Episodes
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The rugged, windswept beauty of Sibelius’ Violin Concerto is a perfect showcase for Christian Tetzlaff, whose “fiery and compelling” 2022 CSO performance was named one of the year’s 10 best by Chicago Classical Review. Schoenberg’s Pelleas and Melisande is a lush, quintessentially romantic orchestral portrait of Maeterlinck’s mysterious, symbolist play, while Wagner’s prelude delivers a thrilling opener.
Learn more: cso.org/performances/24-25/cso-classical/tetzlaff-plays-sibelius -
A taut and gripping thriller, Bartók’s one-act opera follows Duke Bluebeard and his newest wife Judith as she opens the seven doors of his castle and discovers increasingly disturbing sights. Opera stars Christian Van Horn and Ekaterina Gubanova bring to life these ill-fated characters. Juxtaposed with this macabre folktale is Beethoven’s joyful Second Symphony.
Sung in Hungarian with English supertitles.
Bluebeard’s Castle by arrangement with Boosey & Hawkes, publisher and copyright owner.
Learn more: cso.org/performances/24-25/cso-classical/salonen-and-bluebeards-castle -
Missing episodes?
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Kanneh-Mason Plays Elgar - Broadcast by CSO Association
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Revel in the sonic splendor of the CSO with two of its signature works: Strauss’ brash symphonic portrait of the infamous libertine Don Juan and Bartók’s exhilarating Concerto for Orchestra, a virtuosic tour de force for every instrument. The organ in Salonen’s “boldly cinematic” (Los Angeles Times) Sinfonia concertante adds another thrilling aural dimension.
Learn more: cso.org/performances/24-25/cso-classical/bartok-concerto-for-orchestra -
Susanna Mälkki conductor
Stefán Ragnar Höskuldsson flute -
Brimming with wry wit and affectionate warmth, Shostakovich’s Second Piano Concerto was a gift for his teenage son. Here, it’s a showcase for the brilliant Lahav Shani, who conducts from the keyboard. Beethoven’s powerful Egmont Overture captures the brave struggle for freedom and justice, while Brahms’ stormy and heroic First Symphony is the culmination of years of labor by the composer.
Learn more: cso.org/performances/24-25/cso-classical/shani-shostakovich-and-brahms -
Embark on a seafaring journey as Tchaikovsky summons Shakespeare’s magical island and storm-tossed seas in The Tempest. Korngold evokes the swashbuckling sailors of the 1940 Hollywood epic The Sea Hawk, and Britten portrays the coastal village of his opera Peter Grimes. The voyage concludes as Konstantin Krimmel presents Mahler’s song cycle about a traveling journeyman.
Learn more: cso.org/performances/24-25/cso-classical/the-tempest-and-the-sea-hawk -
Musicians of the Orchestra - Broadcast by CSO Association
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Rachmaninov’s majestic First Symphony churns with youthful romantic fervor and ethereal mystery — perfect for a December outing. Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, inspired by Norway’s national folk hero, includes the instantly familiar dream-like fantasy of “The Hall of the Mountain King.” Johannes Moser brings his “remarkably visceral and vivid playing” (Gramophone) to Lutosławski’s wild and enchanting Cello Concerto.
Learn more: cso.org/performances/24-25/cso-classical/grieg-and-rachmaninov -
Boulez Conducts Mahler, Bartók, & Stravinsky - Broadcast by CSO Association
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Tugan Sokhiev, conductor
Yulianna Avdeeva, piano -
Experiencing a Bruckner symphony is often compared to walking around inside a massive gothic cathedral. Step inside this sacred space and experience its awed silences, reverent melodies and towering brass chorales. Francesco Piemontesi, “a performer in total, joyful command of his material” (The Guardian), brings power and panache to Liszt’s formidable Second Piano Concerto.
