The Chicago Symphony Orchestra launched their new season last week with Hilary Hahn performing Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto. No doubt a great concert. Here are my picks for the Top CSO Concerts this season:
(photo ©Marco Borggreve/Courtesy Harrison Parrott)
MÄKELA CONDUCTS SIBELIUS & SHOSTAKOVICH – September 24th – September 26th
MÄKELA CONDUCTS MAHLER 9 – October 1st – October 4th
MÄKELA, PETRUSHKA & BELSHAZZAR’S FEAST– October 8th and 9th
I call these three concerts the Get to Know Your Music Director-Designate series. Klaus Mäkelä doesn’t assume the title of Director until next season. These three weeks allow concertgoers to get to know him, his style and his taste.
The first week features Sibelius’ Symphony No. 7 and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 4. The first is a lean 22-minute work that is serene and ultimately tragic.
The latter is nearly an hour in length, is fiercely theatrical and was written at a time when censorship by the Soviet government was beginning to encroach on the lives of artists.
The second week features Mahler’s massive and last completed symphony. It runs approximately 80 minutes or so and is a showcase for conductors who must create a sharp sense of focus over the work’s length – in particular the 30-minute opening movement and the very slow Adagio that concludes it.
The third week includes baritone Thomas Hampson and the Chicago Symphony Chorus (Donald Palumbo, Chorus Director). Two works by Giovanni Gabrieli serve as palate cleansers before performances of Stravinsky’s Petrushka and Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast.
Mäkelä could have made easier choices. I find it encouraging he’s chosen to take big swings instead.
If I had to pick only one of these to see, I’d go for the Mahler 9.
JAAP VAN ZWEDEN & VADIM GLUZMAN – November 19th – November 21st
Julia Wolfe’s Liberty Bell will have its first performances with the CSO in this concert led by conductor Jaap van Zweden. The concert continues with a performance of Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2 with Vadim Gluzman as the soloist.
Not a rarely performed concerto, but the number of performances pales when compared to other more popular violin concertos.
The concert closes with Rachmaninov’s Symphony No. 2.
MITSUKO UCHIDA – January 31st
This isn’t technically a CSO concert, but pianist Uchida hasn’t performed a solo recital at Symphony Center in eight years.
The program includes works by Haydn (Variations in F Minor), Schoenberg (Six Little Piano Pieces) and Mozart (Rondo in A Minor, K. 511.) But the work that would prompt me to purchase a ticket immediately is the final announced work, Schubert’s Piano sonata in A Major, D. 959.
The composer died just two months after the work’s completion. Uchida is an extraordinary pianist. If you like piano recitals, this one is guaranteed to move you.
JEFF PARKER & THE NEW BREED / ISAIAH COLLIER & THE DEFIANCE – February 5th
Guitarist Parker isn’t from Chicago (Bridgeport, Connecticut to be exact), but he’s been closely associated with the Chicago music scene since 1991.
Saxophonist/multi-instrumentalist Collier is from the South Side of Chicago.
Both are considered amongst the most exciting of their generation of musicians.
Joining Parker are Paul Bryan on bass, Josh Johnson on alto saxophone and Makaya McCraven on drums.
I most recently saw Collier at the Chicago Jazz Festival. He’s a fiercely talented musician whether tackling classic material or his own compositions.
HONECK CONDUCTS BATES & MAHLER 1 – February 25th – February 27th
If I had to pick the concert I’m most excited to hear, it would be this one. Why? The world premiere of Mason Bates’ The Escapist Symphony. I’ve long been a fan of Bates’ music and expect this CSO commission to be impressive.
That the concert also includes Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 is just a bonus.
Manfred Honeck conducts.
BICKET, WEISS & BACH – March 4th – March 6th
Conductor Harry Bicket leads the CSO in performances of Mozart’s Serenata notturna and Bach’s Keyboard Concerto No. 1 and No. 3. Pianist Orion Weiss is the soloist.
Just when you think you know what the program will offer, along comes Arvo Pärt’s Summa in its first-ever performance by the CSO.
