Classical Notes: February 4, 2011 Archive

Slatkin to the Rescue in Chicago

Posted at 4:27 AM on February 4, 2011 by Ward Jacobson

We learned about Riccardo Muti fainting during rehearsal with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra yesterday. The 69-year-old maestro is resting in the hospital, in stable condition.

The show did go on in the Windy City last night, as Leonard Slatkin was called upon to be a last-minute (and I do mean last-minute) fill-in to lead the CSO in the Shostakovich Symphony No. 5. With no rehearsals, Slatkin conducted from memory. Bravo, indeed!

Read all about last night's performance here.

What Are You Going to Be Wearing?

Posted at 4:27 PM on February 4, 2011 by Rex Levang

What's the right way to dress for a classical concert? Are there even any dress protocols left?

Such is the question posed by Judith Kogan in an article for Symphony magazine, and though she spends some time talking about patron attire, most of the article is about what the musicians wear: from formal black and white to the various turtlenecks, Nehru jackets, etc., etc., that have made inroads over the years. (Longtime SPCO fans will get a kick out of the 1970s photo of Dennis Russell Davies's crushed blue velour number.)