2013/14 Season Catalog

CHICAGO SYMPHONY

ORCHESTRA

RICCARDO MUTI MUSIC DIRECTOR

SYMPHONY CENTER

PRESENTS 2013/14 SEASON Global Sponsor of the CSO

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R I C C A R D O M U T I Music Director

WHAT OUR AUDIENCES ARE SAYING: “The CSO is our getaway, so close and ever so excellent.

Live performances are the treasures we keep forever.”

“I love to see my husband close his eyes and become one with what he hears.”

“I am proud to call the CSO my ‘hometown band’.”

THANK YOU SUBSCRIBERS!

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WORLD’S BEST. CHICAGO’S OWN. VERDI’S 200th BIRTHDAY Celebrating the music and drama of Giuseppe Verdi with Riccardo Muti and the CSO. PAGE 4

THE COMPLETE GENIUS OF SCHUBERT Riccardo Muti and the CSO lead a journey of discovery through the works of this entrancing symphonist and master of song. PAGE 6

TRUTH TO POWER: Music of Hope and Triumph Jaap van Zweden explores stirring masterworks from the 1930s and ’40s by Prokofiev, Shostakovich and Britten. PAGE 8

CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA RICCARDO MUTI Music Director

SYMPHONY CENTER PRESENTS 2013/14 Season

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CSO Series Main Series............................................................................... 10 Afterwork Masterworks ®............................................................... 31 Beyond the Score ®...................................................................... 32 CSO at the Movies ...................................................................... 33 CSO Family Matinees / Once Upon a Symphony ®........................... 43 Symphony Ball.................................................................................. 26 Citizen Musician................................................................................ 27 Symphony Center Presents Chamber Music.......................................................................... 34 Orchestra .................................................................................. 36 Piano........................................................................................ 38 Schubert Songs.......................................................................... 40 MusicNOW................................................................................. 41 Special Concerts............................................................................... 44 How to Renew Guide............................................................Center insert Season Grid & Calendar.....................................................Center fold-out CSO Media ......................................................................Center fold-out

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A C E L E B R AT I O N O F

V E R D I ' S 2 0 0 t h B I R T H D AY

T

VERDI, MUTI & THE CSO:

Glorious. Incomparable. Sublime.

Giuseppe Verdi could distill an entire storm of raw emotion into only a few bars, a phrase, a moment. He portrayed people utterly consumed by their passions—jealousy, ambition, love, guilt, power and desire. The soaring melodies and intricate symphonic lines of his music bristle with the fiery, crackling intensity of his characters.

“The greatest Verdi conductor of our time was on fire, and so were the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus.”—CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Subscribers receive priority seating for these sensational concerts when purchased before April 5. Add these to your order today!

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 8:00

VERDI AND BRAHMS Chicago Symphony Orchestra Riccardo Muti conductor J. Strauss, Jr. Overture to

Indigo and the Forty Thieves Verdi Ballet music from Macbeth Brahms Symphony No. 2 The thrilling ballet from Macbeth concludes with the three witches dancing a macabre waltz.

See page 10.

Music Director Riccardo Muti, continuing the great Italian operatic conducting tradition, leads the combined forces of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in concerts celebrating Verdi’s 200th birthday. Experience the resilience of spirit in “Va, pensiero”; the bloodsoaked ambition of Macbeth; and the deep pathos of the Requiem Mass as never before.

SEPTEMBER 28–OCTOBER 6

VERDI MACBETH Chicago Symphony Orchestra Riccardo Muti conductor Dario Solari baritone (Macbeth) Tatiana Serjan soprano (Lady Macbeth) Dmitry Belosselskiy bass (Banco) Chicago Symphony Chorus Duain Wolfe chorus director Verdi Macbeth

Verdi’s electrifying psychodrama is a blood-soaked portrayal of ambition and guilt.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 7:00

See page 18.

SYMPHONY BALL

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10 8:00

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Riccardo Muti conductor Chicago Symphony Chorus Duain Wolfe chorus director Verdi Choruses and excerpts from

VERDI 200th BIRTHDAY SPECTACULAR

Macbeth, Ernani, Nabucco and La Forza del Destino The moving chorus “Va, pensiero” from Verdi’s Nabucco became an anthem for Italian unification, with its famous words “o mia patria, si bella e perduta”—oh my country, so beautiful and so lost.

See page 44.

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Riccardo Muti conductor Chicago Symphony Chorus Duain Wolfe chorus director Verdi Requiem Mass

From its thundering “Dies Irae” to its transcendent “Libera me,” Verdi’s Requiem Mass is a passionate, transformative masterpiece.

This concert marks the exact anniversary of Verdi’s birth.

See page 44.

W O R L D ’ S B E S T. C H I C A G O ’ S O W N .

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TRANSCENDENT MUSIC.

VERDI ELECTRIC DRAMA.

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R I C C A R D O M U T I Music Director

Schubert

D IS COVER THE CO M PLETE GE NIUS OF

“An orchestra must reach deeply when playing the music of Schubert. It is pure music, not music for effect. There is great intimacy and great reflection. When you experience a Schubert symphony, you come out of the hall enriched.”

—RICCARDO MUTI

W O R L D ’ S B E S T. C H I C A G O ’ S O W N .

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ENTRANCING S Y MP HON IS T. MAS TE R OF S ON G. B R ILLIANT CO M PO S ER OF CHA MBER MU S I C A N D MO R E …

SYMPHONIES JANUARY 30–FEBRUARY 1

When Robert Schumann unearthed a trove of Franz Schubert’s forgotten scores during a trip to

SYMPHONY Nos. 3 & 4 (Tragic)

Vienna, he knew he had discovered something

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Riccardo Muti conductor

special. Here were achingly beautiful melodies,

Series: Thursday B & H, Friday A and Saturday A & F

symphonies

bursting

with

rhythmic

vitality—an

untapped world of mysterious, enchanting sound.

FEBRUARY 6–8

MASS IN A-FLAT MAJOR Chicago Symphony Orchestra Riccardo Muti conductor Chicago Symphony Chorus Duain Wolfe chorus director Series: Thursday C & D, Friday D and Saturday C

Series: Thursday C & E, Friday A, and Saturday D

SYMPHONY Nos. 8 (Unfinished) & 2 Chicago Symphony Orchestra Riccardo Muti conductor Series: Afterwork Masterworks�, Thursday A & G, Friday B and Saturday B & H

Take your own journey of discovery this season as Riccardo Muti and the CSO traverse the complete symphonies.

Rediscover

the

SYMPHONY Nos. 1 & 6 (Little) Chicago Symphony Orchestra Riccardo Muti conductor Series: Thursday C & D, Friday B, Saturday A & E and Tuesday B

JUNE 19–21

SYMPHONY No. 5 Chicago Symphony Orchestra Riccardo Muti conductor Series: Thursday B & I, Friday C and Saturday B & H

See page 40 for more details on this special series.

“Great

C-Major,” from the quiet intensity of its opening horn call

OTHER CONCERTS

to its energetic finale. Explore the “Little C-Major,” an energetic, witty symphony that builds to a surprisingly powerful conclusion. Experience Schubert’s exquisite lieder, presented in intimate recitals with stage seating featuring world-renowned singers Christian

JUNE 12–17

SUNDAY, JANUARY 19 7:00

SUSANNA PHILLIPS soprano ERIC OWENS bass-baritone Program to include: Schubert Die Hirt auf dem Felsen Schubert Auf dem Strom

ROBERT SCHUMANN, in a letter to his fiancée Clara Wieck

Schubert

MARCH 26–29

CHRISTIAN GERHAHER baritone GEROLD HUBER piano Schubert Winterreise

SUNDAY, MAY 11 3:00

SYMPHONY No. 9 (Great) Chicago Symphony Orchestra Riccardo Muti conductor

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4 7:30

MATTHIAS GOERNE baritone CHRISTOPH ESCHENBACH piano Schubert Die schöne Müllerin

“Clara, today I was transported.

A symphony of Franz Schubert’s was played at the rehearsal.

If only you had been there.”

MARCH 20–25

ART SONGS

MARCH 13–18

THE TROUT QUINTET Chicago Symphony Orchestra Mitsuko Uchida conductor and piano Series: Thursday A & F, Friday B, Saturday B & G and Tuesday A

Gerhaher, Matthias Goerne, Susanna Phillips and Eric Owens.

Create your own Schubertiade this season by adding these featured concerts to your subscription. All subscribers receive preferred savings when purchasing before April 5, 2013.

See the How to Renew Guide in the center of this catalog for complete details.

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MASTERWORKS FROM THE 1930s AND ’40s BY PROKOFIEV, SHOSTAKOVICH AND BRITTEN Tumultuous upheaval dominated the 1930s and ’40s: worldwide economic depression, the ascension of totalitarian regimes and a global war. Yet in the midst of this bleak era, composers bravely began to call others to join them in defense of justice, freedom and social values—to speak truth to power.

“IT IS THE COMPOSER’S DUTY, AS A MEMBER OF SOCIETY, TO SPEAK TO OR FOR HIS FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS.”—Benjamin Britten “HONOR AND GLORY TO AN ARTIST WHO REMINDS YOU OF WHAT IS MORAL AND WHAT IS RIGHT … GOODNESS, LOVE AND CONSCIENCE—THESE ARE WHAT ARE MOST PRECIOUS IN A HUMAN BEING.”—Dmitri Shostakovich “TO SERVE HIS FELLOW MEN, TO BEAUTIFY HUMAN LIFE AND POINT THE WAY TO A RADIANT FUTURE. SUCH IS THE IMMUTABLE CODE OF ART AS I SEE IT.”—Sergei Prokofiev

SERGEI PROKOFIEV AND DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH, 1940.

BENJAMIN BRITTEN

W O R L D ’ S B E S T. C H I C A G O ’ S O W N .

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As we read today’s headlines, speaking truth to power remains vital.

Join Jaap van Zweden and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from May 22 to June 8, 2014 to experience the stirring music of these 20th century titans, who call us to higher ideals and draw out the “better angels of our nature.”

SHOSTAKOVICH 7 MAY 22–24 Chicago Symphony Orchestra / Jaap van Zweden conductor Britten Four Sea Interludes and Passacaglia from Peter Grimes Shostakovich Symphony No. 7 (Leningrad) Shostakovich’s fiercely defiant Seventh Symphony, composed during the Nazi siege of Leningrad, became a worldwide rally cry against oppression. Britten’s Four Sea Interludes vividly depict the tragic struggle of “the individual against the crowd.”

SHOSTAKOVICH 9 MAY 29 & 30 Chicago Symphony Orchestra / Jaap van Zweden conductor Alisa Weilerstein cello Prokofiev Symphony-Concerto Britten Suite on English Folk Tunes: A time there was …

Shostakovich Symphony No. 9 The cello heroically triumphs over an uncertain future in Prokofiev’s Symphony-Concerto, composed as the Russians tried to adjust to a postwar world. Shostakovich took Soviet authorities by surprise with his playful, whimsical Ninth Symphony. Instead of a jubilant choral work to surpass Beethoven’s Ninth, he gave them a darkly comical slapstick starring the bassoon as a melancholy clown.

PROKOFIEV 5 MAY 31 & JUNE 3 Chicago Symphony Orchestra / Jaap van Zweden conductor Shostakovich Five Fragments Britten Sinfonia da requiem Prokofiev Symphony No. 5 Britten’s Sinfonia da requiem captures his deep anguish as he watched his native Britain enter war with Germany. The tides of war had turned in Russia’s favor by 1944, and Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony urged people to press on towards victory. He called it a “hymn to free and happy Man, to his mighty powers, his pure and noble spirit.”

SHOSTAKOVICH 5 JUNE 5–8 Chicago Symphony Orchestra / Jaap van Zweden conductor Simone Lamsma violin Britten Violin Concerto Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 The youthful Britten boldly announced his arrival in America with his brilliant Violin Concerto, a magnificent and hopeful display of virtuosity. Shostakovich’s evocative Fifth Symphony gave voice to the people and their struggle against Soviet tyranny, its elegiac third movement moving audiences to tears.

