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On October 5, 1979, Sir Georg Solti led the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in a performance of Bruckner’s Fifth Symphony at Holy Name Cathedral, given in honor of Pope John Paul II’s first visit to Chicago. After the performance, Maestro Solti and co-concertmaster Victor Aitay exchanged greetings with the pontiff.
As the Pope was leaving the cathedral, he was greeted by thousands of cheering Chicagoans. He gestured to the crowd and when they became quiet, he said, “I assure you, I am not the Chicago Orchestra—I am only the Pope. God bless you!”
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September 27, 2015 at 2:47 PM
garyfreedman
More on concert master Victor Aitay:
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-07-24/entertainment/ct-ent-0725-victor-aitay-obit-20120725_1_cso-concertmaster-victor-aitay-samuel-magad
September 26, 2015 at 1:48 PM
garyfreedman
I remember that concert. I was in law school at the time. My first year. I was listening to a news broadcast that reported the concert and the report included about 15 seconds of the final movement. I had never heard that symphony before and I was struck by the fugue figure. It remained with me for years.