The Chicago Symphony Orchestra left the sold-out audience in Foellinger Great Hall breathless Tuesday evening following its performance of Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, “From the New World.”
Known for its soaring horn melodies in the fourth movement, anticipation for the “New World Symphony” hung thick in the air as the CSO warmed up on stage.
At exactly 7:30 p.m., Concertmaster Robert Chen entered the stage and took his seat just left of the conductor’s podium.
Moments later, Riccardo Muti, CSO’s music director emeritus for life since 2023 and a shining feature of the performance, proudly approached his podium as the audience erupted with applause.
Muti is regarded as one of the greatest conductors of this era. His passion for music is visible from the very first downbeat, every muscle in his body activating to mold the orchestra’s sound with his hands. As he silently addressed the ensemble, the audience held a collective breath, excited to witness a performance led by his masterful baton.
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Before getting into the meat of the program, Muti drew in the audience with “Overture to ‘The Gypsy Baron’” by Johann Strauss Jr. The orchestration of the “New World Symphony” shows lots of love to the brass section, boldly showcasing the French horns; the Strauss flaunts the woodwind section, opening the piece with ethereal, ever-moving solos passing from reed to reed.
From the start, the CSO captivates an audience with its balance and blend alone. The ensemble’s impeccable transitions from calmness to overwhelming-in-the-best-way climaxes can only be described in one word: seamless.
As the CSO’s performance quality is significantly higher than the average ensemble, it can be easy to forget that its glorious music is actually live and not a simple audio recording. The CSO is comprised of some of the greatest musicians in the world.
“I’ve always wanted to see the Chicago Symphony,” said Arran Gross, post-doctorate faculty in astronomy, during the performance’s intermission. “I’ve always heard that it’s better than New York (Philharmonic), and I think, so far, (that) seems to be how it’s going.”
Next up in the program was Paul Hindemith’s Symphony, “Mathis der Maler.” This piece skillfully manipulates pitches to create interesting and perfectly blended dissonant chords that build to a valiant battle between the brass and strings.
Another impressive aspect of the CSO is the ensemble’s ability to allow the right sections to shine through. A single flute can float above the entire rest of the ensemble without ever sounding particularly loud.
Hindemith’s piece features the entire string section maintaining a high-pitched tremolo. At some points, the tremolo gets so quiet that the listener strains to hear it, yet its subliminal presence adds texture and color to the piece without overpowering the melody lines.
Nathanael Boston, junior in FAA, spoke to the ensemble’s impeccable cohesion and balance. He stated that the highlight of the performance, in his opinion, was “hearing the cohesiveness of the orchestra and (hearing) how every moment (was) approached with a lot of intentional musicality.”
After a 20-minute intermission to rest their chops — because even professional musicians need to recharge — the CSO was ready to roll, and the audience couldn’t have been more thrilled.
Without skipping a beat, Muti debuted the unassuming beginning of the “New World Symphony.”
Before the listener knew it, the horns cut through the somber chords, foreshadowing the power that was to come.
Throughout the first three movements, Dvořák teases the famous horn theme, sometimes passing thought-provoking fragments of the melody around the ensemble.
The ensemble sparkled throughout the second movement, evoking a feeling of peaceful nostalgia as lone woodwinds fluttered over low chords from the brass and strings.
The third movement flirted with the main theme even more, piquing interest and building excitement throughout the audience. All the way, Muti led the ensemble and audience fearlessly through the emotional journey of Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9.
Finally, the moment came; the famed, conquering horn melody pounded into every audience member’s heart. The anticipation of this moment built to an exhilarating release as the bright, commanding chords echoed throughout the concert hall.
“They were creating really well-balanced sound — really powerful,” said Ethan Snyder, sophomore in Engineering. “It was really inspiring for me as an aspiring trombone player to hear what that can sound like at that level.”
Just seconds after the silence rang through and Muti lowered his baton to signal applause, the packed house gave a rousing standing ovation, thanking the ensemble for an evening of beautiful music.
The words of Quinn Brewster, Champaign local, sum up the audience’s gratitude perfectly.
“How can you not come to the Chicago Symphony when they come to town?” Brewster said. “We’re so lucky to be in this town (where) this quality of musicians visit.”