The concert closes with Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 1.
MUTI CONDUCTS ROSSINI – April 8th – April 10th
A little more than 300 miles and 149 years separate composer Gioachino Rossini and conductor Riccardo Muti, two fellow Italians.
They come together in this concert which features three works by Rossini: the Overture to William Tell (you certainly know that one from its countless uses in film and television); Ballet Music from William Tell (which helps account for the opera’s 4-hour run time) and Stabat mater.
It took the composer nearly ten years to complete Stabat mater. For this performance the CSO is joined by the Chicago Symphony Chorus and soloists Eleonora Buratto (soprano); Elizabeth DeShong (mezzo-soprano); Maharram Huseynov (bass-baritone) and Giovanni Sala (tenor).
MÄKELÄ, BATIASHVILI & SIBELIUS 1 – May 13th – May 16th
Finnish conductor Mäkelä once again turns to his fellow countryman, Jean Sibelius, in this concert that closes with Sibelius’ Symphony No. 1.
The concert opens with the first performances by the CSO of two works by Magnus Lindberg (another Finn.)
Opening is an untitled (as of our deadline) new work.
This concert will mark its U.S. premiere. Lindberg’s Violin Concerto No. 1 will be performed with Lisa Batiashvili as the soloist.
This is your penultimate opportunity to see Mäkelä with the CSO this season.
JOEL ROSS: GOOD VIBES / THE VIBRAPHONE SUMMIT – May 14th
Another artist I’ve long admired, and whom I saw at the Chicago Jazz Festival, is Joel Ross. He’s a beast on the vibraphone and his Good Vibes performances are something to behold.
The second half of the concert finds Warren Wolf joined by Stefon Harris, Joe Locke and Chien Chien Lu. All four of them play the vibraphone.
This might not sound like a great concert, but I assure you this is such a great opportunity to hear five masters of the instrument.
TAN DUN: WATER CONCERTO & MARCO POLO – May 20th – May 22nd
Run, don’t walk, to get tickets for this concert. I’ve seen Tan Dun’s Water Concerto performed live. It’s a stunningly beautiful work to see and hear.
Before the Water Concerto, Tan Dun will lead the CSO in a performance of his Passacaglia: Secret of Wind and Birds. They close the concert with Concerto for Orchestra from Marco Polo.
Percussionist Yuri Yamashita is a special guest for this concert.
Do yourself a favor. Get tickets for this one. You won’t believe your eyes or ears!
ESA-PEKKA SALONEN & YUNCHAN LIM – May 27th – May 28th
Fellow Finn Esa-Pekka Salonen takes to the podium for these two concerts which are likely to sell out on the strength of pianist Yunchan Lim being the featured soloist for Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 4.
Since winning the 2022 Van Cliburn Competition, he is arguably one of the fastest-rising and most in-demand pianists today.
You can see for yourself if he lives up to the hype.
The concert opens with a revised version of Salonen’s Tiu which he wrote for the 20th anniversary of the Walt Disney Concert Hall (home of the LA Philharmonic).
Salonen and the CSO close out the concert with selections from Berlioz’s Romeo and Juliet.
MÄKELÄ CONDUCTS BEETHOVEN 9 – June 17th – June 20th
At the top of this story, I commented on how Klaus Mäkelä isn’t taking it easy in this season before he becomes Music Director of the CSO.
He tackles another mammoth piece in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. The soloists joining for this performance are Sasha Cooke (mezzo-soprano); Gerald Finley (bass-baritone); Siyabonga Maqungo (tenor) and Chen Reiss (soprano).
The Chicago Symphony Chorus performs.
Before getting to the 9th, CSO performs Beethoven’s Elegy and Boulez’s Le soleil des eaux.
I can’t wait to see what next season looks like. Until then, these are my selections as the Top CSO Concerts this season to see!
To see the full CSO season, please go HERE.
Enjoy!
Main Photo: Klaus Mäkelä (Photo ©Marco Borggreve/Courtesy Harrison Parrott)