SYMPHONY CENTER PRESENTS 2019/20 The Biggest Names in Classical Music — Celebrating Beethoven’s 250th Birthday WELCOME The Brightest Stars in Classical Music Light Up Symphony Center Symphony Center celebrates the 250th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven’s birth during the 2019/20 season. Join us for thrilling performances by the world’s finest classical artists, including: l Evgeny Kissin, Maurizio Pollini, Sir András Schiff and more performing the complete Beethoven piano sonatas as part of a Symphony Center celebration of Beethoven’s 250th birthday. l The return of acclaimed trio Emanuel Ax, Leonidas Kavakos and Yo-Yo Ma to the Symphony Center Presents Chamber Music series for an all-Beethoven program. l Yannick Nézet-Séguin, “the greatest generator of energy on the international podium” (The Financial Times), conducting the Orchestre Métropolitain de Montréal and illustrious mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato in a concert of Mozart arias and Bruckner’s stirring Fourth Symphony. l Dynamic young pianists Yuja Wang and Daniil Trifonov returning to the SCP Piano series and the debut of rising star George Li. Subscribing Has Its Rewards SEMYON BYCHKOV l Incredible music at great prices — up to 38% off single tickets! l The best seats in the house, reserved only for our subscribers l Free, flexible and easy exchanges l Additional savings on parking, shopping and more! See page 13 of this brochure for more about the benefits and savings you’ll enjoy as a Symphony Center Presents subscriber. Order now at cso.org/subscribe or call 312-294-3000 for personalized service. 2 SYMPHONY CENTER PRESENTS CSO.ORG 312-294-3000 3 Symphony Center Presents 4-Concert Series Intimate performances with some of the most illustrious names in CHAMBER classical music. Subscribe and save up to 38%! See pricing on page 14. 27 OCT Christian Tetzlaff violin / Lars Vogt piano BEETHOVEN Violin Sonata No. 6 in A Major, Op. 30, No. 1 3:00 SHOSTAKOVICH Violin Sonata / KURTÁG Tre Pezzi / FRANCK Violin Sonata MUSIC Christian Tetzlaff and Lars Vogt, each eloquent soloists with a long history of performing together, make a thrilling recital appearance. This evocative program features rich and colorful violin sonatas by Beethoven, Shostakovich and Franck, as well as György Kurtág’s Tre Pezzi, which showcases both instruments in new and haunting ways. “With Christian Tetzlaff and Lars Vogt, everything sounds bigger and better. Brilliant musicianship” (The Boston Globe). 22 JAN Anne-Sophie Mutter violin Lambert Orkis piano 7:30 BEETHOVEN Violin Sonata No. 4 in A Minor, Op. 23 Violin Sonata No. 5 in F Major, Op. 24 (Spring) Violin Sonata No. 9 in A Major, Op. 47 (Kreutzer) Anne-Sophie Mutter returns with her longtime collaborative partner Lambert Orkis to perform three of Beethoven’s celebrated violin sonatas. Ranging from refreshing and sunny to sorrowful and full of anguish, each sonata reveals different facets of the composer’s psyche as he began to wrestle with increasing symptoms of deafness. 2 MAR Emanuel Ax piano / Leonidas Kavakos violin / Yo-Yo Ma cello BEETHOVEN Piano Trio in C Minor, Op. 1, No. 3 7:30 Piano Trio in E-flat Major, Op. 70, No. 2 / Piano Trio in B-flat Major, Op. 97 (Archduke) Three of today’s most extraordinary musicians come together again for an intimate and unforgettable performance of works by Beethoven. The trio returns after a sold-out 2018 appearance at Symphony Center that the Chicago Tribune praised as “warmly engaged and richly communicative… no wonder the fans erupted in an affirmative roar at the end. Chamber music playing doesn’t get any better than this.” joyce didonato 31 MAY Joyce DiDonato mezzo-soprano / Il Pomo d’Oro 3:00 Entrancing mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato makes her series debut alongside Il Pomo d’Oro, recognized around the world for the group’s authentic and dynamic baroque and classical interpretations. Together they perform arias by Monteverdi, Gluck, Handel and Purcell. “DiDonato’s instinctive feeling for the drama within each aria carried the day, enhanced at every turn by the wonderfully vivacious support she received from the fine young Pomo d’Oro” (Chicago Tribune). christian tetzlaff lars vogt anne-sophie mutter 4 SYMPHONY CENTER PRESENTS CSO.ORG 312-294-3000 5 Symphony Center Presents 3-Concert Series Exceptional ensembles from around the world take the stage at ORCHESTRAS Orchestra Hall. Subscribe and save up to 32%! See pricing on page 14. kent nagano and the montreal symphony orchestra denis matsuev giancarlo guerrero 15 OCT Montreal Symphony Orchestra PROKOFIEV Symphony No. 1 (Classical) 7:30 RACHMANINOV Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini BARTÓK Concerto for Orchestra Kent Nagano conductor Denis Matsuev piano The illustrious Montreal Symphony Orchestra returns with music director Kent Nagano for a program of works by Bartók and Prokofiev. Electrifying pianist Denis Matsuev joins for Rachmaninov’s exquisite, well-loved Rhapsody. “Nagano’s conducting was a