Ravinia 2025 Issue 2

Serge Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, op. 18 (1900–1) Aug. 16: CSO / Peter Oundjian conductor / Nobuyuki Tsujii piano One of the worst predictions in the history of classical music came in 1954. In that year’s edition of the authoritative Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians , musicologist Eric Blom no- toriously derided the composer’s “artificial and gushing tunes” and went on to assert that “the enormous popular success some few of Rachmaninoff ’s works had in his lifetime is not likely to last.” Instead, the composer’s four piano concertos, especially his Second and Third, have gone on to rank among the most oft-played and popular works in the form. Along with their bewitching melodies and technical bravado, they have proven to deliver no shortage of genuine emotional depth as well. Tsujii, a co-winner of the gold medal at the 2009 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, will serve as soloist for this performance and make his debut with the Chicago Symphony. George Frideric Handel’s Alcina (1735) Aug. 24: Haymarket Opera / Nicole Cabell soprano One of the greatest composers of the Baroque era, Handel wrote 42 operas, virtu- ally all of which fell into obscurity after his death in 1759. They began to be revived in the 1960s and ’70s and have roared back to popularity since. Isolated arias or instrumental suites from Handel’s operas have been performed at Ravinia at least as far back as 1941, but complete performances are more recent occurrences, like the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra’s concert version of Orlando in 2011. This semi-staged production of Alcina will be the first time any music from this opera, one of Handel’s most acclaimed, has ever been programmed at Ravinia. Featured will be noted soprano Nicole Cabell in the title role of the sorceress, Alcina, and the Chicago-based Haymarket company, which has gained international acclaim for its historically informed stagings. Kyle MacMillan served as classical music critic for the Denver Post from 2000 through 2011. He currently freelances in Chicago, writing for such publications as the Chicago Sun-Times , Early Music America , Opera News , and Classical Voice of North America . RAVINIA.ORG  • RAVINIAMAGAZINE 17 GEORGIABERTAZZI(TSUJII);ERICALLIXROGERS(CABELL)