991, the Chicago Bulls had clinched their first of six NBA Championships, a Daley was returning to the mayor’s office, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra was ushering in the Daniel Barenboim era. The successor to Sir Georg Solti arrived at an orchestra with the most celebrated brass section in the world, and one…
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Chicago Symphony Brass: A History – Part 2
Jay Friedman knew early on what kind of sound Georg Solti was after when the Hungarian maestro became the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s music director in the fall of 1969. “When he first came — and this is regarding the brass section — you couldn’t play loud enough for him,” the orchestra’s principal trombone recalls. “It…
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Chicago Symphony Brass: A History – Part I
Every devotee of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra brass section can point to a goosebump-worthy moment in a past performance or recording. Maybe it’s the ping of Principal Trumpet Adolph “Bud” Herseth’s solos in Richard Strauss’ Don Juan, recorded in 1954. Or the riotous blaze of horns that conclude Mahler’s Seventh Symphony, from 1971. Or the low brass delivering…
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Chicago Symphony Orchestra: Muti & Uchida
On this CSO broadcast, Riccardo Muti leads Mozart’s Overture to The Marriage of Figaro and Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 featuring soloist Mitsuko Uchida. The broadcast continues with a 1996 recording of Varèse’s Déserts conducted by Pierre Boulez. Rounding out the program, Riccardo Muti conducts Stravinsky’s Divertimento, Suite from The Fairy’s Kiss and Suite from The Firebird. Listen here for free: Mozart Overture…
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Chicago Symphony Orchestra: Kirill Karabits and Sunwook Kim
On this Chicago Symphony Orchestra broadcast, Kirill Karabits leads Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and Capriccio brillant for Piano and Orchestra, both featuring pianist Sunwook Kim. The program also includes Prokofiev’s Overture on Hebrew Themes, Lutosławski’s Concerto for Orchestra, and concludes with a 1978 Deutsche Grammophon recording of Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony led by CSO principal guest conductor Carlo Maria…
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Chicago Symphony Orchestra: Marin Alsop & Hilary Hahn
On this Chicago Symphony Orchestra broadcast, violinist Hilary Hahn joins conductor Marin Alsop to perform Sibelius’s spirited and rhapsodic Violin Concerto. Alsop also conducts Rachmaninoff’s Second Symphony, a large, brooding and ultimately triumphant score. Plus: a look at how Brahms used German drinking songs in his Academic Festival Overture. Listen here: Brahms Academic Festival Overture, Op. 80Sibelius Violin…