model of taut rhythmic definition, athleticism and atmosphere…the Montreal musicians were at the world-class top of their game” (Chicago Tribune). yannick nÉzet-sÉguin 19 NOV Orchestre Métropolitain de Montréal MOZART Ch’io mi scordi di te? ... Non temer, amato bene 7:30 MOZART Parto parto from La clemenza di Tito BRUCKNER Symphony No. 4 (Romantic) Yannick Nézet-Séguin conductor Joyce DiDonato mezzo-soprano Yannick Nézet-Séguin, “the greatest generator of energy on the international podium” (The Financial Times), and “a Brucknerian to be reckoned with” (MusicWeb International), brings his Montreal ensemble to Symphony Center for a performance of the composer’s stirring Fourth Symphony. A mezzo-soprano of “flawless virtuosity” and “glowing beauty of tone” (The Daily Telegraph), Joyce DiDonato performs two of Mozart’s most famous arias. 25 JAN NFM Wrocław Philharmonic Orchestra LUTOSŁAWSKI Symphonic Variations BARTÓK Piano Concerto No. 3 7:30 BRAHMS Symphony No. 1 Giancarlo Guerrero conductor Piotr Anderszewski piano The NFM Wrocław Philharmonic Orchestra has been growing in international acclaim since the opening of its new concert hall, Poland’s National Forum of Music, and the appointment of music director Giancarlo Guerrero, “an authoritative conductor with confidence and flair” (Seen and Heard International). They perform Brahms’ sublime First Symphony and Bartók’s final completed work with Polish pianist Piotr Anderszewski, celebrated for his “intellectual power and keen imagination” (The Daily Telegraph). 6 SYMPHONY CENTER PRESENTS CSO.ORG 312-294-3000 7 Symphony Center Presents 10 Sundays at 3:00 / 5-Concert Series A or B Dazzling displays of virtuosity from internationally acclaimed pianists in recital. This season, Symphony Center celebrates the 250th anniversary PIANO of Beethoven’s birth by presenting all 32 of the great composer’s exquisite piano sonatas. Subscribe and save up to 38%! See pricing on page 14. 13 OCT Kirill Gerstein § beethoven piano sonata cycle § BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 2, No. 2 A Sonata No. 16 in G Major, Op. 31, No. 1 / Sonata No. 22 in F Major, Op. 54 Sonata No. 19 in G Minor, Op. 49, No. 1 / Sonata No. 4 in E-flat Major, Op. 7 A survey of Beethoven’s complete piano sonatas on the Symphony Center Presents Piano series opens with the versatile Kirill Gerstein performing sonatas from the composer’s early and middle periods, including the bright No. 2, the deeply affecting No. 19 and the humorous No. 22. “Gerstein translates his ideas into music clearly, giving the Beethoven a speedy dramatic style and impulsive direction. Everything seems deliberately shaped…a most refined performance” (Salzburger Nachrichten). yuja wang 10 NOV Rudolf Buchbinder § beethoven piano sonata cycle § BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 10, No. 1 B Sonata No. 6 in F Major, Op. 10, No. 2 / Sonata No. 7 in D Major, Op. 10, No. 3 Sonata No. 18 in E-flat Major, Op. 31, No. 3 Austrian pianist Rudolf Buchbinder, an artist of “immense and focused force” and “piano purism” (NPR), concludes his share of the Beethoven piano sonata cycle with the three Op. 10 sonatas that showed the composer boldly experimenting. He closes the program with the jocular No. 18, nicknamed “The Hunt” for its horn-call theme. the appearance of rudolf buchbinder is generously sponsored by js charitable trust. 16 FEB Yuja Wang B Yuja Wang has captivated audiences around the world with her dazzling performances. Witness her charismatic artistry as she returns to Symphony Center in recital. “Wang’s combination of technical ease and sheer power has always been remarkable…but there is an ever-greater depth to her musicianship, drawing you into the world of each composer with compelling immediacy” (The Financial Times). 1 MAR Daniil Trifonov BACH/BRAHMS Chaconne for the Left Hand A BACH/RACHMANINOV Prelude, Gavotte and Gigue from Violin Partita in E Major kirill gerstein rudolf buchbinder daniil trifonov sir andrÁs schiff BACH/LISZT Fantasy and Fugue in G Minor / BACH The Art of Fugue Russian piano star Daniil Trifonov, acclaimed for his outstanding performances, returns to the Symphony Center Presents Piano series. “One was struck not only by Trifonov’s comprehensive technique and aptly gigantic sound but by the precision and sonic depth of his performance” (Chicago Tribune). 29 MAR Sir András Schiff § beethoven piano sonata cycle § BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 24 in F-sharp Major, Op. 78 A Sonata No. 25 in G Major, Op. 79 Sonata No. 26 in E-flat Major, Op. 81a (Les Adieux) Sonata No. 27 in E Minor, Op. 90 / Sonata No. 28 in A Major, Op. 101 Sir András Schiff has received overwhelming critical acclaim for his performances of Beethoven’s sonatas. He continues the complete Beethoven sonatas this season with a chronological presentation that includes the lyrical À Thérèse and the poignant Les Adieux (The Farewell), which Beethoven dedicated to his friend the Archduke Rudolph following his exile from Vienna by Napoléon Bonaparte.