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THURSDAY A

10 concerts at 8:00 | 5-concert series: THU F or THU G SEP

19

OCT

24

DEC

19

FEB

20

MAR

13

MAR

27

APR

10

15

JUN

5

MARCH 27 G

MUTI CONDUCTS SCHUBERT UNFINISHED Riccardo Muti conductor John Sharp cello Schubert Symphony No. 8 (Unfinished) Elgar Cello Concerto Schubert Symphony No. 2

OCTOBER 24 F

MAY 1 G

PROKOFIEV AND WALTON Semyon Bychkov conductor Kirill Gerstein piano Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 2 Walton Symphony No. 1

TCHAIKOVSKY PATHÉTIQUE Christoph von Dohnányi conductor Paul Lewis piano Lutosławski Musique funèbre Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3 Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6 (Pathétique) Tchaikovsky’s haunting Pathétique heads a program of some of the most affecting and heartfelt music ever composed. Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto, played by critically acclaimed British pianist Paul Lewis, shows the first ripening of his distinctive brand of lyricism, most ravishingly in its central slow movement. Lutosławski found an outlet to express his grief and suffering under Polish communist oppression in his Musique funèbre, dedicated to the memory of Bartók.

FEBRUARY 20 G

BOULEZ THE MASTER, Part I Pierre Boulez conductor Debussy Jeux Ravel Trois poèmes de Mallarmé Stravinsky Three Japanese Lyrics Stravinsky Two Poems of Balmont Stravinsky Three Pieces for Clarinet Solo Stravinsky Berceuses du Chat Stravinsky Suite from Pulcinella Stravinsky Suite No. 1 for Small Orchestra MARCH 13 F

UCHIDA PLAYS SCHUBERT Mitsuko Uchida conductor and piano Mozart Adagio in B Minor Mozart Piano Concerto No. 19 Schubert Piano Quintet (The Trout)

PAUL LEWIS, VLADIMIR JUROWSKI

MAY

MUTI CONDUCTS VERDI AND BRAHMS Riccardo Muti conductor J. Strauss, Jr. Overture to Indigo and the Forty Thieves Verdi Ballet music from Macbeth Brahms Symphony No. 2 Music Director Riccardo Muti leads Giuseppe Verdi’s powerful ballet music from Macbeth in honor of the opera composer’s bicentennial and rounds the concert off with the sunniest of Brahms’ symphonies, which opens with horns rising like the dawn over brooding lower strings. The splendid melodies of Johann Strauss, Jr.’s overture to Indigo and the Forty Thieves are filled with heroic swagger.

ESCHENBACH CONDUCTS BRUCKNER Christoph Eschenbach conductor Beethoven Overture to Egmont Rands TBA Bruckner Symphony No. 9

RICCARDO MUTI, CHRISTOPH ESCHENBACH,

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SEPTEMBER 19 F

DECEMBER 19 G

PHOTOS TOP TO BOTTOM:

MAY

APRIL 10 F

TETZLAFF PLAYS DVOŘÁK Esa-Pekka Salonen conductor Christian Tetzlaff violin Janáček Overture to From the House of the Dead Dvořák Violin Concerto Salonen Nyx Janáček Sinfonietta

MAY 15 F

JUROWSKI CONDUCTS ALL-STRAUSS Vladimir Jurowski conductor Eugene Izotov oboe Dorothea Röschmann soprano Strauss Serenade in E-flat Major Strauss Metamorphosen Strauss Oboe Concerto Strauss Four Last Songs JUNE 5

G

SHOSTAKOVICH 5 Jaap van Zweden conductor Simone Lamsma violin Britten Violin Concerto Shostakovich Symphony No. 5

W O R L D ’ S B E S T. C H I C A G O ’ S O W N .

THURSDAY B

10 concerts at 8:00 | 5-concert series: THU H or THU I OCT

3

NOV

14

DEC

5

JAN

30

FEB

13

MAR

6

APR

3

MAY

22

JUN

19

MARCH 6 H

DUTOIT AND DUFOUR Charles Dutoit conductor Mathieu Dufour flute Paul Jacobs organ Dukas La Péri Connesson Flute Concerto [CSO Commission, World Premiere] Saint-Saëns Symphony No. 3 (Organ) The restless wanderings in the first movement of Saint-Saëns’ Third Symphony gradually yield to serene contemplation, growing in majestic grandeur and concluding in a series of brilliant fanfares. Charles Dutoit, renowned for his refined sense of orchestral color, also leads Dukas’ dreamlike and seductive La Péri and the premiere of Guillaume Connesson’s Flute Concerto, performed by the CSO’s own Mathieu Dufour.

Chicago Symphony Chorus Duain Wolfe chorus director Tatiana Pavlovskaya soprano John Mark Ainsley tenor Matthias Goerne baritone Britten War Requiem DECEMBER 5 I

BERLIOZ SYMPHONIE FANTASTIQUE Stéphane Denève conductor James Ehnes violin Weber The Ruler of the Spirits Overture Shostakovich Violin Concerto No. 1 Berlioz Symphonie fantastique Shostakovich’s powerful First Violin Concerto, which was composed in secrecy during the final years of Stalin’s tyranny, expresses the fear and fury of a composer suffering pervasive repression by Soviet authority.

Its phantasmagorical character is more than matched by Berlioz’s extraordinary Symphonie fantastique, a sumptuous and haunting masterwork.

APRIL 3 I

SALONEN CONDUCTS SIBELIUS Esa-Pekka Salonen conductor Clyne <<rewind<< Bartók Suite from The Miraculous Mandarin Sibelius Four Legends from the Kalevala APRIL 24 H

MOZART AND STRAUSS Sir Mark Elder conductor Richard Goode piano Strauss Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks Mozart Piano Concerto No. 23 Ives Symphony No. 2

JANUARY 30 H

MAY 22 H

RICCARDO MUTI AND YO-YO MA Riccardo Muti conductor Yo-Yo Ma cello Giovanni Sollima cello Schubert Symphony No. 3 Sollima Concerto for Two Cellos and Orchestra [CSO Commission, World Premiere] Schubert Symphony No. 4 (Tragic)

SHOSTAKOVICH LENINGRAD Jaap van Zweden conductor Britten Four Sea Interludes and Passacaglia from Peter Grimes Shostakovich Symphony No. 7 (Leningrad)

FEBRUARY 13 I

CHARLES DUTOIT, JAAP VAN ZWEDEN

24

MUTI AND CHEN Riccardo Muti conductor Robert Chen violin Mozart Divertimento in D Major, K. 136 Hindemith Violin Concerto Prokofiev Suite from Romeo and Juliet BRITTEN WAR REQUIEM Charles Dutoit conductor

STÉPHANE DENÈVE, CHICAGO SYMPHONY CHORUS,

APR

OCTOBER 3 I

NOVEMBER 14 H

PHOTOS TOP TO BOTTOM:

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HAYDN MILITARY SYMPHONY Nicholas McGegan conductor Vivica Genaux mezzo-soprano Handel Concerto grosso, Op. 6, No. 1 Vivaldi Alma oppressa from La fida ninfa Porpora Oh volesser gli Dei …

Dolci, freschi aurette from Polifemo Hasse Or la nube procellosa from Artaserse Broschi Qual guerriero in campo armato from Idaspe J.C. Bach Symphony Op. 6, No. 6 Haydn Symphony No. 100 (Military)

JUNE 19 I

MUTI CONDUCTS MAHLER Riccardo Muti conductor Schubert Symphony No. 5 Mahler Symphony No. 1

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THURSDAY C

10 concerts at 8:00 | 5-concert series: THU D or THU E OCT

31

NOV

21

DEC

12

FEB

6

FEB

27

MAR

20

APR

17

JUN

12

MUTI AND UCHIDA Riccardo Muti conductor Mitsuko Uchida piano Schumann Piano Concerto Schubert Symphony No. 9 (Great) The finale of Schubert’s Great C-Major Symphony, energetically galloping to its tightly-sprung rhythm, is among the most exhilarating in the symphonic repertoire.

Yet amazingly, this landmark work lay unknown after Schubert’s death until discovered and championed by Robert Schumann. Schumann’s own Piano Concerto is therefore an apt companion in this program, performed by the revered Japanese pianist Mitsuko Uchida.

PICTURES FROM AN EXHIBITION Miguel Harth-Bedoya conductor Jorge Federico Osorio piano Dvořák Husitská Overture Chávez Piano Concerto Mussorgsky, orch. Ravel Pictures from an Exhibition FEBRUARY 6 D

MUTI CONDUCTS SCHUBERT MASS Riccardo Muti conductor Chicago Symphony Chorus Duain Wolfe chorus director Schubert Overture in the Italian Style

in C Major Morricone Voices from the Silence Schubert Mass in A-flat Major FEBRUARY 27 E

ALISA WEILERSTEIN

29

MARCH 20 E

DECEMBER 12 D

LEONARD SLATKIN, ANNE AKIKO MEYERS,

MAY

HAITINK AND AX Bernard Haitink conductor Emanuel Ax piano Mozart Piano Concerto No. 27 Bruckner Symphony No. 4 (Romantic) TILSON THOMAS CONDUCTS MAHLER 9 Michael Tilson Thomas conductor Stravinsky Elegy for J.F.K. Mahler Symphony No. 9 Opening with a faint, pulsing rhythm in the cellos—possibly an echo of Mahler’s faltering heartbeat, as conductor Leonard Bernstein once suggested—Mahler’s last completed symphony has often been described as his farewell to life. Indeed, the first movement of the Ninth Symphony is one of classical music’s supreme achievements, “the most heavenly thing Mahler ever wrote” as the composer Alban Berg recognized.

RICCARDO MUTI, MIGUEL HARTH-BEDOYA,

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OCTOBER 31 D

NOVEMBER 21 E

PHOTOS TOP TO BOTTOM:

MAY

BOULEZ THE MASTER, Part II Pierre Boulez conductor Stravinsky Symphony in Three Movements Stravinsky Eight Instrumental Miniatures Ravel Chansons madécasses Stravinsky Concertino for 12 Instruments Stravinsky Pribaoutki Stravinsky Suite No. 2 for Small Orchestra Stravinsky Une barque sur l’océan Stravinsky Alborada del gracioso

APRIL 17 D

GERSHWIN AN AMERICAN IN PARIS Leonard Slatkin conductor Anne Akiko Meyers violin Barber Medea’s Dance of Vengeance Bates Violin Concerto W. Schuman Symphony No. 6 Gershwin An American in Paris MAY 8 E

LABADIE CONDUCTS BEETHOVEN Bernard Labadie conductor Marc-André Hamelin piano Rigel Symphony No. 4 Haydn Piano Concerto in D Major, Hob. XVIII: 11 Kraus Sinfonia in E Minor Beethoven Symphony No. 1 MAY 29 E

VAN ZWEDEN AND WEILERSTEIN Jaap van Zweden conductor Alisa Weilerstein cello Prokofiev Symphony-Concerto Britten Suite on English Folk Tunes: A time there was …

Shostakovich Symphony No. 9 JUNE 12 D

MUTI CONDUCTS SCHUBERT 1 AND 6 Riccardo Muti conductor David McGill bassoon Schubert Symphony No. 1 Mozart Bassoon Concerto Schubert Symphony No. 6

2013/14 SEASON HIGHLIGHT

MAHLER 9 In his beautiful and fearlessly introspective Ninth Symphony, Gustav Mahler embarked on an epic search for the eternal. The opening movement starts mysteriously from tiny stutterings and fragments, then grows and grows into luscious outpourings of melody interspersed with brutal parodies and even mocking references to a famous waltz by Johann Strauss, Jr. The symphony’s second movement is perhaps the greatest of all Mahler’s many restless reimaginings of the traditional Austrian folk-dance, the ländler. This is followed by the savagely original Rondo-Burleske, at times astonishing in its violent and bitter modernism, at other moments lovingly looking through history to Bach and even earlier.

