1st Live Encounter with Beethoven's 5th (by the CSO) Puts Me on the 9th Cloud -- Chicago Classical Concert Review

Classical Music Review

Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67
Songs by Schubert and Strauss
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Jaap van Zweden, Conductor
Matthias Goerne, Baritone
February 8, 2015
(Same program on Feb. 5 & 7)
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Here's a piece of highly analytical, incisively astute and undoubtedly rather shocking arts criticism:

In performing perhaps the most famous composition in classical musical history, one of the world's greatest symphony orchestras sounded absolutely phenomenal. 

At least to my untrained ears. 

If you are looking for someone to assess whether on Sunday afternoon the Chicago Symphony Orchestra played Beethoven's 5th Symphony as well as they or some other orchestra did at some other point in time, well, to quote a Bob Dylan song (perhaps only because Ludwig didn't write lyrics as far as I know):

"It ain't me, babe, it ain't me you're looking for, babe."

When it comes to classical music, I'm about as far from an expert as anyone who enjoys and appreciates the art form can get. 

The number of classical pieces for which I could convincingly name the composer upon hearing even the most notable segment would likely be countable on two hands. 

And even though Beethoven's 5th is one of those, thanks to its famed "dun-dun-duh-dunnn" opening, if you played me a random minute of the near 40-minute symphony, chances are good I would draw a blank.

That said, much of it is familiar enough--if only through osmosis--or at least aurally congruent to the initial refrain, that the entire work sounds glorious. 

So even though when it comes to classical music, I simply like what I like, even without knowing what I'm hearing--with full orchestra pieces with sonically-exciting (i.e. loud and fast) sections being the most overtly savory ear candy--the truth is that familiarity certainly breeds delight. 

Hence, even though some may think a major metropolitan orchestra performing Beethoven's 5th Symphony is analogous to a classic movie house showing Casablanca, an opera company staging La Bohème or a purveyor of jazz recordings promoting Kind of Blue, I have no problem embracing artistic creations that are uber-famous.

They usually are for good reason. 

And opportunities--or one's one election--to see or hear them aren't nearly as commonplace as one may think.

But though I had desirably noticed Beethoven's masterpiece on the CSO's schedule months ago, I must plead the 5th and admit that I didn't have a ticket until about 30 minutes before I left for Symphony Center on Sunday. (That convolution of cliché doesn't quite work, but just go with it.)

Matthias Goerne

In checking ticket availability in recent weeks, I found prices--even way up in the gallery--to be $75+, well beyond what I could justify, especially as I was already booked to see a play at Goodman Theatre on Sunday night. 

So as much as I wanted to hear Beethoven's 5th by the CSO, I didn't think I would. 

But sometime after Noon, I got a text from my friend Paolo, who had a pair of tickets for the 3pm performance, one of which became available at the last minute. 

After working out some logistics regarding getting to the play that evening with my mom, I happily was able to accept Paolo's gracious offer and get to the symphony matinee. 

And I'm obviously glad I did.

Rather than Music Director Riccardo Muti, who I still haven't seen conduct the CSO as illness forced him to miss a few performances I attended early in his reign, the scheduled conductor was Jaap van Zweden, a Dutchman who is music director of both the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra.

Jaap van Zweden. Photo credit: Hans van der Woerd

I am pretty sure I will never really know or ascertain how much a conductor acutely affects during a performance. I once asked a non-CSO orchestra musician I met on a train and he said that while a given conductor can be pivotal in helping performers understand and prepare a piece ahead of time, and all the hand gestures do serve a definite purpose, the direct effect in real-time isn't all that great as the orchestra members generally know their parts and where they fit without seeing the cues.

But whatever Maestro van Zweden was supposed to do, it seems he did it very well. I have no reason to imagine what I heard would have been any better if led by Muti or anyone else.

Although Beethoven's 5th was clearly the main event, and promoted as such, the first half of the program was also rather enjoyable.

With acclaimed German baritone Matthias Goerne on vocals, van Zweden led the CSO through 11 brief songs either by Franz Schubert or Richard Strauss (see image at the top of this piece for the full list).

Other than in opera--and these weren't arias--I had never heard songs with lyrics/vocals in a classical music vein before. But while some pieces were more acutely pleasing than others and I don't think I'd have relished a full program of such songs, Goerne sounded terrific as did the orchestra.

