Chicago Symphony Orchestra

On Wednesday, Anna sent an email recommending I go and see the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at some point while I'm here.

On Thursday, I looked up concerts, and asked some friends (at game night) who wanted to join me.

And on Friday, Guillermina and I went. No point waiting around!

We started at Osaka, a sushi restaurant very close to Symphony Center. Anna had recommended it in her email, and Guillermina was curious about the claim of good sushi in Chicago. Her verdict was that it was pretty good, and better than the Sit Down Cafe; mine that it was pretty good but not as good as the Sit Down Cafe. I found the flavour extremely subtle, even by sushi standards.

We then took the three minute walk up Michigan Avenue to the Symphony. I found the hall far preferable to Boston's. We were in the lower balcony (though I would have called it the middle balcony: I guess they call the real lower balcony, the mezzanine), and the balconies were so close to the stage that we felt more above the musicians than back in the audience. I felt it really helped the acoustics: not just volume, but the feeling of being surrounded by music, that I didn't get at the back of Boston Symphony Hall.

The first piece was Scriabin's first symphony. I very much enjoyed it, especially the first, third and fourth movements. I was surprised to hear a fourth movement (just by regular convention: I don't know the piece at all), but after very broad, almost languorous first and third movements, something bright and cheery with a bit more motion felt like a suitable reward and ending. But then movements 5 and 6 came along! I had no objection to them, but I would have been at least as happy if Scriabin hadn't written them and we heard a third, shorter piece instead. But it did mean I understood why the chorus had been sitting around above the orchestra for the whole piece: they had a part in the final movement (I knew they were singing in the other piece after intermission).

The choir seating was interesting: around the back of the orchestra and significantly above it. Guillermina tells me those seats are sold when there isn't a choir, and it's very interesting to sit there and watch the conductor.

The second piece was Alexander Nevsky, by Prokofiev. This is a cantata based on film music he wrote. I also enjoyed this, almost as much as the Scriabin (frequently I find my enjoyment to be a monotonic decreasing function of year of writing, which I guess was the case here but with a very small gradient).

We had a very easy ride back to Hyde Park on the number 6 bus, which goes pretty close to each of our homes. I hope to see more concerts in the city while I'm here!