'Breaking the Silence' series continues at Ravinia
The Ravinia Festival is best known for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's annual summer residency, and last week's 2008 season announcement detailed the CSO's 72nd season on the North shore, which will open July 9 when guest conductor Leonard Slatkin leads music of Beethoven, Georges Enescu and Jean Sibelius.
Following a much-anticipated Ravinia debut by CSO principal conductor Bernard Haitink with Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 6 on July 16, Ravinia music director James Conlon will take the podium for the annual benefit gala concert on Saturday, July 19, with soprano Kiri Te Kanawa making her farewell Chicago-area concert appearance.
Conlon then will he here for six more CSO concerts in the Pavilion, in which he will continue "Breaking the Silence" series of music suppressed by the Third Reich (this year's featured composer is Franz Schreker). Conlon's CSO Mahler cycle will continue with the Symphonies 7 and 8, the latter, the so-called "Symphony of a Thousand," July 26.
Conlon will also be taking the CSO into the Martin Theatre Aug. 14-17 when that historic 850-seat concert hall will host two semi-staged performances each of the Mozart operas "Don Giovanni" and "The Abduction from the Seraglio."
The Mozart operas cap Ravinia's three-year celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Austrian composer's birth.
The world's leading concert pianists have traditionally loved performing in the Martin's pleasing acoustics, and this summer's list of visiting keyboard masters is an impressive one. For example:
On June 9-10, Garrick Ohlsson will present two recitals under the title "Russian Revolution," featuring music by Sergei Rachmaninoff, Serge Prokofiev and Alexander Scriabin.
On June 16-17, pianists Ursula Oppens and Charles Rosen will participate in Ravinia's centennial celebration of the music of American composer Elliott Carter. Also taking part in this event will be the Juilliard Quartet.
Gary Graffman will play a concert June 24 titled "Left-handed Masterpieces," with music by Scriabin, Max Reger, Frederic Chopin, John Corigliano and others.
On July 8, pianist Misha Dichter will celebrate his 40th anniversary as a Ravinia guest artist. He will be joined by his wife and fellow pianist Cipa Dichter.
One of the most highly anticipated Martin Theatre events of the summer will take place July 17, when Denis Matsuev plays the U.S. premieres of two recently discovered short Rachmaninoff pieces: the Fugue in D Minor and a piano arrangement of the Suite for Orchestra in D Minor. Matsuev's all-Rachmaninoff Ravinia debut will also include a CSO performance in the Pavilion of the Third Piano Concerto under Slatkin's baton July 10.
On July 18, Emanuel Ax will visit the Martin Theatre for a recital of piano masterworks by Franz Schubert and Franz Liszt, among other composers.
Ingrid Fliter, the first woman to win the Gilmore Artist Award, will make her Ravinia debut with a program that includes two Beethoven sonatas (Nos. 18 and 31), Haydn's Sonata No. 24 and Schubert's two impromptus.
Pianist Simone Dinnerstein will perform J.S. Bach's complete "Goldberg Variations" on Aug. 25.
Most Martin Theatre programs are broadcast to the lawn, and these events (usually $30-$50) are among the best Ravinia bargains, but they sell out quickly due to the Martin Theatre's 850-seat capacity. For additional information, visit www.ravinia.org, where tickets will exclusively go on sale April 17. The main box office will open May 17.