Wishing a very happy eightieth birthday to the celebrated New Zealand soprano Dame Kiri Te Kanawa!
With the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Te Kanawa has appeared in concert—in Orchestra Hall, at the Ravinia Festival, and in Carnegie Hall—and on recording on a number of notable occasions. The complete list is below.
May 4, 5, and 6, 1978, Orchestra Hall May 12, 1978, Carnegie Hall BRAHMS A German Requiem, Op. 45 Sir Georg Solti, conductor Kiri Te Kanawa, soprano Bernd Weikl, baritone Chicago Symphony Chorus Margaret Hillis, director Recorded at Medinah Temple on May 15 and 16, 1978. For London Records, James Mallinson was the recording producer, and Kenneth Wilkinson and Colin Moorfoot were the balance engineers.
March 23, 24, 25, and 26, 1983, Orchestra Hall DUPARC Melodies françaises MAHLER Symphony No. 4 in G Major Sir Georg Solti, conductor Kiri Te Kanawa, soprano Mahler’s Fourth Symphony was recorded in Orchestra Hall on April 28 and 29, 1983. For London Records, James Mallinson was the recording producer, and James Lock and John Dunkerley were the balance engineers.
October 1, 2, and 9, 1984, Orchestra Hall (recording sessions only) HANDEL Messiah Sir Georg Solti, conductor Kiri Te Kanawa, soprano Anne Gjevang, contralto Keith Lewis, tenor Gwynne Howell, bass-baritone Chicago Symphony Chorus Margaret Hillis director For London Records, Ray Minshull was the recording producer, and James Lock and Simon Eadon were the balance engineers. Handel’s Messiah also was performed on subscription concerts on September 27, 28, and 29, 1984. In addition to the cast above, Elizabeth Hynes was the soprano soloist.
June 29, 1985, Ravinia Festival HANDEL Let the Bright Seraphim from Samson MOZART Bella mia fiamma, K. 528 STRAUSS Four Last Songs James Levine, conductor Kiri Te Kanawa, soprano
March 19 and 21, 1987 BACH Saint Matthew Passion, BWV 244 Sir Georg Solti, conductor Kiri Te Kanawa, soprano Anne Sofie von Otter, mezzo-soprano Anthony Rolfe Johnson, tenor Tom Krause, bass Hans Peter Blochwitz, tenor Olaf Bär, baritone Richard Cohn, baritone Patrice Michaels, soprano Debra Austin, mezzo-soprano William Watson, tenor Chicago Symphony Chorus Margaret Hillis, director Glen Ellyn Children’s Chorus Doreen Rao, director Recorded in Orchestra Hall on March 23, 24, 28, 30, and 31, 1987. For London Records, Andrew Cornall was the recording producer, and Simon Eadon and John Pellowe were the balance engineers.
June 28, 1987, Ravinia Festival MOZART Così fan tutte, K. 588 James Levine, conductor Kiri Te Kanawa, soprano Dawn Upshaw, soprano Tatiana Troyanos, mezzo-soprano Jerry Hadley, tenor Håkan Hagegård, baritone John Cheek, bass-baritone Chicago Symphony Chorus Margaret Hillis, director Richard Garrin, director
October 9, 1987, Orchestra Hall (A Concert in Honor of the 75th Birthday of Sir Georg Solti) VERDI Excerpts from Act 1 of Otello Sir Georg Solti, conductor Kiri Te Kanawa, soprano Plácido Domingo, tenor Joseph Wolverton, tenor Kurt R. Hansen, tenor Richard Cohn, baritone David Huneryager, bass Chicago Symphony Chorus Margaret Hillis, director The concert was recorded for radio broadcast, and for WFMT, Norman Pellegrini was the producer and Mitchell G. Heller was the engineer. The duet “Già nella notte densa” was released on Solti: The Legacy in 2012, and for London Records, Matthew Sohn was the restoration engineer.
