CSO Audio Program Notes

CSO Artist-in-Residence Daniil Trifonov, “without question the most astounding pianist of our age” (The Times of London), takes on Brahms’ Second Piano Concerto, as remarkable for its rich orchestral writing as for its simultaneously glittering and muscular piano part. Dvořák’s turbulent Seventh Symphony is both an expression of the composer’s personal crises and a lyrical tribute to the Czech spi...

In his Third Symphony, Mahler portrays the whole of earthly existence. Its six movements — written for a massive orchestra, two choruses and a contralto soloist — explore humanity’s relationship with nature using fanfares, marches, folk dances and bird calls. Children’s voices portray angels while the sixth movement is a pantheistic love song to all of creation. Learn more: cso.org/performances/24...

Dancers from Chicago’s world-renowned Joffrey Ballet join the CSO with newly commissioned choreographies. Symphonies by Haydn and the Chevalier de Saint-Georges abound in witty and joyful melodies while two 20th-century works are full of popular influences: Perkinson’s jazz-tinted Sinfonietta No. 1 and Milhaud’s rollicking Brazilian postcard, The Ox on the Roof. Learn more: cso.org/performances/24...

Earth, in all its marvelous vitality and fragility, has inspired generations of composers. In The Oceanides, Sibelius conjures the water nymphs of Greek mythology and the broad majesty of the sea. Dvořák’s The Wild Dove is based on a dark folktale about a dove’s prophetic song. Childhood memories shape Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances, his sumptuous masterpiece. Learn more: cso.org/performances/24-2...

Journey up the Rhine River, as lovingly portrayed in Robert Schumann’s Rhenish Symphony. Listen for the flowing water and contemplate the majesty of the Cologne Cathedral. To begin, Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider leads and performs the rich and alluring melodies of Bruch’s First Violin Concerto. Pierre Boulez’s iridescent Livre pour cordes marks the centenary of the composer’s birth. This program will also...

Shostakovich’s Eleventh Symphony unfolds with the immediacy of a newsreel as it depicts the harrowing events of the 1905 Russian Revolution. Brimming with rebellious anthems and prisoners’ songs, the Cold War-era score is widely heard as a veiled critique of the Soviet regime. Rachmaninov’s First Piano Concerto, a farewell to Russia, features the captivating Simon Trpčeski. Learn more: cso.org/per...

Composed as Napoleon’s forces were threatening Austria, Haydn’s Mass in Time of War features an extraordinarily ominous use of timpani and ends with a plea for peace. Beethoven’s spirited First Symphony bears the influence of Haydn but also foreshadows the development of his own compositional style. MacMillan’s eloquent Larghetto is based on his choral setting of Psalm 51. Learn more: cso.org/perf...

Celebrating Womens History Month - Broadcast by CSO Association

Hear why Ravel is a classical music master, whether capturing the sensuous allure of Spain in Rapsodie espagnole or summoning “the Greece of [his] dreams” in his ravishing suite from Daphnis and Chloe. Barber’s Second Essay reflects the turbulent emotions of wartime. CSO Principal Clarinet Stephen Williamson solos in the world premiere of Indigo Heaven, a work written for him by American composer...

The cool of the Arctic meets the warmth of Italy. The brooding, majestic themes of Sibelius’ Fifth Symphony evoke the remote landscapes of conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali’s native Finland. Tchaikovsky transports listeners to a Roman carnival in his Capriccio Italien. Seong-Jin Cho, lauded for his “expert music-making … miraculous in its execution” (The New York Times), takes on Prokofiev’s incendi...

Mixing ceremonial pomp with pastoral splendor, this survey of British classics features Haydn’s last and grandest symphonic statement, the London Symphony; exquisite gems by Elgar and Britten, and the soaring beauty of Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending with violinist Stella Chen, winner of the prestigious Queen Elisabeth Competition and Gramophone’s 2023 Young Artist of the Year. Marking the 15...

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...

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 supe...

Kanneh-Mason Plays Elgar - Broadcast by CSO Association

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...

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 mo...

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/perform...

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 enchant...

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/pe...

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 mod...

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:...

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-clas...

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 T...

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.o...

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