Among Mahler’s greatest creations, the fourth and final movement is a set of double-variations beginning with a chorale remarkably similar to a melody from Beethoven’s final string quartet. It eventually leads to a quotation from one of Mahler’s own Kindertotenlieder (Songs for the Death of Children): Be not afraid! The day is beautiful And they have only made a journey up to yonder hills.

At the very end, Mahler’s Ninth Symphony fades away into quiet and infinite consolation.

PERFORMED NOVEMBER 21–24 MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS conductor

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FRIDAY A

8 concerts at 1:30 OCT

11

DEC

13

JAN

31

MAR

7

MAR

21

APR

18

MAY

16

JUN

6

OCTOBER 11

APRIL 18

MUTI AND CHEN Riccardo Muti conductor Robert Chen violin Mozart Divertimento in D Major, K. 136 Hindemith Violin Concerto Prokofiev Suite from Romeo and Juliet Mozart’s sprightly Divertimento in D serves as the appetizing prelude to Hindemith’s lyrical Violin Concerto, played by CSO concertmaster Robert Chen. Beloved by audiences around the world, Prokofiev’s suite from the ballet Romeo and Juliet encompasses both the tenderness and fury of Shakespeare’s drama.

GERSHWIN AN AMERICAN IN PARIS Leonard Slatkin conductor Anne Akiko Meyers violin Barber Medea’s Dance of Vengeance Mason Bates Violin Concerto W. Schuman Symphony No. 6 Gershwin An American in Paris

DECEMBER 13

PICTURES FROM AN EXHIBITION Miguel Harth-Bedoya conductor Jorge Federico Osorio piano Dvořák Husitská Overture Chávez Piano Concerto Mussorgsky, orch. Ravel Pictures from an Exhibition JANUARY 31

RICCARDO MUTI AND YO-YO MA Riccardo Muti conductor Yo-Yo Ma cello Giovanni Sollima cello Schubert Symphony No. 3 Sollima Concerto for Two Cellos and Orchestra [CSO Commission, World Premiere] Schubert Symphony No. 4 (Tragic) MARCH 7

DUTOIT AND DUFOUR Charles Dutoit conductor Mathieu Dufour flute Paul Jacobs organ Dukas La Péri Connesson Flute Concerto [CSO Commission, World Premiere] Saint-Saëns Symphony No. 3 (Organ) MARCH 21

MUTI AND UCHIDA Riccardo Muti conductor Mitsuko Uchida piano Schumann Piano Concerto Schubert Symphony No. 9 (Great) PHOTOS TOP TO BOTTOM: RICCARDO MUTI, YO-YO MA, ROBERT CHEN, DOROTHEA RÖSCHMANN

MAY 16

JUROWSKI CONDUCTS STRAUSS Vladimir Jurowski conductor Eugene Izotov oboe Dorothea Röschmann soprano Strauss Serenade in E-flat Major Strauss Metamorphosen Strauss Oboe Concerto Strauss Four Last Songs Charismatic Russian Vladimir Jurowski conducts a program devoted to some of Richard Strauss’ most poignant and gorgeous music. The early yet masterful Serenade for Wind Instruments is followed

by Metamorphosen, Strauss’ moving lament for Dresden, the German city notoriously destroyed by firebombing in World War II. This all-Strauss program concludes with his final post-war masterworks: the pastoral Oboe Concerto and the serenely beautiful Four Last Songs.

JUNE 6

SHOSTAKOVICH 5 Jaap van Zweden conductor Simone Lamsma violin Britten Violin Concerto Shostakovich Symphony No. 5

W O R L D ’ S B E S T. C H I C A G O ’ S O W N .

FRIDAY B

3 1 2 - 2 9 4 - 3 0 0 0 c s o . o r g

8 concerts at 1:30 NOV

22

DEC

20

FEB

21

MAR

14

MAR

28

MAY

2

MAY

30

JUN

13

NOVEMBER 22

MARCH 28

TILSON THOMAS CONDUCTS MAHLER 9 Michael Tilson Thomas conductor Stravinsky Elegy for J.F.K. Mahler Symphony No. 9

MUTI CONDUCTS SCHUBERT UNFINISHED Riccardo Muti conductor John Sharp cello Schubert Symphony No. 8 (Unfinished) Elgar Cello Concerto Schubert Symphony No. 2 Once heard, the hauntingly beautiful cello melody in Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony is never forgotten. Yet the work’s ultimate power lies in its gaze into darkest despair culminating in the serenely beautiful second movement.

In his Cello Concerto, played by CSO Principal Cello John Sharp, Edward Elgar gave sincere and heartfelt voice to his grief, defiance and wishful nostalgia in the face of World War I.

DECEMBER 20

ESCHENBACH CONDUCTS BRUCKNER Christoph Eschenbach conductor Beethoven Overture to Egmont Rands TBA Bruckner Symphony No. 9 FEBRUARY 21

BOULEZ THE MASTER, Part I Pierre Boulez conductor Debussy Jeux Ravel Trois poèmes de Mallarmé Stravinsky Three Japanese Lyrics Stravinsky Two Poems of Balmont Stravinsky Three Pieces for Clarinet Solo Stravinsky Berceuses du Chat Stravinsky Suite from Pulcinella Stravinsky Suite No. 1 for Small Orchestra Legendary CSO Helen Regenstein Conductor Emeritus Pierre Boulez curates two weeks of repertoire by some of his most beloved composers, interpreting their landmark works through his unique perspective. This first concert explores a wide range of textures and ensembles, from solo clarinet pieces by Stravinsky to the full orchestra of Debussy’s colorful and teasingly elusive ballet, Jeux.

MAY 2

TCHAIKOVSKY PATHÉTIQUE Christoph von Dohnányi conductor Paul Lewis piano Lutosławski Musique funèbre Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3 Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6 (Pathétique) MAY 30

VAN ZWEDEN AND WEILERSTEIN Jaap van Zweden conductor Alisa Weilerstein cello Prokofiev Symphony-Concerto Britten Suite on English Folk Tunes: A time there was …

Shostakovich Symphony No. 9 JUNE 13

MARCH 14

UCHIDA PLAYS SCHUBERT Mitsuko Uchida conductor and piano Mozart Adagio in B Minor Mozart Piano Concerto No. 19 Schubert Piano Quintet (The Trout) Inspired by Riccardo Muti’s exploration of Schubert’s symphonies this season, Japanese pianist Mitsuko Uchida joins members of the CSO for Schubert’s charming Trout Quintet, in which the piano weaves its silvery decoration through the string music like playful fish in a river. The concert opens with Mozart’s splendidly unpredictable F Major Concerto.

PHOTOS TOP TO BOTTOM: MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS, MITSUKO UCHIDA, PIERRE BOULEZ, CHRISTOPH VON DOHNÁNYI

MUTI CONDUCTS SCHUBERT 1 AND 6 Riccardo Muti conductor David McGill bassoon Schubert Symphony No. 1 Mozart Bassoon Concerto Schubert Symphony No. 6

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9

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20

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FEBRUARY 28

JUNE 20

PROKOFIEV AND WALTON Semyon Bychkov conductor Kirill Gerstein piano Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 2 Walton Symphony No. 1

BOULEZ THE MASTER, Part II Pierre Boulez conductor Stravinsky Symphony in Three Movements Stravinsky Eight Instrumental Miniatures Ravel Chansons madécasses Stravinsky Concertino for 12 Instruments Stravinsky Pribaoutki Stravinsky Suite No. 2 for Small Orchestra Stravinsky Une barque sur l’océan Stravinsky Alborada del gracioso

MUTI CONDUCTS MAHLER Riccardo Muti conductor Schubert Symphony No. 5 Mahler Symphony No. 1 The most popular of Schubert’s early symphonies, the Fifth is loved for its radiant melodies. Riccardo Muti and the CSO pair it with one of Mahler’s sunniest inspirations, his First Symphony, which carries the listener on a colorful adventure through forests and rustic dances, concluding with a victorious outburst of horns.

NOVEMBER 15

BRITTEN WAR REQUIEM Charles Dutoit conductor Tatiana Pavlovskaya soprano John Mark Ainsley tenor Matthias Goerne baritone Chicago Symphony Chorus Duain Wolfe chorus director Britten War Requiem

With choruses ranging from the brassy splendor of the “Sanctus” to the phantasmagorical hysteria of the “Libera me,” Britten’s Requiem Mass is a moving and monumental achievement. But what raises the War Requiem to an even greater level is Britten’s inspired combination of the Mass with poems by Wilfred Owen, whose modern poetry illuminates the ancient liturgical text.

MAY 9

LABADIE CONDUCTS BEETHOVEN Bernard Labadie conductor Marc-André Hamelin piano Rigel Symphony No. 4 Haydn Piano Concerto in D Major, Hob. XVIII: 11 Kraus Sinfonia in E Minor Beethoven Symphony No. 1

PHOTOS CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER LEFT: RICCARDO MUTI, TATIANA PAVLOVSKAYA, JOHN MARK AINSLEY, MATTHIAS GOERNE, MARC-ANDRÉ HAMELIN, BERNARD LABADIE

2013/14 SEASON HIGHLIGHT

Renewal and Reconciliation:

BRITTEN

WAR REQUIEM

Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem is one of music’s most impassioned denunciations of war. It was composed in 1961 to mark the consecration of the new Coventry Cathedral, built to replace the beautiful medieval cathedral destroyed by bombing during World War II. The composer movingly weaves together the haunting poetry of Wilfred Owen, who himself was killed on the battlefield in 1918, with timeless Latin texts of the traditional Requiem Mass.

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus are joined in this spectacular performance by Russian, British and German soloists—exactly as Britten originally intended—to underscore his message of renewal and reconciliation.

PERFORMED NOVEMBER 14–16 CHARLES DUTOIT conductor

“My subject is War, and the pity of War. The Poetry is in the pity. Yet these elegies are to this generation in no sense consolatory. They may be to the next. All a poet RUINS OF COVENTRY CATHEDRAL IN COVENTRY, ENGLAND. PHOTO CREDIT: ANDREW WALKER

can do today is warn. That is why the true Poets must be truthful.” —Wilfred Owen

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MUTI CONDUCTS VERDI’S MACBETH Riccardo Muti conductor Dario Solari baritone (Macbeth) Tatiana Serjan soprano (Lady Macbeth) Dmitry Belosselskiy bass (Banco) Francesco Meli tenor (Macduff ) Antonello Ceron tenor (Malcolm) Anna Malavasi mezzo-soprano (Lady in Waiting) Gianluca Buratto bass (Doctor) Chicago Symphony Chorus Duain Wolfe chorus director Verdi Macbeth

Revering Shakespeare above all other playwrights, Giuseppe Verdi based three operas on the Bard’s works. His electrifying psychodrama Macbeth was the first, a blood-soaked portrayal of ambition and guilt. Riccardo Muti, the “greatest Verdi conductor of our time” (Chicago Tribune), leads the incomparable Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in this dramatic concert.

FEB

7

APR

11

MAY

23

NOVEMBER 1

APRIL 11

HAITINK AND AX Bernard Haitink conductor Emanuel Ax piano Mozart Piano Concerto No. 27 Bruckner Symphony No. 4 (Romantic)

TETZLAFF PLAYS DVOŘÁK Esa-Pekka Salonen conductor Christian Tetzlaff violin Janáček Overture to From the House of the Dead Dvořák Violin Concerto Salonen Nyx Janáček Sinfonietta

FEBRUARY 7

MUTI CONDUCTS SCHUBERT MASS Riccardo Muti conductor Chicago Symphony Chorus Duain Wolfe chorus director Schubert Overture in the Italian Style

in C Major Morricone Voices from the Silence Schubert Mass in A-flat Major Schubert’s Mass in A-flat is one of his most ambitious works, mixing moments of mystery and grandeur with the sublime.

The Chicago Symphony Chorus joins Riccardo Muti and the CSO for this reflective vocal work. Legendary Italian film composer Ennio Morricone responded to the 9/11 attacks with his cantata, Voices from the Silence, to give voice “to those innocent victims of violence.”

