The disrespect with which Daniel Barenboim holds the Beethoven Ninth Symphony was apparent in his first concert as CSO music director back in the fall of 1991 when he concluded the concert with the finale choral movement only of the piece, the musical equivalent of motel sex with no foreplay. Since then, there have been a couple of occasions when Barenboim and the CSO have performed the full work together, none of them particularly memorable. What then to make of the full work as the choice for what Barenboim says will be his last concert ever with the CSO? The ending itself being so rousing that even if the performance is lackluster, there is still a guaranteed sense of occasion and standing ovation? Who knows what he has up his sleeve, but my bet is that Barenboim will pull out all of the stops and make this the performance of a lifetime, helping leave an indelible sense of regret at his huffy departure. There is no chorus on the planet that can scale the choral stratosphere of this work—written after Beethoven was totally deaf and was writing his most introspective music not limited by his outer ear—like the CSO chorus, who will also perform Beethoven’s “Choral” Fantasy to open this Musicians’ Pension Fund sold-out-for-over-a-year concert, but turn-backs, standbys and sidewalk vendors should reward the persistent. (Dennis Polkow)
Scenes From A Season: An Inside Look at a Year with Riccardo Muti and the Chicago Symphony Walking out onto the stage last September, Muti was receiving his first applause at Orchestra Hall in over nineteen months. The celebrated Italian-born music director of the CSO, who had turned eighty two months earlier, was clearly moved. What made the acclamation unusual was that the hall was empty. The orchestra itself was providing heartfelt and sustained applause, greeting Muti…
A Positive Light: The Soul Children of Chicago Sing "O-o-h Child" at Chicago Live! The Chicago Live! concerts coincide with the last weekend of “State of Sound: A World of Music from Illinois” music exhibit. As a sendoff, the Soul Children of Chicago will sing “O-o-h Child” in tribute to this socially significant Chicago song. The thirty-piece choir has been rehearsing the song for a month and the pier audience will be encouraged to…
