CSO_1415_Catalog

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18 2014/15 Season Highlight MUTI CONDUCTS 4 SCRIABIN MASTERPIECES “Mankind must be preached to. It must be led along new paths!” — Alexander Scriabin — One hundred years ago, in April 1915, the wildly controversial Russian composer and visionary Alexander Scriabin died, aged just 43. To mark his centennial and honor his remarkable achievements, Riccardo Muti, one of this great artist’s most passionate and celebrated interpreters, conducts a thrilling sequence of orchestral masterpieces. In addition to the famous Poem of Ecstasy, subscribers will hear the richly romantic Symphony Nos. 1 and 2 and the epic Third Symphony, The Divine Poem. Amazingly, all four pieces were written within nine years at the start of the 20th century. Scriabin’s First Symphony, from 1900, is almost operatic, its six movements culminating in a heavenly chorale for chorus and two solo voices. By contrast, the five-movement Second Symphony from the very next year is more classical and tragic, although it ends in a triumphant blaze of C major. In 1902, only one more year after the Second, Scriabin began his Third. By now numbered symphonies were less important to him than his rapidly developing spiritual ideas; therefore, he gave this new piece a suggestive French name—Le Divin Poème—and put explanatory titles at the top of each of the three main movements: “Luttes” (Struggles), “Voluptés” (Pleasures) and “Jeu divin” (Divine Play). Le Poème de l’extase (The Poem of Ecstasy), composed between 1905 and 1908, was effectively Scriabin’s Fourth Symphony, though he never called it that. There are no separate movements; instead a single surging stream of music leads from a delicate introduction to one of the loudest and most overpowering climaxes in the entire orchestral repertoire. To accompany this mighty work, the composer wrote a poem in Russian which helps explain the music: in the darkness of chaos, the Male (represented by the trumpet) encounters the Female. The result is what Scriabin calls: “… a moment illuminating eternity… affirmation… ecstasy…” As well as being a symphonic composer, Scriabin is one of the most important composers for piano in the history of the instrument. To complement Maestro Muti’s orchestral journey, a number of Scriabin’s works will be included in the SCP Piano series, including his last major work in the medium, his Sonata No. 10 of 1913, music which Scriabin himself described as: “… born from the sun…“ SEE PAGE 4 FOR THE DATES AND SERIES LISTINGS FOR THESE WORKS.
CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | RICCARDO MUTI Music Director | 312-294-3000 | CSO.ORG 19 FRIDAY C 5 concerts at 8:00 NOV 7 JAN 9 MAR 20 MAY 1 JUN 12 November 7 DVOŘáK NEW WORLD SYMPHONY Cristian Macelaru conductor Elena Urioste violin Brahms, arr. Dvořák Hungarian Dance Nos. 17–21 Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1 Dvořák Symphony No. 9 (From the New World) January 9 LEWIS PLAYS BEETHOVEN EMPEROR Vasily Petrenko conductor Paul Lewis piano Elgar In the South (Alassio) Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5 (Emperor) Rachmaninov Symphonic Dances “One of the fi nest Beethoven interpreters of his generation” (The New York Times), Paul Lewis returns to the CSO for Beethoven’s most beloved and charming piano concerto. Vasily Petrenko has equally been acclaimed for his performances of 20th-century Russian repertoire, and this performance of Rachmaninov’s wryly apocalyptic Symphonic Dances is sure to be a roof-raiser. March 20 CHARLES DUTOIT AND YO-YO MA Charles Dutoit conductor Yo-Yo Ma cello Robert Chen violin Ravel Valses nobles et sentimentales Debussy Symphonic Fragments from The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian Saint-Saëns La muse et le poète Lalo Cello Concerto Revered cellist and CSO Judson and Joyce Green Creative Consultant Yo-Yo Ma joins concertmaster Robert Chen for a touching and tender duet in Saint-Saëns’ La muse et le poète, then returns as soloist in Lalo’s noble and lyrical Cello Concerto. In the fi rst half of this program, Charles Dutoit conducts Debussy’s otherworldly Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian and Ravel’s poignant Valses nobles et sentimentales. May 1 BICKET CONDUCTS BACH Harry Bicket conductor Kristian Bezuidenhout harpsichord Rameau Dance Suite from Platée Poulenc Concert champêtre Bach, arr. Stravinsky Four Preludes and Fugues from The Well-Tempered Clavier Bach Orchestral Suite No. 3 June 12 MUTI CONDUCTS TCHAIKOVSKY MANFRED Riccardo Muti conductor Scriabin The Poem of Ecstasy Tchaikovsky Manfred Symphony Tchaikovsky’s Manfred Symphony, based on Byron’s dramatic semi-autobiographical poem, is among the composer’s most brilliant and affecting inspirations. Its themes of tender love and exquisite longing find a perfect complement in Scriabin’s fervid Poem of Ecstasy. The extraordinarily colorful orchestration reverberates with sensuality and intimate emotion. Photos clockwise from upper left: Riccardo Muti, Cristian Macelaru, Elena Urioste, Vasily Petrenko, Harry Bicket, Kristian Bezuidenhout
Page 1 and 2: 2014 /15 Global Sponsor of the CSO
Page 3 and 4: CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | RICCAR
Page 15 and 16: 2014/15 Season Highlight 15 MUTI CO
Page 17: CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | RICCAR
Page 21 and 22: 2014/15 Season Highlight 21 L’enf
Page 25 and 26: AN AGENCY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS
Page 29 and 30: 2014/15 Season Highlight 29 MAHLER
Page 33 and 34: Telling the stories of music | 3 FR
Page 35 and 36: Great music. Unforgettable moments.
Page 37 and 38: SYMPHONY CENTER PRESENTS | 312-294-
Page 39 and 40: SYMPHONY CENTER PRESENTS | 312-294-
Page 41 and 42: Chicago’s most vibrant new music
Page 43 and 44: Chicago’s seasonal favorite retur
Page 45 and 46: 312-294-3000 | CSO.ORG 45 Save up t
Page 47 and 48: 312-294-3000 | CSO.ORG 47 SPECIAL C

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