MAY 23

SHOSTAKOVICH LENINGRAD Jaap van Zweden conductor Britten Four Sea Interludes and Passacaglia from Peter Grimes Shostakovich Symphony No. 7 (Leningrad) Jaap van Zweden conducts two World War II-era pieces showcasing the glorious sound of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Shostakovich’s Seventh Symphony, mostly written in Leningrad while the city was under siege, became symbolic of the indomitable spirit both of that city and of the Soviet people.

Britten’s Four Sea Interludes and Passacaglia from his opera Peter Grimes portray the sea on England’s coast in all its power and surpassing beauty.

PHOTOS CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER LEFT: BERNARD HAITINK, EMANUEL AX, RICCARDO MUTI, ESA-PEKKA SALONEN, CHRISTIAN TETZLAFF

W O R L D ’ S B E S T. C H I C A G O ’ S O W N .

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19

24

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14

SALONEN CONDUCTS SIBELIUS Esa-Pekka Salonen conductor Clyne <<rewind<< Bartók Suite from The Miraculous Mandarin Sibelius Four Legends from the Kalevala

NOVEMBER 16 F

GERSHWIN AN AMERICAN IN PARIS Leonard Slatkin conductor Anne Akiko Meyers violin Barber Medea’s Dance of Vengeance Bates Violin Concerto Schuman Symphony No. 6 Gershwin An American in Paris

ESCHENBACH CONDUCTS BRUCKNER Christoph Eschenbach conductor Beethoven Overture to Egmont Rands TBA Bruckner Symphony No. 9 FEBRUARY 1 F

RICCARDO MUTI AND YO-YO MA Riccardo Muti conductor Yo-Yo Ma cello Giovanni Sollima cello Schubert Symphony No. 3 Sollima Concerto for Two Cellos and Orchestra [CSO Commission, World Premiere] Schubert Symphony No. 4 (Tragic) Riccardo Muti launches his exploration of the complete Schubert symphonies with the composer’s self-titled Tragic, in which Schubert’s sunny disposition shines through despite the brooding introduction and minor key coloration. CSO Judson and Joyce Green Creative Consultant Yo-Yo Ma joins fellow cellist and Silk Road collaborator Giovanni Sollima to premiere a newly commissioned Concerto for Two Cellos.

FEBRUARY 22 E

ANNA CLYNE

MAY

APRIL 5 F

DECEMBER 21 E

GIOVANNI SOLLIMA, MASON BATES,

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MUTI AND CHEN Riccardo Muti conductor Robert Chen violin Mozart Divertimento in D Major, K. 136 Hindemith Violin Concerto Prokofiev Suite from Romeo and Juliet

Chicago Symphony Chorus Duain Wolfe chorus director Britten War Requiem

PIERRE BOULEZ, CHICAGO SYMPHONY CHORUS,

MAY

OCTOBER 5 E

BRITTEN WAR REQUIEM Charles Dutoit conductor Tatiana Pavlovskaya soprano John Mark Ainsley tenor Matthias Goerne baritone

PHOTOS TOP TO BOTTOM:

3 1 2 - 2 9 4 - 3 0 0 0 c s o . o r g

BOULEZ THE MASTER, Part I Pierre Boulez conductor Debussy Jeux Ravel Trois poèmes de Mallarmé Stravinsky Three Japanese Lyrics Stravinsky Two Poems of Balmont Stravinsky Three Pieces for Clarinet Solo Stravinsky Berceuses du Chat Stravinsky Suite from Pulcinella Stravinsky Suite No. 1 for Small Orchestra

APRIL 19 E

MAY 3 F

TCHAIKOVSKY PATHÉTIQUE Christoph von Dohnányi conductor Paul Lewis piano Lutosławski Musique funèbre Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3 Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6 (Pathétique) Tchaikovsky’s haunting Pathétique heads a program of some of the most affecting and heartfelt music ever composed.

Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto, played by critically acclaimed British pianist Paul Lewis, shows the first ripening of his distinctive brand of lyricism, most ravishingly in its central slow movement.

Lutosławski found an outlet to express his grief and suffering under Polish communist oppression in his Musique funèbre, dedicated to the memory of Bartók.

MAY 24 F

SHOSTAKOVICH LENINGRAD Jaap van Zweden conductor Britten Four Sea Interludes and Passacaglia from Peter Grimes Shostakovich Symphony No. 7 (Leningrad) JUNE 14 E

MUTI CONDUCTS SCHUBERT 1 AND 6 Riccardo Muti conductor David McGill bassoon Schubert Symphony No. 1 Mozart Bassoon Concerto Schubert Symphony No. 6

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SEPTEMBER 28, 7:00 G [NOTE SPECIAL TIME]

MUTI CONDUCTS VERDI’S MACBETH Riccardo Muti conductor Dario Solari baritone (Macbeth) Tatiana Serjan soprano (Lady Macbeth) Dmitry Belosselskiy bass (Banco) Francesco Meli tenor (Macduff ) Antonello Ceron tenor (Malcolm) Anna Malavasi mezzo-soprano (Lady in Waiting) Gianluca Buratto bass (Doctor) Chicago Symphony Chorus Duain Wolfe chorus director Verdi Macbeth NOVEMBER 2 H

HAITINK AND AX Bernard Haitink conductor Emanuel Ax piano Mozart Piano Concerto No. 27 Bruckner Symphony No. 4 (Romantic) DECEMBER 14 G

PICTURES FROM AN EXHIBITION Miguel Harth-Bedoya conductor Jorge Federico Osorio piano Dvořák Husitská Overture Chávez Piano Concerto Mussorgsky, orch. Ravel Pictures from an Exhibition MARCH 1 H

BOULEZ THE MASTER, Part II Pierre Boulez conductor Stravinsky Symphony in Three Movements Stravinsky Eight Instrumental Miniatures Ravel Chansons madécasses Stravinsky Concertino for 12 Instruments Stravinsky Pribaoutki Stravinsky Suite No. 2 for Small Orchestra Stravinsky Une barque sur l’océan Stravinsky Alborada del gracioso MARCH 15 G

UCHIDA PLAYS SCHUBERT Mitsuko Uchida conductor and piano Mozart Adagio in B Minor Mozart Piano Concerto No. 19 Schubert Piano Quintet (The Trout) PHOTOS TOP TO BOTTOM: RICCARDO MUTI CONDUCTS THE CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AND CHORUS, TATIANA SERJAN, JOHN SHARP, EUGENE IZOTOV

MAY

17

JUN

JUN

7

21

MARCH 29 H

MUTI CONDUCTS SCHUBERT UNFINISHED Riccardo Muti conductor John Sharp cello Schubert Symphony No. 8 (Unfinished) Elgar Cello Concerto Schubert Symphony No. 2 APRIL 12 G

TETZLAFF PLAYS DVOŘÁK Esa-Pekka Salonen conductor Christian Tetzlaff violin Janáček Overture to From the House of the Dead Dvořák Violin Concerto Salonen Nyx Janáček Sinfonietta MAY 17 H

JUROWSKI CONDUCTS STRAUSS Vladimir Jurowski conductor Eugene Izotov oboe Dorothea Röschmann soprano Strauss Serenade in E-flat Major Strauss Metamorphosen Strauss Oboe Concerto Strauss Four Last Songs Charismatic Russian Vladimir Jurowski conducts a program devoted to some of Richard Strauss’ most poignant and gorgeous music. The early yet masterful Serenade for Wind Instruments is followed

by Metamorphosen, Strauss’ moving lament for Dresden, the German city notoriously destroyed by firebombing in World War II. This all-Strauss program concludes with his final post-war masterworks: the pastoral Oboe Concerto and the serenely beautiful Four Last Songs.

JUNE 7 G

SHOSTAKOVICH 5 Jaap van Zweden conductor Simone Lamsma violin Britten Violin Concerto Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 JUNE 21

H

MUTI CONDUCTS MAHLER Riccardo Muti conductor Schubert Symphony No. 5 Mahler Symphony No. 1

2013/14 SEASON HIGHLIGHT

CELEBRATING

Giuseppe Verdi

Verdi was a composer who expressed the most essential feelings of mankind: love, hate, friendship, jealousy—everything that reflects our life, our way of being human. His music is the mirror of who we are.

Each of Verdi’s operas expresses human nature in such a profound way that we often recognize ourselves in Verdi’s characters.

When Verdi died, Gabriele d’Annunzio, the famous Italian poet, wrote a few lines that I think perfectly express who Verdi was: “Diede una voce alle speranze e ai lutti. Pianse ed amò per tutti”—he gave a voice to all our hopes, he wept and loved for all of us. That’s why Verdi will always be of the moment, and he will never become oldfashioned. I feel certain that in 50 years, 100 years, 200 years, Verdi will still be a composer who speaks to people. His voice is universal.

—RICCARDO MUTI

Music Director Riccardo Muti and the CSO celebrate the 200th birthday of Giuseppe Verdi with concerts at Symphony Center from September 19–October 10, 2013.

See pages 4–5 for concert listings.

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8

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26

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APRIL 26

DEBUSSY LA MER Susanna Mälkki conductor Leila Josefowicz violin Sibelius The Tempest, Suite No. 1 Stravinsky Violin Concerto Adès …but all shall be well Debussy La mer

MUTI CONDUCTS SCHUBERT MASS Riccardo Muti conductor

MOZART AND STRAUSS Sir Mark Elder conductor Richard Goode piano Strauss Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks Mozart Piano Concerto No. 23 Ives Symphony No. 2 English conductor Sir Mark Elder leads Richard Strauss’ Till Eulenspiegel, a mischievous yet daring work that brilliantly displays the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s virtuosity. Charles Ives’ wildly unorthodox Second Symphony is studded with quotations from classical works as well as popular American songs. Contrasting with these bold masterpieces, Richard Goode joins the CSO for Mozart’s graceful Concerto in A Major.

NOVEMBER 23

TILSON THOMAS CONDUCTS MAHLER 9 Michael Tilson Thomas conductor Stravinsky Elegy for J.F.K. Mahler Symphony No. 9 Opening with a faint, pulsing rhythm in the cellos—possibly an echo of Mahler’s faltering heartbeat, as conductor Leonard Bernstein once suggested—Mahler’s last completed symphony has often been described as his farewell to life. Indeed, the first movement of the Ninth Symphony is one of classical music’s supreme achievements, “the most heavenly thing Mahler ever wrote” as the composer Alban Berg recognized.

Chicago Symphony Chorus Duain Wolfe chorus director Schubert Overture in the Italian Style

in C Major Morricone Voices from the Silence Schubert Mass in A-flat Major Schubert’s Mass in A-flat is one of his most ambitious works, mixing moments of mystery and grandeur with the sublime.

The Chicago Symphony Chorus joins Riccardo Muti and the CSO for this reflective vocal work. Legendary Italian film composer Ennio Morricone responded to the 9/11 attacks with his cantata, Voices from the Silence, to give voice “to those innocent victims of violence.”

PHOTOS CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER LEFT: CHICAGO SYMPHONY CHORUS, RICHARD GOODE, RICCARDO MUTI, LEILA JOSEFOWICZ, SUSANNA MÄLKKI

MAY 10

LABADIE CONDUCTS BEETHOVEN Bernard Labadie conductor Marc-André Hamelin piano Rigel Symphony No. 4 Haydn Piano Concerto in D Major, Hob. XVIII: 11 Kraus Sinfonia in E Minor Beethoven Symphony No. 1

W O R L D ’ S B E S T. C H I C A G O ’ S O W N .

SATURDAY D

3 1 2 - 2 9 4 - 3 0 0 0 c s o . o r g

5 concerts at 8:00 OCT

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MAR

8

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22

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OCTOBER 26

DECEMBER 7

MARCH 22

PROKOFIEV AND WALTON Semyon Bychkov conductor Kirill Gerstein piano Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 2 Walton Symphony No. 1 Semyon Bychkov conducts two fiery works by composers early in their careers, each reflecting a personal crisis. Prokofiev’s penetrating Second Piano Concerto, performed by Russian-born Kirill Gerstein, includes one of the most stunning cadenzas in the repertoire. Walton’s lush and propulsive First Symphony reflects his anguish over the end of his first great love.