April 8 and 12, 1991, Orchestra Hall April 16 and 19, 1991, Carnegie Hall VERDI Otello Sir Georg Solti, conductor Kiri Te Kanawa, soprano Luciano Pavarotti, tenor Leo Nucci, baritone Elzbieta Ardam, mezzo-soprano Anthony Rolfe Johnson, tenor John Keyes, tenor Dimitri Kavrakos, bass Alan Opie, baritone Richard Cohn, baritone Chicago Symphony Chorus Margaret Hillis, director Terry Edwards, guest chorus master Chicago Children’s Choir (April 8 and 12) Leslie Britton, director Metropolitan Opera Children’s Chorus (April 16 and 19) Elena Doria, director Recorded live in Orchestra Hall on April 8 and 12 and in Carnegie Hall on April 16 and 19, 1991. For London Records, Michael Haas was the recording producer, Christopher Pope was the assistant recording producer, and James Lock and John Pellowe were the balance engineers.
July 28, 2001, Ravinia Festival STRAUSS Four Last Songs LÉHAR “Lippen Schweigen” from Die lustige Witwe LÉHAR “Vilja” from Die lustige Witwe LÉHAR “Meine Lippen, sie küssen so heiss” from Giuditta Christoph Eschenbach, conductor Kiri Te Kanawa, soprano
July 19, 2008, Ravinia Festival STRAUSS Morgen!, Op. 27, No. 4 STRAUSS Ständchen, Op. 17, No.2 STRAUSS Cäcilie, Op. 27, No. 2 CANTELOUBE Baïlèro, La delaïssádo, and Lo fiolairé from Chants d’Auvergne PUCCINI Mi chiamano Mimì and Donde lieta uscì from La bohème CILEA Io son l’umile ancella from Adriana Lecouvreur James Conlon, conductor Kiri Te Kanawa, soprano
Wishing a very happy seventy-fifth birthday to the celebrated New Zealand soprano Dame Kiri Te Kanawa!
With the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Te Kanawa has appeared in concert—in Orchestra Hall, at the Ravinia Festival, and in Carnegie Hall—and on recording on a number of notable occasions. The complete list is below.
March 23, 24, 25, and 26, 1983, Orchestra Hall
DUPARC Melodies françaises
MAHLER Symphony No. 4 in G Major
Sir Georg Solti, conductor Mahler’s Fourth Symphony was recorded in Orchestra Hall on April 28 and 29, 1983. For London Records, James Mallinson was the recording producer, and James Lock and John Dunkerley were the balance engineers.
October 1, 2, and 9, 1984, Orchestra Hall (recording sessions only)
HANDEL Messiah
Anne Gjevang, contralto
Keith Lewis, tenor Gwynne Howell, bass-baritone
Chicago Symphony Chorus
Margaret Hillis director For London Records, Ray Minshull was the recording producer, and James Lock and Simon Eadon were the balance engineers.
Handel’s Messiah also was performed on subscription concerts on September 27, 28, and 29, 1984. In addition to the cast above, Elizabeth Hynes was the soprano soloist.
June 29, 1985, Ravinia Festival
HANDEL Let the Bright Seraphim from Samson
MOZART Bella mia fiamma, K. 528
STRAUSS Four Last Songs James Levine, conductor
March 19 and 21, 1987
BACH Saint Matthew Passion, BWV 244 Anne Sofie von Otter, mezzo-soprano Anthony Rolfe Johnson, tenor Tom Krause, bass Hans Peter Blochwitz, tenor Olaf Bär, baritone
Richard Cohn, baritone
Patrice Michaels, soprano
Debra Austin, mezzo-soprano
William Watson, tenor
Chicago Symphony Chorus
Margaret Hillis, director Glen Ellyn Children’s Chorus
Doreen Rao, director
Sir Georg Solti, conductor Recorded in Orchestra Hall on March 23, 24, 28, 30, and 31, 1987. For London Records, Andrew Cornall was the recording producer, and Simon Eadon and John Pellowe were the balance engineers.
Sir Georg Solti leads the Orchestra along with Plácido Domingo and Kiri Te Kanawa in the final scene from act 1 of Verdi’s Otello on October 9, 1987 (Jim Steere photo)
June 28, 1987, Ravinia Festival
MOZART Così fan tutte, K. 588 Dawn Upshaw, soprano Tatiana Troyanos, mezzo-soprano Jerry Hadley, tenor Håkan Hagegård, baritone
John Cheek, bass-baritone
Chicago Symphony Chorus
Margaret Hillis, director
Richard Garrin, director
James Levine, conductor
October 9, 1987, Orchestra Hall (A Concert in Honor of the 75th Birthday of Sir Georg Solti)
VERDI Excerpts from Act 1 of Otello Plácido Domingo, tenor
Joseph Wolverton, tenor
Kurt R. Hansen, tenor
Richard Cohn, baritone
David Huneryager, bass
Chicago Symphony Chorus
Margaret Hillis, director
Sir Georg Solti, conductor The concert was recorded for radio broadcast, and for WFMT, Norman Pellegrini was the producer and Mitchell G. Heller was the engineer. The duet “Già nella notte densa” was released on Solti: The Legacy in 2012, and for London Records, Matthew Sohn was the restoration engineer.
