0 w 70 -W 0 -,..".", World .class Chicago Symphony Orchestra University Musical Society Hill Auditorium 8:30 p.m., Thursday, April 14 By David Martinez W ILL THE FINAL challenger sign in please? With the Chicago Symphony Orchestra concert on April 14, the 104th Annual Choral Union Series comes to a close; a series which has brought about the importation of six world-class ensembles into the warm acoustics of Hill Auditorium. (The flood of orchestras won't nd here however, as the Philadelphia Orchestra makes its annual appearance during the May Festival, from April 27-30). According to University Musical Society President Gail Rector, "By of- fering these concerts, the world is coming to their (the students) feet," and indeed, this has been the case. Audiences this year witnessed the in- vasion of three European Orchestras - the 435 year-old Dresden Staatskapelle, the highly disciplined Prague Sym- phony Orchestra, and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra under the "batonless" leadership of Kurt Masur. Two ensembles from this side of the Atlantic have also made local ap- pearances, those being the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Boston Symphony Orchestra. These two domestic or- chestras were perfect reflections of their respective conductors. The Los Angeles Philharmonic was memorable for its emphasis on the projection of a singing melodic line, characteristic of Maestro Carlo Mario Giulini and the "Italian School", while the BSO played with an (Seiji) "Ozawan" brilliance - in both sonority and precision. Likewise, ticket holders for the Chicago Symphony concert will cer- tainly be approaching the April 14th performance with pre-conceived opinions and high expectations. Perhaps the community's eagerness to hear the CSO (the concert has been sold out for several months) is heightened by the fact that the or- chestra has not appeared in Ann Arbor since the Fall of 1968. Previous CSO tours to the Detroit area in recent years have not featured director Solti, and it was the Society's decision to wait until the two could be scheduled together before bringing the orchestra back to Ann Arbor. The wait has been justified, judging by the success of the "marriage" bet- ween the Orchestra and Solti. Under Solti's reign as Music Director since 1969, the Orchestra has made five ac- claimed foreign tours (four to Europe and one to Japan), and stockpiled twen- ty Grammy Awards from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Scien- ces, just winning most recently the "Best Classical Performance-Choral," for the Berlioz The Damnation of Faust, conducted by Sir Georg. Ever since Solti's arrival (he was previously director of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, where he was knighted by the Queen in 1972), the Chicago Symphony has increased its performance broadcasts via television and radio .- to such an extent that current figures estimate that "more people hear the Chicago Symphony on a. regular basis than any other orchestra in the world," according to findings of the Public Relations Department of the CSO. Assisting Solti in the conducting chores are Claudio Abbado - the young Principal Guest Conductor, and the famous Margaret Hillis - founder and director of the Chicago Symphony Chorus. While much credit is given to Solti and his assistants, as well as General Manager John S. Edwards, just as much, if not more distinction must be bestowed on the players - the musicians themselves. Besides the obvious prerequisites of technical command of an instrument, and natural "musicianship," members must have the endurance to play through a 31-week indoor season at Or- chestra Hall, followed by an outdoor season of six weeks at the Ravinia Festival, the summer home of the CSO. In addition, the year is sprinkled with This fact is confirmed locally by the record sales at Ann Arbor's Discount Records. Manager Jim Leonard com- mented, "Brass players do tend to buy CSO albums." Leading the brilliant horn section is Dale Clevenger, while Herseth watches over the trumpet section. The low brass principal players are Jay Friedman, with the legendary Arnold Jacobs on tuba, also a teacher of respiratory ap- plications for brass players. The other sections of the orchestra are also filled with their stars, in- cluding Ray Still on oboe, Larry Combs playing clarinet, and Walfrid Kujala on piccolo, arguably the best piccolo players in the world, performing on an instrument that requires the refined ability to blend perfectly with the sec- tion, as well as the rest of the orchestra. The picture in Chicago has not always been quite so rosy, however. Just last fall, the opening of the new concert season was delayed when the sym- phony went on strike. After one tense day on the picket lines, though, a new agreement was reached. In the Chicago press, furthermore, music critics have been quick to point out trends toward "conservative" programming of repertoire, meaning a predilection for the late Romantic works (especially Brucker and Mahler) at the expense of the contemporary and "early music" repertoires. Solti's prepa discovered th score, the sec printed with than Bartok sulting the o Bartok archi verify that in meant to be pl Critics hav doesn't spend with the orche conducting on one week seas On the ligt members eng activities - wise, allowing as total music more affluent port their owl When it come tor, they natu the Chicago S tor Aitay, Sai Miller, who c Forest, Nort respectively. The Chicag( well-discipline eleven or twel to team me player, Mar have include ushers, the M Music Departi Wisconsin, an phony - a tea: header with in One shouldn of amateur s sday night's cc be prepared fo music-making The orches stranger to Ar med here in 1 chestra's foun the May Festi Solti appeare 1964, conductin Thursday feature: Moza Flute; Bartok, cussion and Ce 9 by Dvorak. The listener Magic Flute dignity, with e virtues inhere finale, Dvorak (No. 9), will work which th familiar with, Solti recently, two summers a The surprise might very we tions. As a f student of Bar composer's wo and understanc tinually mai Strings ... is r placed on co calling on the c complicated c form at a wi levels. Look for formance by S mly entrenched One can expe passion. Accor orchestra love where the audi ning. We have level." CSO: Solti sounds sojurns during touring season, and greuling recording sessions - all per- formed under a variety of conductors, in varying acoustics, and sometimes with precious little rehearsal time. Like any World Champion team, the CSO is a mixture of veterans and newer initiates; of superstars and up and coming players. A prime example of the "musical super-star" is Adolph "Bud" Herseth, who is "generally recognized as the world's greatest symphonic trumpeter," according to The Instrumentalist. Musicians such as Herseth achieve such a high degree of musicianship, that a cult of followers begins to crop up, at first locally, even- tually worldwide. In the same way that athletic teams become known for their "tough defen- se," or "explosive offense," the Chicago Symphony's trademark has been its "brass section." In the minds of. many listeners, no other orchestra has compiled a group of horn, trumpet, trombone, and tuba players equal to Chicago's. The conservative approach to choosing the Orchestra's repertory (in which Solti has considerable influence), might be partly due to the fact that any new score Solti learns, regardless of style, he learns slowly and methodically. In an interview with The Instrumen- talist, Solti was asked about his "ap- proach" to a score. He responded, "I'm very slow, I'm a sort of fly walking on the score. I learn tone by tone, up to down, bar by bar, very slow." Rather than learning many- scores fairly well, Solti seems to be satisfied only by absorbing totally, the entire fabric of selected compositions, making the music a complete part of himself. His intense study of scores has also had its rewards for musicologists. During his work at the Budapest Opera, Solti frequently observed the, work of his teacher, Bela Bartok. In preparing his recent recording of the Bartok Concerto for Orchestra, Solti said, "I was determined that the tempi be those used by Bartok." During 6 Weekend/April 8, 1983