BERLIOZ SYMPHONIE FANTASTIQUE Stéphane Denève conductor James Ehnes violin Weber The Ruler of the Spirits Overture Shostakovich Violin Concerto No. 1 Berlioz Symphonie fantastique Shostakovich’s powerful First Violin Concerto, which was composed in secrecy during the final years of Stalin’s tyranny, expresses the fear and fury of a composer suffering pervasive repression by Soviet authority.

Its phantasmagorical character is more than matched by Berlioz’s extraordinary Symphonie fantastique, from its sumptuous ball-scene with a haunting waltz melody to the evil howls and cackles of its witches’ Sabbath.

MUTI AND UCHIDA Riccardo Muti conductor Mitsuko Uchida piano Schumann Piano Concerto Schubert Symphony No. 9 (Great) The finale of Schubert’s Great C-Major Symphony, energetically galloping to its tightly-sprung rhythm, is among the most exhilarating in the symphonic repertoire. Yet amazingly, this landmark work lay unknown after Schubert’s death until discovered and championed by Robert Schumann. Schumann’s own Piano Concerto is therefore an apt companion in this program, performed by the revered Japanese pianist Mitsuko Uchida.

MARCH 8

MAY 31

DUTOIT AND DUFOUR Charles Dutoit conductor Mathieu Dufour flute Paul Jacobs organ Dukas La Péri Connesson Flute Concerto [CSO Commission, World Premiere] Saint-Saëns Symphony No. 3 (Organ)

PROKOFIEV 5 Jaap van Zweden conductor Shostakovich Five Fragments Britten Sinfonia da requiem Prokofiev Symphony No. 5

PHOTOS CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER LEFT: MATHIEU DUFOUR, SEMYON BYCHKOV, KIRILL GERSTEIN, JAMES EHNES, RICCARDO MUTI AND THE CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AND CHORUS

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3

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OCTOBER 6

NOVEMBER 3

APRIL 13

MUTI CONDUCTS VERDI’S MACBETH Riccardo Muti conductor Dario Solari baritone (Macbeth) Tatiana Serjan soprano (Lady Macbeth) Dmitry Belosselskiy bass (Banco) Francesco Meli tenor (Macduff ) Antonello Ceron tenor (Malcolm) Anna Malavasi mezzo-soprano (Lady in Waiting) Gianluca Buratto bass (Doctor)

HAITINK AND AX Bernard Haitink conductor Emanuel Ax piano Mozart Piano Concerto No. 27 Bruckner Symphony No. 4 (Romantic) Pianist Emanuel Ax joins Bernard Haitink in performing Mozart’s beloved Piano Concerto No. 27, one of his most charming and an audience favorite. This prefaces Bruckner’s warm-hearted Fourth Symphony, nicknamed the Romantic by the composer himself: who can forget the famous Scherzo movement with its frolicking fanfares tossed to and fro among the horns, trombones and trumpets?

TETZLAFF PLAYS DVOŘÁK Esa-Pekka Salonen conductor Christian Tetzlaff violin Janáček Overture to From the House of the Dead Dvořák Violin Concerto Salonen Nyx Janáček Sinfonietta Viscerally explosive and impeccably virtuosic, German violinist Christian Tetzlaff plays Dvořák’s soulful and folk-inspired Violin Concerto. Framing this masterpiece are two works from another Czech composer, Leoš Janáček: the Sinfonietta, with its jubilant brass fanfares, and the overture to his final opera, exuding an impassioned belief in the essential goodness of mankind even in the bleakest circumstances. Esa-Pekka Salonen also conducts his own work, Nyx, which he describes as a “complex counterpoint for almost one hundred musicians playing tutti at full throttle.”

Chicago Symphony Chorus Duain Wolfe chorus director Verdi Macbeth

NOVEMBER 24

TILSON THOMAS CONDUCTS MAHLER 9 Michael Tilson Thomas conductor Stravinsky Elegy for J.F.K. Mahler Symphony No. 9

JUNE 8

SHOSTAKOVICH 5 Jaap van Zweden conductor Simone Lamsma violin Britten Violin Concerto Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 PHOTOS CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER LEFT: RICCARDO MUTI, EMANUEL AX, MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS, ESA-PEKKA SALONEN, JAAP VAN ZWEDEN, SIMONE LAMSMA

2013/14 SEASON HIGHLIGHT

Tchaikovsky

Symphony No. 6 (Pathétique)

The temptation to read tragic meaning into Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Symphony is as old as the music itself. The composer himself suggested to his nephew that this new symphony embodied “such a program that will remain a mystery to everyone—let them guess.”

The only clues left us are the title, Pathétique, and the music’s slight traces of mourning rituals (the trombones quote a Russian Orthodox chant for the dead).

Yet for all its gloomy circumstances, the score itself is among Tchaikovsky’s most inspired creations, drawing tears and passionate applause from audiences today just as it did at its first performance.

A very low bassoon solo emerges from the silence to swell into a soaring principal theme—one of Tchaikovsky’s greatest melodies— then fades to the quietest pianissimo only to return in a thrilling climax.

Tchaikovsky’s sudden death from cholera within nine days of the symphony’s premiere enhanced public perception of the music’s somber qualities. After a memorial performance in St. Petersburg just days after the composer’s passing, the Russian Musical Gazette deemed it “a sort of swan song, a presentiment of imminent death.”

The inner movements provide a much needed contrast from the first’s drama. A famously elusive waltz in 5/4 time leads into a brilliant march, shot through with foreboding melancholy. A despairing cry launches the finale, and an outpouring of melody darkens and intensifies to a threatening quiet. A composer famous for grandiose and operatic gestures leaves us with defeat, disintegration and the fading flutter of a heartbeat.

PERFORMED MAY 1–3 CHRISTOPH VON DOHNÀNYI conductor

THIS PAGE IS PART OF THE FOLD-OUT SECTION.

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SYMPHONY BALL A NIGHT LIKE NEVER BEFORE

MUTI / VERDI THIS PAGE IS PART OF THE FOLD-OUT SECTION.

PALMER HOUSE / SEPTEMBER 21, 2013

SAVE THE DATE

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citizen musician “Through music, we can bring together lots of people in one place. And, we move the emotions of the people. We can do things that governments can’t do, and we can change the world. We’re like superheroes!”—Student musician from the Carlos Chavez Youth Orchestra, while participating in the CSO’s 2011 Chicago Youth in Music Festival.

From its inception, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra has believed in the transformative power of music. We change lives and serve communities, both in Chicago and around the world, through music-making.

Citizen Musician serves as our guiding philosophy to sustain and enhance the role music plays in cultural and civic life. It encompasses a range of community-based programs, both in Chicagoland and internationally as the CSO travels throughout the year. These vital activities flow from the visionary leadership of Music Director Riccardo Muti and Yo-Yo Ma, our Judson and Joyce Green Creative Consultant.

In the coming season, the Citizen Musician movement will touch an even wider audience.

We hope you can be part of it. Watch for more details soon! facebook.com/citizenmusician



OPEN HERE FOR OUR COMPLETE CSO 2013/14 SEASON-AT-A-GLANCE GRID AND CALENDAR

Our Sponsors The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association is grateful for the generous support of these leading corporate and foundation sponsors for the 2013/14 season.

The Negaunee Foundation

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OCTOBER 1, 7:00 [NOTE SPECIAL TIME]

MUTI CONDUCTS VERDI’S MACBETH Riccardo Muti conductor Dario Solari baritone (Macbeth) Tatiana Serjan soprano (Lady Macbeth) Dmitry Belosselskiy bass (Banco) Francesco Meli tenor (Macduff ) Antonello Ceron tenor (Malcolm) Anna Malavasi mezzo-soprano (Lady in Waiting) Gianluca Buratto bass (Doctor) Chicago Symphony Chorus Duain Wolfe chorus director Verdi Macbeth

Revering Shakespeare above all other playwrights, Giuseppe Verdi based three operas on the Bard’s works. His electrifying psychodrama Macbeth was the first, a bloodsoaked portrayal of ambition and guilt.

Riccardo Muti, the “greatest Verdi conductor of our time” (Chicago Tribune), leads the incomparable Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in this dramatic concert.

PHOTOS CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER LEFT: GABRIEL CABEZAS, RICCARDO MUTI CONDUCTS THE CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AND CHORUS, JAAP VAN ZWEDEN

FEB

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JUN

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THIS PAGE IS PART OF THE FOLD-OUT SECTION.APRIL 22 DECEMBER 10 BERLIOZ SYMPHONIE FANTASTIQUE Stéphane Denève conductor Gabriel Cabezas cello Weber The Ruler of the Spirits Overture Shostakovich Cello Concerto No. 1 Berlioz Symphonie fantastique FEBRUARY 25

BOULEZ THE MASTER, Part I Pierre Boulez conductor Debussy Jeux Ravel Trois poèmes de Mallarmé Stravinsky Three Japanese Lyrics Stravinsky Two Poems of Balmont Stravinsky Three Pieces for Clarinet Solo Stravinsky Berceuses du Chat Stravinsky Suite from Pulcinella Stravinsky Suite No. 1 for Small Orchestra MARCH 18

UCHIDA PLAYS SCHUBERT Mitsuko Uchida conductor and piano Mozart Adagio in B Minor Mozart Piano Concerto No. 19 Schubert Piano Quintet (The Trout)

GERSHWIN AN AMERICAN IN PARIS Leonard Slatkin conductor Anne Akiko Meyers violin Barber Medea’s Meditation and Dance of Vengeance Bates Violin Concerto W. Schuman Symphony No. 6 Gershwin An American in Paris Capturing the glamourous excitement of 1920s Paris, Gershwin’s An American in Paris is a modern American treasure. It is preceded by colorful, luxuriant masterpieces by his successors Samuel Barber and William Schuman. American violinist Anne Akiko Meyers, whose playing is “unspooled with impressive refinement, emotional freedom and tonal depth” (New York Times) gives the Chicago premiere of the Violin Concerto by CSO Mead Composer-in-Residence Mason Bates, one of today’s hottest young composers.

JUNE 3

VAN ZWEDEN CONDUCTS PROKOFIEV 5 Jaap van Zweden conductor Shostakovich Five Fragments Britten Sinfonia da requiem Prokofiev Symphony No. 5

W O R L D ’ S B E S T. C H I C A G O ’ S O W N .

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MUTI AND CHEN Riccardo Muti conductor Robert Chen violin Mozart Divertimento in D Major, K. 136 Hindemith Violin Concerto Prokofiev Suite from Romeo and Juliet

HAYDN MILITARY SYMPHONY Nicholas McGegan conductor Vivica Genaux mezzo-soprano Handel Concerto grosso, Op. 6, No. 1 Vivaldi Alma oppressa from La fida ninfa Porpora Oh volesser gli Dei …

Dolci, freschi aurette from Polifemo Hasse Or la nube procellosa from Artaserse Broschi Qual guerriero in campo armato from Idaspe J.C. Bach Symphony Op. 6, No. 6 Haydn Symphony No. 100 (Military) Acclaimed American coloratura mezzosoprano Vivica Genaux joins Nicholas McGegan for a sparkling set of fiery arias which were favorites of the legendary castrato, Farinelli. Intriguing and colorful eighteenth century works complete the program, including Handel’s brilliant Concerto Grosso in G and Haydn’s Military Symphony, with its striking use of wind band and percussion.

DEBUSSY LA MER Susanna Mälkki conductor Leila Josefowicz violin Sibelius The Tempest, Suite No. 1 Stravinsky Violin Concerto Adès …but all shall be well Debussy La mer DECEMBER 17

PICTURES FROM AN EXHIBITION Miguel Harth-Bedoya conductor Jorge Federico Osorio piano Dvořák Husitská Overture Chávez Piano Concerto Mussorgsky, orch. Ravel Pictures from an Exhibition

Ravel’s brilliant orchestration of Mussorgsky’s Pictures from an Exhibition, from its stirring trumpet theme to the spine-tingling finale depicting the Great Gate of Kiev, anchors a colorful program celebrating the national identity of three composers. Dvořák’s Husitská Overture blends two traditional Czech tunes into a rousing opening work, and Chávez’s Piano Concerto, played by leading Mexican pianist Jorge Federico Osorio, features striking colors from an array of percussion instruments.

