Scott Speck Conducts the Chicago Philharmonic on April 22
On Sunday, April 22 at 7 p.m., Scott Speck, principal conductor of the Joffrey Ballet, will lead the Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra’s third concert of the season in Speck-tacular Beethoven!. Speck will begin the evening’s program conducting Beethoven’s Fidelio Overture, from the composer’s only opera. A woman disguises herself as a prison guard named “Fidelio” in an attempt to rescue her husband from a death sentence.
Next on the program, CPO Principal Tuba Rex Martin will perform Vaughan-Williams Tuba Concerto. First viewed as an eccentric idea of an aging composer, the concerto became one of Vaughan-Williams’ most popular works. It is a challenging piece for a tuba player as the work demonstrates the tuba’s agility. Many consider it to be an essential part of a professional tuba player’s repertoire.
Robert Hanford, concertmaster of the Lyric Opera of Chicago, will follow with a performance of Camille St. Saëns’ Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso. Camille Saint-Saëns wrote this piece in 1863 for Pablo de Sarasate, a young violin prodigy. The piece became one of Saint-Saens’s most popular works.
Following intermission, Speck will lead the orchestra in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7. Beethoven considered Symphony No. 7 one of his best works. This work was first performed in Vienna to benefit injured soldiers returning from the battle of Hanau, Germany in Napoleon’s War of the Sixth Coalition. The audience embraced the beauty of the piece. The second movement has come to be one of Beethoven’s most popular pieces. It is often performed separate from the complete symphony.
This concert is generously sponsored by the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Chicago and Advanced Hearing and Balance Center in Evanston.
Location and Tickets:
All concerts take place at 7 p.m. at Pick-Staiger Hall, one of the finest classical music venues in the Chicago area. Pick-Staiger is located at 50 Arts Circle Drive in Evanston on the Northwestern University Campus. For ticket information, call the Chicago Philharmonic Business Office at 847-866-6888. Or visit www.chicagophilharmonic.org. Parking is convenient and free and Pick-Staiger is wheelchair accessible. Individual tickets are $75, $65, $38 and $20. Student tickets are $10.
About the Orchestra:
Many of the 80 members of the Chicago Philharmonic are drawn from Lyric Opera’s orchestra along with a cadre of seasoned professional musicians who have performed together over many years developing a special ensemble virtuosity that thrills the listener. The orchestra has featured world-renowned conductors such as Zubin Mehta, Sir Andrew Davis and Jesus Lopez-Cobos, and distinguished guest arts such as John Browning, Jorge Osorio and Sharon Isbin. The Orchestra is truly a treasure of the North Shore of Chicago.