Learn more: cso.org/performances/24-25/cso-classical/liszt-and-bruckner-3/ -
Be transported to the landscapes of southern Spain with vivacious, dance-inspired works by Falla and Chabrier. The journey begins in Riccardo Muti’s native Italy with a boisterous overture by Donizetti and sumptuous ballet music by Verdi. Golijov’s Megalopolis Suite features music from his score to the 2024 release of Francis Ford Coppola’s epic film, in which the fate of Ancient Rome haunts a modern world.
Learn more: cso.org/performances/24-25/cso-classical/muti-and-the-cso -
Music Director Emeritus for Life Riccardo Muti returns with Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony, a work that shattered the symphonic conventions of its day, with themes of heroism, struggle and triumph. Beethoven’s majestic Emperor Concerto features Mitsuko Uchida, who brings “the unaffected wisdom and clarity that comes with decades of interpretive rigor and commitment” (The New York Times).
Learn more: cso.org/performances/24-25/cso-classical/muti-uchida-emperor-and-eroica -
Join Nicholas Kraemer and four preeminent singers for a selection of Handel’s brilliant and soul-stirring vocal numbers, which explore the full spectrum of human emotions — from utmost sorrow to joy and sensuality. Plus, enjoy music fit for a king with Handel’s Water Music, composed for the royal court of George I, and Mozart’s grand Coronation Mass.
Learn more: cso.org/performances/24-25/cso-classical/mozart-coronation-mass -
With his Fifth Symphony, Shostakovich outwitted Soviet authorities with the finesse of a double agent. Threatened by Stalin’s regime, the composer skillfully appeased Soviet officials with this gripping work packed with triumphant Russian themes, but also subversive satire and daring irony. Chief conductor of the Ravinia Festival Marin Alsop also leads the CSO in a captivating work about Harriet Tubman and a beloved Chopin concerto featuring pianist Lukáš Vondráček.
Learn more: cso.org/performances/24-25/cso-classical/alsop-and-vondracek -
Lose yourself in the idyllic landscapes of Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony. Inspired by the composer’s country hikes, the piece summons rippling streams, a raging thunderstorm and plenty of warmth. Mozart’s double piano concerto showcases the deft teamwork of Dutch brothers Lucas and Arthur Jussen, who make two pianos “sound for all the world like a single instrument” (Gramophone).
Learn more: cso.org/performances/24-25/cso-classical/eschenbach-jussen -
Starting with a ferocious fanfare representing fate, Tchaikovsky pours his soul into his Fourth Symphony, a fearless musical autobiography packed with surging melodies and dazzling colors. Antoine Tamestit brings his “gorgeous smoky sound” (The Guardian) to Walton’s Viola Concerto, a work of wistful beauty and quicksilver energy.
Learn more: cso.org/performances/24-25/cso-classical/tchaikovsky-4 -
Lahav Shani conducts Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique, a symphony that the composer premiered less than a week before his death and was later nicknamed for the passion and suffering it expresses. Daniil Trifonov takes the spotlight in a piano concerto composed for him by former CSO Mead Composer-in-Residence Mason Bates, which “shows off the pianist’s virtuosity first and foremost, but also captures a listener’s attention with jazzy rhythms, ear-catching tunes … and a number of big climaxes” (Seen and Heard International).
Learn more: cso.org/performances/23-24/cso-classical/tchaikovsky-pathetique-and-trifonov -
Grammy Award-winning violinist Joshua Bell presents The Elements, a suite of five works for violin and orchestra, commissioned by Bell and written by leading American composers Kevin Puts (Earth), Edgar Meyer (Water), Jake Heggie (Fire), Jennifer Higdon (Air), and CSO Mead Composer-in-Residence Jessie Montgomery (Space). Conductor Juraj Valčuha frames the program with Weber’s Oberon Overture and Shostakovich’s jaunty, mischievous First Symphony.
The June 15 performance of The Elements with Joshua Bell is a part of the 2023/24 Season of CSO MusicNOW.
Learn more: cso.org/performances/23-24/cso-classical/the-elements-with-joshua-bell - Show more