ROBERT CHEN AND RICCARDO MUTI, VIVICA GENAUX, JORGE FEDERICO OSORIO, DAVID McGILL

CSO Tuesday series concerts are sponsored by United Airlines.

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OCTOBER 22

PHOTOS TOP TO BOTTOM:

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APRIL 8

SALONEN CONDUCTS SIBELIUS Esa-Pekka Salonen conductor Clyne <<rewind<< Bartók Suite from The Miraculous Mandarin Sibelius Four Legends from the Kalevala JUNE 17

MUTI CONDUCTS SCHUBERT 1 AND 6 Riccardo Muti conductor David McGill bassoon Schubert Symphony No. 1 Mozart Bassoon Concerto Schubert Symphony No. 6 Two of Schubert’s earliest symphonies reveal both his reverence for Mozart and his prodigious talent. The First Symphony opens majestically, recalling Mozart’s grandest symphonies, before sprinting off in a frolicking carefree style while the Sixth blends wit and light-hearted energy with melodic grace.

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2013/14 SEASON HIGHLIGHT

SIBELIUS

four legends

FROM THE KALEVALA

The youthful Jean Sibelius dreamed of writing an opera, a vast drama that would do for Finnish epic poetry what Wagner’s Ring cycle had done for Teutonic lore. He spent nearly two years sketching transitions and interludes, but he never found words strong enough to match his music. He abandoned the opera and transformed his creation into an achingly beautiful orchestral suite, the Four Legends.

Sibelius wrote of his second movement: “Tuonela, the land of death, the hell of Finnish mythology, is surrounded by a large river of black waters and a rapid current, in which the Swan of Tuonela glides magestically, singing.” The swan’s voice is heard in the famous and haunting English horn solo, which hovers above muted strings, grows to a powerful climax and ends in a sonorous death-march as Lemminkäinen drowns while attempting to capture the swan.

Each movement of the suite depicts a decisive moment from the adventures of the mythological Finnish hero, Lemminkäinen. In the first, Lemminkäinen and the Maidens of Saari, the bold hero arrives on an island of surpassingly beautiful women. He begins to seduce them, only to be chased off when the native men of the island discover his presence. The music vividly suggests Lemminkäinen’s initial sighting of the island before shifting into a frenetic dance with passionate lyrical themes.

In the final two movements, Lemminkäinen’s mother receives news of her son’s death and travels to Tuonela to reassemble his body and restore him to life. Resurrected, the hero returns home riding a great steed. The suite concludes in a thrilling flourish of hoofbeats.

PERFORMED APRIL 3–8 ESA-PEKKA SALONEN conductor

W O R L D ’ S B E S T. C H I C A G O ’ S O W N .

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AFTERWORK MASTERWORKS ®

The music you love at the time you love.

4 CONCERTS AT 6:30 Escape the everyday grind with the luscious sound of the world-renowned Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Each Afterwork Masterworks concert features incredible music with an early start time and no intermission. Stay after the performances for an engaging Q&A with the guest artists and enjoy complimentary wine in the Grainger Ballroom.

PHOTOS CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER LEFT: SUSANNA MÄLKKI, CHARLES DUTOIT, VLADIMIR JUROWSKI, RICCARDO MUTI

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17 [NOTE DAY]

DEBUSSY LA MER Chicago Symphony Orchestra Susanna Mälkki conductor Leila Josefowicz violin Adès …but all shall be well Stravinsky Violin Concerto Debussy La mer WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5

DUTOIT AND DUFOUR Charles Dutoit conductor Mathieu Dufour flute Paul Jacobs organ Connesson Flute Concerto

[CSO Commission, World Premiere] Saint-Saëns Symphony No. 3 (Organ)

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26

MUTI AND SHARP Chicago Symphony Orchestra Riccardo Muti conductor John Sharp cello Schubert Symphony No. 8 Elgar Cello Concerto WEDNESDAY, MAY 14

JUROWSKI CONDUCTS STRAUSS Chicago Symphony Orchestra Vladimir Jurowski conductor Eugene Izotov oboe Strauss Serenade in E-flat Major, Op. 7 Strauss Oboe Concerto Strauss Metamorphosen

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Witness the evolution of a masterpiece 3 FRIDAYS AT 7:30 / 3 SUNDAYS AT 3:00 Bringing the composer’s voice to life, each Beyond the Score production weaves together historical narrative with live actors, visual illustrations and music to immerse the audience in a single work. With the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, your imagination and your ear will engage with the composer’s unique perspective and discover the entrancing emotional power of music. Add this series to your subscription today!

PHOTOS CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER LEFT: GERARD McBURNEY, STÉPHANE DENÈVE, NICHOLAS McGEGAN, SIR MARK ELDER

DECEMBER 6 & 8

FEBRUARY 14 & 16

BERLIOZ SYMPHONIE FANTASTIQUE

HAYDN MILITARY SYMPHONY

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Stéphane Denève conductor Gerard McBurney creative director Berlioz Symphonie fantastique

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Nicholas McGegan conductor Gerard McBurney creative director Haydn Symphony No. 100 (Military)

Young composer Hector Berlioz imagined a phantasmagorical symphonic adventure, complete with witches, guillotines and colorful, opium-induced hallucinations.

Even in the stirring and Romantic atmosphere of Paris in the 1820s, this music sounded shocking and outrageous.

Late eighteenth-century London was the bustling capital of an expanding empire, its citizens rapidly acquiring wealth and eagerly seeking the latest cultural delights.

Who better to entertain them than the world-famous Josef Haydn, whose newly composed, modern symphonies were bursting with brilliance, wit and deep sentiment?

APRIL 25 & 27

NEW!

RE E SCO D TH N O Y BE S TO COME GHTS AY NI FRID 30 AT 7:

IVES SYMPHONY No. 2 Chicago Symphony Orchestra Sir Mark Elder conductor Gerard McBurney creative director Ives Symphony No. 2

Who would write the first great American symphony? Enter Charles Ives, a successful insurance executive, musical maverick and wildly experimental composer. In the early twentieth century, who else could have gospel hymns, tunes by Stephen Foster and barn-dance fiddles in a symphony?

Major funding for Beyond the Score is provided by generous grants from The Davee Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

W O R L D ’ S B E S T. C H I C A G O ’ S O W N .

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CSO

Movies AT THE

3–CONCERT SERIES

CSO at the Movies brings your favorite films to the big screen with a soundtrack provided by the incomparable Chicago Symphony Orchestra. With hits ranging from Hollywood’s Golden Age to today’s blockbusters, it’s the perfect series for film buffs and music lovers alike. Tickets sell out quickly for this popular series. Add this package to your subscription order today!

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 3:00

FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 8:00

JOHN WILLIAMS RETURNS!

FILM NIGHT 2

Chicago Symphony Orchestra John Williams conductor Gil Shaham violin

Stay tuned for more details about the second concert in this popular series!

One of the most legendary film composers of all time, John Williams leads renowned violinist Gil Shaham and the incomparable Chicago Symphony Orchestra in a program of unforgettable and treasured movie scores, including a violin fantasy from Fiddler on the Roof, music from Schindler’s List, and selections from Lincoln, a 2013 Golden Globe® Award-nominee for which the CSO recorded the original soundtrack.

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

MARCH 21, 8:00

CHAPLIN’S CITY LIGHTS Members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Richard Kaufman conductor

With his trademark bowler hat and lopsided gait, Charlie Chaplin’s Little Tramp waddled his way into America’s heart during the silent era.

City Lights, widely recognized as the greatest film Chaplin ever made, follows the Tramp on his quest to rescue the Flower Girl from blindness and poverty.

All concerts in the CSO at the Movies series are recommended for ages 8 and up; infants will not be admitted.

PHOTOS TOP TO BOTTOM: JOHN WILLIAMS, CHARLIE CHAPLIN, GIL SHAHAM, RICHARD KAUFMAN

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SYMPHONY CENTER CHAMBER MUSIC INTIMATE CONCERTS. INSPIRING COLLABORATIONS.

6-CONCERT SERIES

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 3:00

SUNDAY, JANUARY 26, 3:00

CHRISTIAN TETZLAFF violin LARS VOGT piano Mozart Violin Sonata in B-flat Major, K. 454 Bartók Violin Sonata No. 1 Webern Four Pieces for Violin and Piano, Op. 7 Beethoven Violin Sonata in C Minor, Op. 30, No. 2 Revered German violinist Christian Tetzlaff and his frequent collaborator Lars Vogt launch the 2013/14 SCP Chamber Music series with Bartók’s blazingly virtuosic First Sonata and Beethoven’s passionate Sonata in C Minor.

“Tetzlaff plays with consummate technique and intelligent musicianship … He is a bold artist with an instinctive feeling for the wild side in music” (New York Times).

ANNE SOFIE VON OTTER mezzo-soprano EMANUEL AX piano Brahms Four Serious Songs, Op. 121 Brahms Selected Songs Brahms Selected Solo Piano Works Nico Muhly New Commission for Mezzo-Soprano and Piano WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 8:00

JOSHUA BELL violin Celebrated American violinist Joshua Bell returns for an intimate evening of musicmaking. Don’t miss his only Symphony Center appearance of the 2013/14 season! “Bell has evolved from a technical whiz to a true artist and intellectual whose music feeds both your brain and your heart” (Newsweek).

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 8:00

EMANUEL AX piano YO-YO MA cello Brahms Cello Sonata No. 1 Brahms Cello Sonata No. 2 Anders Hillborg New Commission for Cello and Piano

PHOTOS CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER LEFT: AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA, PINCHAS ZUKERMAN, ANNE SOFIE VON OTTER, EMANUEL AX, JOSHUA BELL, YO-YO MA, CHRISTIAN TETZLAFF, YEFIM BRONFMAN

PRESENTS

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AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA Richard Tognetti conductor Olli Mustonen piano Shostakovich Two Pieces for String Octet, Op. 11 Prokofiev Suite from Visions fugitives Shostakovich Piano Concerto No. 1 Prokofiev Five Melodies for Violin and Strings (arr. Swenson) Britten Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge Noted for their “electric, spontaneous rapport” (Chicago Tribune), the Australian Chamber Orchestra presents works by Shostakovich, Prokofiev and Britten, a fitting precursor to the CSO’s Truth to Power exploration.

Shostakovich’s propulsive First Piano Concerto bears his distinctive tongue-in-cheek humor, including gallops, can-cans and comedic quotations. Paying affectionate tribute to his composition teacher, Frank Bridge, Britten’s variations each capture a different facet of their close relationship, including vitality, humor, enthusiasm and warmth.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 8:00

PINCHAS ZUKERMAN violin and viola YEFIM BRONFMAN piano Program to include: Schubert Violin Sonatina in A Minor, D. 385 Brahms Viola Sonata No. 1 Israeli-born violinist Pinchas Zukerman marvels audiences worldwide with his infectious musicality and prodigious technique.

Multiple Grammy® Award-winner Yefim Bronfman possesses commanding technique and lyrical expressiveness. These two longtime collaborators and Chicago favorites join forces for an evening of superb virtuosity.

SYMPHONY CENTER SPOTLIGHT

SUNDAY, MARCH 23, 3:00

BRAHMS:

COMPOSER AND MUSE Led by Emanuel Ax

“I have loved Johannes’ Brahms music since I was a teenager.

The more I got to know his music and personal story, the more I admired both. After studying his music for 40 years, I wish I had another 40 to understand it better.

Brahms’s personal motto was Frei aber froh—Free, but happy.

We have asked some of the most exceptional composers of our time to use the notes FAF as a point of inspiration for new works, and we are very excited to share this music with you.”

