Illnesses force personnel changes in Lyric, CSO performances
Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra have announced key artist changes for performances this month.
Italian tenor Vincenzo La Scola has been forced to withdraw from his scheduled performances as Turiddu in "Cavalleria Rusticana" on advice from his doctors, general director William Mason has announced. La Scola is suffering from recurring asthma.
Uruguayan tenor Carlo Ventre, who has portrayed Turiddu in the Lyric's production of Pietro Mascagni's opera since it opened Feb. 14, will continue in the role for the remaining five performances, Saturday night through March 27.
"We extend best wishes for Mr. La Scola's recovery," Mason said. "We are fortunate that Mr. Ventre is able to remain in Chicago to continue in his excellent portrayal."
"Cavalleria Rusticana" is half the Lyric's double bill, paired with Ruggero Leoncavallo's "Pagliacci." For ticket availability for the remaining five "Cav/Pag" performances, call (312) 332.2244, Ext. 5600, or visit lyricopera.org.
Over at Symphony Center, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra has announced that conductor Jaap van Zweden will replace Semyon Bychkov for the CSO's subscription concerts March 19, 20 and 21. According to Bychkov's management, he has been advised not to travel for a limited period, following a small surgical procedure.
The concert program will feature Johannes Brahms' Symphony No. 4 and Franz Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 2 with soloist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, as originally announced. Detlev Glanert's "Theatrum bestiarum" has been postponed, with Bychkov planning to conduct the work here when he returns in the 2009-2010 season. Instead, Van Zweden will conduct Johan Wagenaar's "Cyrano de Bergerac" Overture to complete the program.
Van Zweden, a native of the Netherlands, made his critically acclaimed Chicago Symphony debut last October, leading Anton Bruckner's Symphony No. 5, when he replaced Riccardo Chailly on short notice. Van Zweden is both in his first seasons as music director of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and chief conductor of the Royal Flemish Philharmonic. He also is chief conductor and artistic director of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic and Chamber Philharmonic.
Also, the CSO has announced that pianist Valentina Lisitsa will replace Hélène Grimaud for this weekend's concerts (8 p.m. today and Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday). The program remains as previously announced: Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 and Piano Concerto No. 5 with guest conductor James Gaffigan. Lisitsa made her Symphony Center debut March 1, with violinist Hilary Hahn in recital
For additional information about this weekend's or the March 19-21 concerts, call (312) 294-3000.
Haitink's Mahler's First on sale: Chicago Symphony Orchestra principal conductor Bernard Haitink's Gustav Mahler recording series with the orchestra added another chapter this week with the release of the Symphony No. 1 on the orchestra's CSO Resound label: The recording is available on standard CD, hybrid SACD and by digital download.
The CD is available beginning this week in U.S. retail outlets, with the full album download on sale at iTunes. The hybrid SACD version of the recording will be available in the U.S. only at The Symphony Store, 220 S. Michigan Ave., or on line at cso.org.
The full download will be on iTunes exclusively for 60 days, and on Tuesday, May 12, it will be made available from additional digital music outlets, including eMusic, Rhapsody and Amazon, through a partnership with the Independent Online Distribution Alliance (IODA). High-quality lossless downloads will be available at HDtracks.com beginning May 12.
Symphony No. 1 ("Titan") is the fifth CSO Resound recording under Haitink, following Mahler's Third and Sixth Symphonies, Bruckner's Seventh and Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphony No. 4, the latter recently winning the 2008 Grammy Award for "Best Orchestral Performance."
Haitink is scheduled to conclude his term as CSO principal conductor with a three-week Beethoven festival at Symphony Center in June 2010. Riccardo Muti will take over as music director later that year.
The Chicago Symphony's catalog of more than 900 recordings has earned 60 Grammy Awards, more than any other orchestra in the world. In 2007, the CSO launched its in-house record label, CSO Resound. All CSO Resound releases are selected, pending artistic approval of the conductor and musicians, from live recordings of CSO concerts in Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center.
The Grammy-winning two-disc (CD and DVD) set of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 4, including a video of the CSO's "Beyond the Score" musical exploration of the work, was released last August.