Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra - Opening Night

The 49th IPO season opens in thundering fashion with the return of one of the world’s most celebrated young violists, Matthew Lipman. Glinka’s Ruslan and Lyudmila Overture hits like a thunderclap – strings blazing at breakneck speed, brass punching through, the whole orchestra in a flat-out sprint from bar one. It is arguably the most exciting curtain-raiser in the repertoire, and live, in a great hall, it is genuinely jaw-dropping. Walton’s Viola Concerto is extraordinary – with the viola entering alone, unaccompanied, as if confiding something private to the hall. From that moment on, the orchestra and soloist are in a conversation that is by turns tender, mercurial, and finally blazing. The finale crackles with energy and wit before the whole work resolves in a moment of devastating emotional clarity. Brahms Symphony no. 1 is so monumental, so perfectly constructed, that Hans von Bülow called it “Beethoven’s Tenth.” Live, it is overwhelming. This is why orchestras exist.