The CSO’s season-opening concert on Friday was only Ravinia’s second since the park canceled or postponed events after a mass shooting during the suburb's Fourth of July parade.
. And principal conductor Marin Alsop didn’t address it at all, instead using her short remarks to prime audiences to the late composer Julia Perry , who wrote the evening’s starter, “Short Piece for Large Orchestra.” It was as if the festival, like many of us, was still fumbling its way forward — whatever that means.
Chief among the pyrotechnicians was Stewart Goodyear, headlining Ravinia for the first time in more than 20 years with Tchaikovsky’s larger-than-life Piano Concerto No. 1. The best of Goodyear’s interpretation scratched itches one didn’t even know they had — rolled chords in the first movement unfurled with a snap, and the pared-down pianism of the second movement came off as both intimate and sweetly cheeky.
If razzle-dazzle is the Ravinia set’s yardstick, however, Goodyear delivered on that front. The Pavilion gave him an extended standing ovation, interpolated by a couple futile calls for an encore. Goodyear, visibly sweaty in the muggy weather, graciously acknowledged the applause but retreated for much-deserved rest.
In a best-hits concert like this one, it’s high praise when the program rarity craters the biggest impact. Before Friday, the CSO had never played Julia Perry’s “Short Piece for Large Orchestra” — a tongue-in-cheek name for the stoic opus which Perry revisited throughout her career, and which has since become her most performed work.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Yosemite National Park bans campfires in some areas of park as Washburn Fire growsYosemite National Park visitors will be prohibited from having campfires in some areas of the park starting Saturday to reduce the threat of sparking new wildfires.
Read more »
Dozens gather to mourn 17-year-old shot and killed at Brighton parkFamily and friends gathered at Ken Mitchell Park in Brighton Friday night to remember 17-year-old Josiah Gonzales, who was shot and killed at the park earlier this week. via CB_Cotton
Read more »
New LACMA exhibit showcases Korean ink master Park Dae Sung's paintingsKorean history and calligraphy are showcased at a new LACMA exhibition featuring artist Park Dae Sung. Eight of his works of art, including massive ink paintings, are now on display.
Read more »
Orphaned brown bear cub from Alaska arrives at Woodland Park ZooOn Wednesday, Woodland Park Zoo welcomed a new brown bear cub, an orphaned female found roaming alone on an air force base near Anchorage, Alaska. FOX13
Read more »
Jewish community in Highland Park grieves, takes action after mass shootingRabbi Michael Sommer's congregation has been 'in a state of shock' ever since seven people were killed in a mass shooting during a July Fourth parade in Highland Park, Illinois.
Read more »