Thus it made for an enjoyable opening half and nice accompaniment to Beethoven.

Still, when a young woman who was sitting next to me didn't return after intermission, I said incredulously to Paolo, "She left after the hors d'oeuvres???"

And what a main course to have missed; I'm delighted to have devoured it.

As I posted post-show on Facebook:

Hearing the Chicago Symphony Orchestra play Beethoven's 5th Symphony is about as good as music gets, at least in classical form.

And now, in almost 900 more words, I have pretty much said the same thing. I probably could have just used one:

Bravo!

Come Hear the Music Play: On a Stellar NU 'Cabaret' and a Visit to the CSO

Brief recaps & reviews without specific ratings:

Cabaret
Ethel Barber Theater
Northwestern University, Evanston
Thru March 2

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Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Program of Stravinsky & Ravel
February 27, 2014
Repeats March 1, 2014

I generally don't review college theater productions and don't feel qualified to critique a classical music concert, but wanted to broach on a couple fine performances I attended the last two nights.

In both cases, I was treated to my ticket, all the more reason not to invoke anything approaching pointed criticism.

But as the Northwestern University production of Cabaret and the particular Chicago Symphony Orchestra program I saw have performances tonight, and in the case of the former, tomorrow, I thought I'd make a point of recommending both.

Particularly a rather terrific rendition of Cabaret, for which cheap tickets are listed on HotTix.

The Kander & Ebb masterpiece centered around a Berlin cabaret on the precipice of Nazi rule is one of my favorite musicals of all-time. I've liked it every time I've seen it, including a professional version by Light Opera Works on the Northwestern campus last August, but I found this student-based production even more satisfying.

As one expects from students of NU's acclaimed Theater & Interpretation Center, the singing was superb throughout, with impressive work by Ella Pennington (Sally Bowles), Fergus Inder (the Emcee), Ryan Bernsten (Cliff Bradshaw), Meghan Stanton (Fraulein Schneider) and Jared Corak (Herr Schultz). Which isn't to infer that anyone else wasn't good; the entire cast did a great job.

Directed by Nick Bowling, who has done much stellar work on TimeLine Theatre productions, this version can certainly serve as an excellent introduction to anyone unfamiliar with one of the true masterpieces of musical theater, and likely should please anyone who has long loved Cabaret.

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I don't get down to Orchestra Hall, Symphony Center or whatever it's called these days as much as I should. And most recently I'd been there for a terrific jazz concert, so it was a pleasure to again see and hear the great Chicago Symphony Orchestra at full bore.

Which actually serves to explain what I loved, and only liked, about Thursday's performance, which repeats again tonight after doing so last night.

The evening's selections were curated by Pierre Boulez, the CSO's conductor emeritus, who was supposed to lead the program until he was precluded from traveling (he's nearing 89 years of age).

As excellently explained by Laura Stanfield Prichard in a pre-concert conversation--I recommend attending anytime you can--Boulez likes to subvert traditional orchestral programming, and thus chose to follow a full-orchestra piece (Igor Stravinsky's Symphony in Three Movements) with eight Stravinsky "miniatures" of about a minute each.

Also within the 80-minute pre-intermission set were Chansons madecasses and Pribaoutki--both series of short operatic songs by Maurice Ravel, well-sung by mezzo-soprano J'nai Bridges--and a partial-orchestra Concertina by Stravinsky.

The "second act" had just three short works--two Stravinsky, one Ravel--and like all the pieces, were introduced on video by Boulez.

While I appreciate Boulez' intent in melding various types of works into an evening's CSO performance, as a classical musical neophyte I found things rather disjointed after the sublime 30-minute opening, full-bore piece.

And like many, I imagine, who don't innately know classical music, I like it most when played loud and/or fast. Thus Stravinsky's Symphony in Three Movements and the final piece--listed as Ravel's Alborada del gracioso, but the Boulez' videos left me uncertain if works were played in program guide order--were the most pleasing, as they let the whole bunch of gifted musicians blast away, so to speak.

I didn't like anything I heard as much as Mozart and Beethoven works I actually know, but everything was well-done, and made for a very pleasing re-acquaintance with the CSO, one of Chicago's great cultural treasures.

I hope to get there again sooner than I had this time. .