The CSO is playing and it's turned into a pretty awesome night. Beethoven isn't really my thing, but it's enjoyable. The second half should prove more exciting with Schreker and Wagner.
Update (8/6/2008): The CSO played the overture to Die Gezeichneten, an opera by Franz Schreker. It was the first time the CSO had ever played this piece, and it was magnificent. I was slightly surprised, scanning Schreker’s bio earlier yesterday evening, that the CSO hadn’t played this piece before, considering that Schreker was a premier composer in his day. Before playing the overture, Ravinia Music Director James Conlon explained the history of Schreker’s work. Turns out, almost all of Schreker’s work was destroyed by the Nazi’s during WWII (he was half Jewish), virtually sending his numerous and highly-praised contributions to the opera world into oblivion. Isn’t that horrible? I’m glad I got to hear this overture last night. Conlon said that Die Gezeichneten has never had a North American production, even though it was considered a masterpiece when it premiered in Frankfurt in 1918. However, a production is scheduled in LA (I think?) in 2010. Amazing to me that it takes over 80 years to undo something so unjust.
[...] theme of this series sound very interesting. They introduced the idea earlier this summer when the CSO premiered an overture from a long-lost Franz Schreker [...]
By: You know it’s been a long week « robertianish on September 18|08
at 11:51 am