April 8 and 12, 1991, Orchestra Hall
April 16 and 19, 1991, Carnegie Hall
VERDI Otello Luciano Pavarotti, tenor Leo Nucci, baritone
Elzbieta Ardam, mezzo-soprano Anthony Rolfe Johnson, tenor John Keyes, tenor
Dimitri Kavrakos, bass Alan Opie, baritone
Richard Cohn, baritone
Chicago Symphony Chorus
Margaret Hillis, director
Terry Edwards, guest chorus master
Chicago Children’s Choir (April 8 and 12)
Leslie Britton, director Metropolitan Opera Children’s Chorus (April 16 and 19)
Elena Doria, director Recorded live in Orchestra Hall on April 8 and 12 and in Carnegie Hall on April 16 and 19, 1991. For London Records, Michael Haas was the recording producer, Christopher Pope was the assistant recording producer, and James Lock and John Pellowe were the balance engineers.
July 28, 2001, Ravinia Festival
STRAUSS Four Last Songs
LÉHAR “Lippen Schweigen” from Die lustige Witwe
LÉHAR “Vilja” from Die lustige Witwe
LÉHAR “Meine Lippen, sie küssen so heiss” from Giuditta Christoph Eschenbach, conductor
July 19, 2008, Ravinia Festival
STRAUSS Morgen!, Op. 27, No. 4
STRAUSS Ständchen, Op. 17, No.2
STRAUSS Cäcilie, Op. 27, No. 2
CANTELOUBE Baïlèro, La delaïssádo, and Lo fiolairé from Chants d’Auvergne
PUCCINI Mi chiamano Mimì and Donde lieta uscì from La bohème
CILEA Io son l’umile ancella from Adriana Lecouvreur James Conlon, conductor
Happy, happy birthday!
Kiri Te Kanawa and Luciano Pavarotti onstage at Orchestra Hall in April 1991 (Jim Steere photo)
Deutsche Grammophon has released—for the first time on CD—Vladimir Horowitz‘s final recital in Orchestra Hall from October 26, 1986. The concert originally had been broadcast on WFMT (Mitchell Heller was the broadcast-recording engineer and producer). For the CD release, Jon Samuels was producer and Matthew Sohn the restoration engineer.
The two-CD set also includes two interviews, both of which were excerpted for the 1986 broadcast; on the release, they are included in their entirety. The first is with Chicago Tribune music critic Thomas Willis from October 30, 1974, and the second with WFMT’s Norman Pellegrini from October 25, 1986 (the day before the recital). Both interviews also can be heard here.
Horowitz’s program for October 26, 1986; Schumann’s Träumerei and Moszkowski’s Étincelles were performed as encores. The complete program is here.
“Those who witnessed past Horowitz recitals might have known what to expect: the famously idiosyncratic phrasings, the errant tempos, the pedal effects that only he can achieve, the bursts of titanic virtuosity,” wrote John von Rhein in the Chicago Tribune on October 27, 1986. “Through it all Horowitz wore a gentle smile, looking rather childlike as he waved to the crowd, clapped his hands and gave little shrugs whenever his keyboard conjuring drew the wonted response. One trusts that the effect was as potent for the thousands who were listening to WFMT’s live radio broadcast as it was for the crowd who packed the hall and stage seats.”
“But there is only one Horowitz, a miraculous, many-faceted artist who delights in surprising us and revealing the plurality of things that enter into his artistry,” added Robert C. Marsh in the Chicago Sun-Times. “Have no doubt, he is still, I am sure, the greatest virtuoso of all. . . . Listening to Horowitz is listening to history. He takes us back to a musical world that, except for himself, is largely gone. I was pleased so many of his listeners were young people. Opportunities for time traveling are always rare. We should savor them.” Both reviews are available here.
In the 1986 interview, the pianist concluded: “I think Chicago was my first success in America . . . Chicago is special for me. I like the people, the whole, everything.”