—EMANUEL AX Frequent Symphony Center guest and a favorite among Chicago audiences, pianist Emanuel Ax has invited mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter, cellist Yo-Yo Ma and composers Nico Muhly, Anders Hillborg, Brett Dean and Missy Mazzoli to join him in a celebration of Johannes Brahms as both composer and muse.

Spanning three concerts, Ax and his collaborators will pair Brahms’ own works with newly commissioned pieces inspired by the great German composer.

Programs include the SCP Chamber Music concerts on January 26 and February 21, 2014 and the SCP Piano recital featuring Emanuel Ax on May 18, 2014 (see page 39).

Commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic; Cal Performances, UC Berkeley; Carnegie Hall and Symphony Center Presents.

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SYMPHONY CENTER PRESENTS ORCHESTRAS

LEGENDARY ORCHESTRA 3-CONCERT SERIES

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S. REVERED CONDUCTORS. UNIVERSAL MUSIC. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 7:00 [NOTE TIME]

MARIINSKY THEATER SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA VALERY GERGIEV conductor Stravinsky The Firebird Stravinsky Pétrouchka Stravinsky The Rite of Spring

The celebrated Mariinsky Theater Symphony Orchestra and their renowned conductor Valery Gergiev take the stage for a trio of Stravinsky’s most beloved ballet scores.

Each vividly portrays a compelling dramatic story: the heroic Prince Ivan and his magical Firebird battle an evil sorcerer; a clown-puppet comes to life to pursue a beautiful ballerina; and a young maiden dances to her death in an ancient pagan sacrifice.

Please note that this concert will be performed with two intermissions.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 3:00

MONDAY, MARCH 17, 8:00

ST. PETERSBURG PHILHARMONIC

ISRAEL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

YURI TEMIRKANOV conductor

ZUBIN MEHTA conductor

Vilde Frang violin Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 2 Rachmaninov Symphony No. 2

Founded in 1936 by a group of Jewish musicians drawn from major European orchestras, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra regularly tours the world’s most prestigious cultural centers and festivals. Hear them for one night only at Symphony Center with their legendary music director, Zubin Mehta.

Marking his 25th season as artistic director and principal conductor, Yuri Temirkanov and the St. Petersburg Philharmonic present an all-Russian program with Rachmaninov’s Symphony No. 2, considered to be among the composer’s finest works and featuring one of his most luscious melodies. Prokofiev’s Second Violin Concerto starts simply with a hauntingly beautiful melody in the solo violin, played here by dynamic newcomer Vilde Frang, and concludes with a rousing Spanish dance, complete with castanets.

PHOTOS CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER LEFT: VALERY GERGIEV, MARIINSKY THEATER SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, YURI TEMIRKANOV, ZUBIN MEHTA CONDUCTS THE ISRAEL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA, ST. PETERSBURG PHILHARMONIC.

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SYMPHONY CENTER PIANO VIRTUOSITY AT ITS FINEST. SUNDAYS AT 3:00 10-CONCERT SERIES E 5-CONCERTS: A OR B

OCTOBER 13 A JEREMY DENK Enormously versatile and endlessly imaginative, Jeremy Denk returns to Symphony Center for the first time since his acclaimed Keys to the City Piano Festival appearances in 2012.

Denk “spins out lines like a jazz improviser and teases out surprises … [Even] the best-known movements emerged with new immediacy in these inspired performances” (The New York Times).

OCTOBER 27 B ANDRÁS SCHIFF Bach Partita No. 1 in B-flat Major, BWV 825 Bach Partita No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 826 Bach Partita No. 3 in A Minor, BWV 827 Bach Partita No. 4 in D Major, BWV 828 Bach Partita No. 5 in G Major, BWV 829 Bach Partita No. 6 in E Minor, BWV 830 “Mr. Schiff is, in Bach, a phenomenon” (The New York Times).

FEBRUARY 9 B DANIIL TRIFONOV Stravinsky Serenade in A Major Ravel Selections from Miroirs Schoenberg Three Piano Pieces, Op. 11 Schumann Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13 Twenty-two year-old Daniil Trifonov took the music world by storm in 2011, winning the first prize at both the Tchaikovsky and Rubinstein International Competitions.

“Trifonov has scintillating technique and a virtuosic flair … [but] he can play with soft-spoken delicacy” (The New York Times).

You won’t want to miss his Symphony Center recital debut!

MARCH 2 A EVGENY KISSIN Schubert Sonata in D Major, D. 850 Scriabin Sonata No. 2 in G-sharp Minor, Op. 19 Scriabin Selected Etudes, Op. 8 “Evgeny Kissin is a musician of deep musical and poetic sensibility … his variety of touch, from spiky to silken, was astonishing” (Chicago Tribune).

MARCH 9 B MITSUKO UCHIDA Beethoven Thirty-Three Variations on a Waltz by Diabelli, Op. 120 “Mitsuko Uchida’s annual visits to Orchestra Hall rank among the most life-affirming experiences granted to local concertgoers” (Chicago Tribune).

PRESENTS

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PHOTOS TOP ROW LEFT TO RIGHT: JEREMY DENK, ANDRÁS SCHIFF, DANIIL TRIFONOV, EVGENY KISSIN, MITSUKO UCHIDA PHOTOS BOTTOM ROW LEFT TO RIGHT: LEIF OVE ANDSNES, NIKOLAI LUGANSKY, EMANUEL AX, KATIA AND MARIELLE LABÈQUE, VLADIMIR FELTSMAN

MARCH 16 A LEIF OVE ANDSNES Beethoven Sonata No. 11 in B-flat Major, Op. 22 Beethoven Sonata No. 28 in A Major, Op. 109 Beethoven Six Variations on an Original Theme in F Major, Op. 34 Beethoven Sonata No. 23 in F Minor, Op. 57 (Appassionata) “A pianist of magisterial elegance, power and insight” (The New York Times).

APRIL 6 B KATIA and MARIELLE LABÈQUE Gonzalo Grau percussion Raphael Sequinier percussion Program to include: Bernstein West Side Story for Two Pianos and Percussion Known for their dazzling energy, sisters Katia and Marielle Labèque have been the world’s preeminent piano duo for over 30 years.

“Their musical line always sounds as if it is being woven for the very first time … But the illusion of improvisation is the genius of their performances” (The Times, London).

MAY 4 A NIKOLAI LUGANSKY Franck Prelude, Chorale and Fugue Prokofiev Sonata No. 4 in C Minor Rachmaninov Thirteen Preludes, Op. 32 Widely recognized as one of Russia’s most talented pianists, Nikolai Lugansky combines his vast technical arsenal with a majestic, powerful voice. “Lugansky’s interpretations attested not only to his deep preparatory thoughts on what the music was telling him, but also to his love of the music” (BBC Music Magazine).

MAY 18 B EMANUEL AX Brahms Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel Brahms Piano Sonata No. 2 Brett Dean New Commission for Solo Piano Missy Mazzoli New Commission for Solo Piano “A poet at the piano” (Chicago Tribune), Emanuel Ax presents the third installment of his 2013/14 exploration of Brahms as both composer and muse. Here he pairs two Brahms works dedicated to Clara Schumann—the Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, heavily influenced by Baroque contrapuntal forms, and the intensely romantic Second Sonata—with two newly commissioned works from Brett Dean and Missy Mazzoli.

JUNE 1 A

VLADIMIR FELTSMAN Haydn Sonata in A-flat Major, Hob. XVI: 46 Schubert Sonata in A Minor, D. 537 Prokofiev Sonata No. 6 in A Major

Vladimir Feltsman “plays the piano as though he is speaking through it. And he has a lot to say … Rarely do I spend so much time at the edge of my seat” (Philadelphia Inquirer).

Prokofiev’s turbulent, percussive Sixth Sonata will showcase the magnetic Russian pianist’s deft touch and expansive sonority.

PHENOMENAL. DISTINCTIVE. INSPIRED.

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SYMPHONY CENTER PRESENTS

THE A RT SONGS OF

F

Schubert

ranz Schubert transformed the art of song. He captured intricate expressions of poetic imagery in the most ethereal melodies, forging new, deeper connections between words and music. His songs carry listeners on journeys of the soul.

Symphony Center Presents extends Riccardo Muti’s focus on Schubert during the 2013/14 season with three concerts dedicated to some of the composer’s most sublime songs.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 7:30

CHRISTIAN GERHAHER baritone / GEROLD HUBER piano Schubert Winterreise Winterreise’s exquisitely beautiful melodies poignantly convey the barrenness and isolation that remain when love fades away. The acclaimed duo of Christian Gerhaher and Gerold Huber make perfect partners for this most beloved of Schubert’s song cycles.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 7:00

MATTHIAS GOERNE baritone / CHRISTOPH ESCHENBACH piano Schubert Die schöne Müllerin Traversing the atmospheric highs and desperate lows of youthful infatuation, Die schöne Müllerin depicts a young man’s loss of innocence. “I can think of few singers capable of doing justice to the extraordinary final tableau, injecting as much emotion as Goerne does here, superbly accompanied by Christoph Eschenbach” (The Guardian).

SUNDAY, MAY 11, 3:00

SUSANNA PHILLIPS soprano / ERIC OWENS bass-baritone Program to include: Schubert Der Hirt auf dem Felsen Schubert Auf dem Strom Two of today’s most sought-after singers, Susanna Phillips and Eric Owens team up for a recital of Schubert’s most treasured songs. Recipient of the Metropolitan Opera’s 2010 Beverly Sills Award, Susanna Phillips frequently appears at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and was noted for her “melting lyricism” (Chicago Tribune) in a 2012 appearance with the CSO at Ravinia. American bass-baritone Eric Owens “speaks to you even in his silences … and shakes you when he sings” (Chicago Sun-Times).

Special stage seating available. See How to Renew Guide for details.

PHOTOS TOP TO BOTTOM: CHRISTIAN GERHAHER, GEROLD HUBER, MATTHIAS GOERNE, CHRISTOPH ESCHENBACH, SUSANNA PHILLIPS, ERIC OWENS

NEW MUSIC

CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

LIVE MUSIC. LIVING COMPOSERS.

PHOTOS CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER LEFT: YO-YO MA, RICCARDO MUTI,

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SYMPHONY CENTER PRESENTS

MusicNOW

4 CONCERTS + RECEPTIONS • MONDAYS AT 7:00 HARRIS THEATER FOR MUSIC AND DANCE 205 E. RANDOLPH DRIVE

MATHIEU DUFOUR, GIOVANNI SOLLIMA

OCTOBER 21 • DECEMBER 16

JANUARY 30–FEBRUARY 1

FEBRUARY 3 • MAY 5

GIOVANNI SOLLIMA CONCERTO FOR TWO CELLOS AND ORCHESTRA [CSO Commission, World Premiere] CSO Judson and Joyce Green Creative Consultant Yo-Yo Ma joins composer and fellow Silk Road collaborator Giovanni Sollima to perform Sollima’s Concerto for Two Cellos and Orchestra with the CSO, conducted by Riccardo Muti.

Curated by Mead Composers-in-Residence Mason Bates and Anna Clyne and led by Principal Conductor Cliff Colnot, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s MusicNOW series offers an astonishing variety of the most vibrant new music. Enjoy preand postconcert entertainment with illmeasures Chicago, plus free food and drink after the concert.

MARCH 6–8

GUILLAME CONNESSON FLUTE CONCERTO [CSO Commission, World Premiere] Guillame Connesson’s Flute Concerto receives its world premiere from fellow Frenchman and CSO Principal Flute Mathieu Dufour.

APRIL 3–8

ANNA CLYNE <<rewind<< Critically acclaimed for its “breathless, edge-of-the-seat quality” (Arts Desk) and “bubbling over with kinetic energy” (The Financial Times), Mead Composer-in-Residence Anna Clyne’s <<rewind<< is played by the CSO under renowned conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen.

APRIL 17–22

MASON BATES VIOLIN CONCERTO Mason Bates, Mead Composer-in-Residence, composed his Violin Concerto specifically for stunning American violinist Anne Akiko Meyers, who will give its Chicago premiere.

PHOTOS LEFT TO RIGHT: ANNA CLYNE AND MASON BATES, CLIFF COLNOT

SUBSCRIBE TODAY! Regular $68 • Students $24 MusicNOW receives funding through a leadership challenge grant from IRVING HARRIS FOUNDATION, Joan W. Harris. Major support is provided by Cindy Sargent and Sally Mead Hands Foundation.

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CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS WITH THE CSO!

e m o c l e W Yule!

DECEMBER 14–23 Members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Duain Wolfe creative director and conductor Chicago Symphony Chorus Welcome Yule! Children’s Ensemble Welcome Yule! Dance Ensemble

“A must-see holiday spectacle.”

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

“For a zesty evening of high-spirited Christmas music, Orchestra Hall is the place to be.”

CHICAGO CLASSICAL REVIEW

JAZZ

SYMPHONY CENTER PRESENTS

20th ANNIVERSARY SEASON Artists will be announced in April 2013. Stay tuned!

W O R L D ’ S B E S T. C H I C A G O ’ S O W N .

CSO

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FAMILYMATINEES Perfect for children ages 5-9!

3 SATURDAYS AT 11:00 A OR 12:45 B

Introduce the child in your life to classical music with fun, family-friendly programs featuring the world-renowned Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Each concert stimulates your child’s imagination while immersing them in a world of vibrant orchestral sounds and colors.

Extend the fun with FREE preconcert adventures in the Rotunda, featuring activities with partner organizations, colorful and engaging exhibits and interactive musical experiences.

NOVEMBER 16

FEBRUARY 8

MAY 10

MOTHER GOOSE & MORE

ALIEN INVASION: ORCHESTRA FROM PLANET X

ADVENTURES WITH ALADDIN

Members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Alastair Willis conductor

Program to include: Ravel Mother Goose Suite The musicians of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra bring classic children’s stories and songs to life in this program, including scenes from Ravel’s picturesque Mother Goose Suite, exciting folk songs and soothing lullabies.

Discover how stories and artists inspire one another and experience the way music can create and stir memories.

Members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Magic Circle Mime Company guest artists

Program to include: Copland “Hoe-Down” from Rodeo Joplin The Entertainer (arr. Gunther Schuller) Anderson The Typewriter Song Williams The Flying Theme from E.T. Aliens have invaded Orchestra Hall!

What happens when two extraterrestrials stumble into a Chicago Symphony Orchestra concert? Find out during this sci-fi thriller featuring well-known masterworks and outof-this-world surprises.

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Edwin Outwater conductor

Program to include: Rimsky-Korsakov Sheherazade Beautiful princesses, wicked kings and magical genies … encounter these and more as the CSO takes you on an adventurous musical voyage through the captivating storytelling of Sheherezade. Featuring Rimsky-Korsokov’s dazzling music inspired by Arabian Nights, this concert will whisk you away to the far-off settings of these enchanting Middle-Eastern tales.

PERFECT FOR AGES 3–5!

Start your child’s engaging journey into the world of music with Once Upon a Symphony.

Be transported by musical performances by small ensembles of CSO musicians with vivid storytelling, sets, costumes and images created by Chicago Children’s Theatre.

Presented in collaboration with

6 SATURDAYS AT 10:OO AND 11:45 – BUNTROCK HALL OCT. 19 • NOV. 2 • NOV. 23 • MAR. 22 • MAR. 29 • APR. 26

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SPECIAL CONCERTS

SAVE UP TO 10% WHEN YOU ADD THESE THRILLING CONCERTS TO YOUR SUBSCRIPTION! CALL 312-294-3000 OR VISIT CSO.ORG FOR PRICES.

RICCARDO MUTI

SYMPHONY BALL

BARBARA FRITTOLI

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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 7:00 Chicago Symphony Orchestra Riccardo Muti conductor Barbara Frittoli soprano (Leonora) Dmitry Belosselskiy bass (Padre Guardiano) Chicago Symphony Chorus Duain Wolfe chorus director

Verdi Verdi Verdi Verdi Verdi

Ballet music and Patria oppressa! from Macbeth Si redesti il leon di Castiglia from Ernani Va, pensiero from Nabucco Act 2 Finale from La forza del destino Overture to I vespri siciliani

Join us for a special Symphony Ball celebration of the bicentennial of Italy’s greatest opera composer, Giuseppe Verdi. Riccardo Muti conducts the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in some of Verdi’s most popular and rousing choruses, including the invigorating anthem Va, pensiero from Nabucco. Renowned opera stars Barbara Frittoli and Dmitry Belosselskiy sing the impassioned second act of La forza del destino.

Order a Symphony Ball gala package by April 5, 2013 and receive a 10% discount!

Gala packages available by calling 312-294-3185.

“Muti went from triumph to triumph revealing the beauty and power of Verdi’s score.”—THE HUFFINGTON POST

ORQUESTA BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB featuring OMARA PORTUONDO LEGENDARY ARTISTS. SULTRY SOUNDS. SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 7:00

The legendary musicians of the Buena Vista social club sparked a worldwide love affair with Cuban music with their first release in 1997, which was later included in Rolling Stone’s list of the greatest albums of all time. Several original members, including Omara Portuondo and Barbito Torres, come to Symphony Center for a night of the infectious energy that made the group an international phenomenon.

VERDI 200th BIRTHDAY SPECTACULAR THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 8:00 Chicago Symphony Orchestra Riccardo Muti conductor Chicago Symphony Chorus Duain Wolfe chorus director Verdi Requiem Mass

Tatiana Serjan soprano Daniela Barcellona mezzo-soprano Mario Zeffiri tenor Ildar Abdrazakov bass

With its potent mix of fury and fear, punctuated with hammering chords and explosive bass drum bangs, this is one of Verdi’s most striking choral works. For one night only, Riccardo Muti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus celebrate the 200th anniversary of Verdi’s birth by reprising their acclaimed 2009 performances, which sold out months in advance and led to their Grammy® Award-winning recording.

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MARIACHI VARGAS de TECALITLÁN

THE GREATEST MARIACHI IN THE WORLD SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 3:00

An annual favorite at Symphony Center, the infectiously energetic Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán never disappoints. The band says: “Mariachi taps into man’s raw, naked, powerful, hidden emotions; mariachi songs will take you back to your first love and to your first heartbreak.

At our concerts, one minute, you can be in your seat, crying as you mourn a lost love while listening to Me Canse de Rogerle, and another minute, you’ll be out of your seat, dancing to Mariachi Loco, reminded of a joyous occasion.” Expect an invigorating afternoon of legendary Mariachi as only Vargas can deliver.

HALLOWED HAUNTS

A MUSICALLY SPOOKY GOOD TIME! SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26, 3:00 Civic Orchestra of Chicago

We invite trick-or-treaters of all ages to get into the Halloween spirit at our annual Hallowed Haunts concert! This spook-tacular afternoon with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago is full of symphonic thrills and chills that will haunt and delight. Don your Halloween costume and join fellow ghosts and ghouls for preconcert activities from 1:30-2:30.

Recommended for ages 5 and up.

JOHN WILLIAMS RETURNS! FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 8:00 / SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 8:00 Chicago Symphony Orchestra John Williams conductor Gil Shaham violin

Legendary composer John Williams and renowned violinist Gil Shaham join the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to perform Williams’ lush and virtuosic Violin Concerto. The work is paired with selections from some of the composer’s most memorable film scores, including Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T. The Extraterrestrial and Lincoln, a 2013 Golden Globe® Award-nominee for which the CSO recorded the original soundtrack.

VIENNA BOYS CHOIR

AN ANNUAL FAMILY TRADITION SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 3:00

Ring in your holiday season with the angelic voices of one of the oldest boys’ choirs in the world! An Austrian treasure since 1498, this renowned group delivers soaring performances of everything from medieval to contemporary music. Bring the whole family to enjoy old-world charm from the beloved Vienna Boys Choir.

Due to the length and content of the program, this concert is recommended for ages 8 and up; infants will not be admitted.

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A CHANTICLEER CHRISTMAS VOCAL HOLIDAY CHEER

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 7:30 / THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 7:30 FOURTH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH / 126 E. CHESTNUT STREET

Since Chanticleer first performed on our Symphony Center Presents series in 1995, the choir of male voices has become a hallmark of the holiday season. Be entranced by this Grammy® Award-winning a cappella ensemble as they perform traditional carols, revered sacred works and delightful holiday favorites at the breathtaking and intimate Fourth Presbyterian Church.

“Chanticleer, an ensemble notable both for its unity and for its distinctly individual voices, sings beautifully and is always a pleasure to hear.”—NEW YORK TIMES

WELCOME YULE!

CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS AT SYMPHONY CENTER! SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14, 3:00 SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1:30 & 5:30 FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 7:00 SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21, 3:00 SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1:30 & 5:30 MONDAY, DECEMBER 23, 3:00 Members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Duain Wolfe creative director and conductor Chicago Symphony Chorus Welcome Yule! Children’s Ensemble Welcome Yule! Dance Ensemble

Whether you’re young or old, naughty or nice, Welcome Yule! is just the ticket for heartwarming holiday cheer. The merry musicians of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus promise a delightful program of new arrangements, cherished carols and some musical surprises. Join the fun with sing-alongs and rollicking traditional tunes, including “Christmas in Chicago.”

Due to the length and content of the program, this concert is recommended for ages 5 and up; infants will not be admitted.

THE CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA BRASS BRILLIANT BRASS. RESOUNDING JOY. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 3:00

The incomparable CSO Brass possess an impressive combination of power, versatility and delicacy. The acclaimed recording of their 2010 program, released on CSO Resound, was praised for its “consummate musicianship, revelatory sound and well-chosen music, idiomatically arranged” (SA-CD.net). Witness our world-famous brass choir in a program of traditional favorites and symphonic masterworks arranged for brass ensemble.

This concert is presented in collaboration with the Midwest Clinic, an international band and orchestra conference.

THESE CONCERTS MAKE A PERFECT ADDITION TO ANY CONCERT SERIES. SAVE UP TO 10% WHEN YOU PURCHASE BY APRIL 5!

CALL 312-294-3000 OR VISIT CSO.ORG FOR PRICES.

SPECIAL CONCERTS

ESTRELLA MORENTE

A MAGNETIC EVENING WITH FLAMENCO ROYALTY TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 8:00

Transport yourself to a sultry night in Spain with passionate flamenco singer Estrella Morente.

Singing everything from sensual tangos to glittering tarantas, the renowned diva will take your breath away with her emotional vocals and captivating presence.

“She was as lovely to watch as to listen to as she sang and danced, her voice undulating with the ripples of her dress.”—THE TELEGRAPH

THE CHIEFTAINS with Paddy Moloney and Special Guests THE IRISH LEGENDS ARE BACK! FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 8:00

The Chieftains and bagpiper/bandleader Paddy Moloney return to Symphony Center for another rollicking evening of good, old fashioned “craic.” Witness the wonderful storytelling and inspiring music making that make the Chieftains one of the most powerful and entertaining Irish bands of all time.

SOWETO GOSPEL CHOIR PASSION AND POWER

TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 7:30

A whirlwind of bright colors and uplifting voices, South Africa’s Soweto Gospel Choir takes the stage with a moving and joyful performance of spirituals, gospel tunes and pop hits. Their passion and power will take your senses by storm.

“A cornucopia of remarkable voices.”—NEW YORK TIMES

ZAKIR HUSSAIN and the MASTERS OF PERCUSSION

“A MUSICAL JOURNEY THAT WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN.”—Chicago Stage Review FRIDAY, APRIL 4, 8:00

Immerse yourself in the stories and sounds of India with virtuosic tabla player Zakir Hussain and his group of master percussionists. See what audience members have called a divine musical experience that is not to be missed.

“Zakir Hussain is a fearsome technician but also a whimsical inventor, devoted to exuberant play.”—NEW YORK TIMES

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