Wishing a very happy (and slightly belated) birthday to legendary Austrian pianist Alfred Brendel, who celebrated his ninetieth on January 5, 2021! A regular and favorite performer with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for nearly forty years, he has appeared with the ensemble in Orchestra Hall, at the Ravinia Festival, and in Carnegie Hall.
Alfred Brendel at the Edinburgh International Book Festival in Scotland in August 2003 (Shutterstock photo)
On Sunday, March 9, 2008, Brendel “sat down at the Steinway to play his final Chicago concert. At the end of the year, he will retire from the concert stage, closing the book on a distinguished sixty-year career,” wrote John von Rhein in the Chicago Tribune. “And what a concert it was. I’ve attended many of the nearly three dozen recitals the pianist has given in the city since his downtown debut . . . and can honestly say I’ve never heard him play better.”
A complete list of his performances is below.
July 29, 1971, Ravinia Festival BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major, Op. 73 (Emperor) István Kertész, conductor
December 30, 1970, January 1 and 2, 1971, Orchestra Hall MOZART Piano Concerto No. 19 in F Major, K. 459 Aldo Ceccato, conductor
March 9, 10, and 11, 1972, Orchestra Hall BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Op. 15 Dean Dixon, conductor
August 17, 1972, Ravinia Festival BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58 Uri Segal, conductor
April 5, 6, and 7, 1973, Orchestra Hall LISZT Piano Concerto No. 2 in A Major Sergiu Comissiona, conductor
August 8, 1973, Ravinia Festival MOZART Piano Concerto No. 25 in C Major, K. 503 Lawrence Foster, conductor
August 10, 1973, Ravinia Festival BRAHMS Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 15 Lawrence Foster, conductor
May 9, 10, and 11, 1974, Orchestra Hall BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major, Op. 73 (Emperor) Sir Georg Solti, conductor
July 19, 1974, Ravinia Festival SCHOENBERG Piano Concerto, Op. 42 James Levine, conductor
July 24, 1974, Ravinia Festival MOZART Piano Concerto No. 24 in C Minor, K. 491 Kazimierz Kord, conductor
July 3, 1975, Ravinia Festival BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37 James Levine, conductor
Alfred Brendel (Alecio de Andrade photo)
July 14, 1977, Ravinia Festival BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Op. 15 BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major, Op. 19 BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37 James Levine, conductor
July 17, 1977, Ravinia Festival BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58 BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major, Op. 73 (Emperor) James Levine, conductor
April 27, 28, and 29, 1978, Orchestra Hall BRAHMS Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 15 Sir Georg Solti, conductor
May 8 and 10, 1978, Carnegie Hall BRAHMS Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 15 Sir Georg Solti, conductor
July 13, 1979, Ravinia Festival BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Op. 15 BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major, Op. 19 BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37 James Levine, conductor
July 15, 1979, Ravinia Festival BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58 BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major, Op. 73 (Emperor) James Levine, conductor
May 13, 1981, Orchestra Hall MOZART Piano Concerto No. 12 in A Major, K. 414 Sir Georg Solti, conductor
May 14, 15, and 16, 1981, Orchestra Hall MOZART Piano Concerto No. 12 in A Major, K. 414 MOZART Piano Concerto No. 9 in E flat Major, K. 271 Sir Georg Solti, conductor
May 18, 1981, Uihlein Hall, Milwaukee MOZART Piano Concerto No. 12 in A Major, K. 414 MOZART Piano Concerto No. 9 in E flat Major, K. 271 Sir Georg Solti, conductor
June 27, 1982, Ravinia Festival MOZART Piano Concerto No. 20 in D Minor, K. 466 James Levine, conductor
June 15 and 16, 1983, Orchestra Hall BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Op. 15 BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat Major, Op. 19 BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37 James Levine, conductor
June 17 and 18, 1983, Orchestra Hall BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58 BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major, Op. 73 (Emperor) James Levine, conductor The June 1983 performances were recorded live in Orchestra Hall. For Philips, Volker Straus was the producer and engineer.
July 13, 1986 MOZART Piano Concerto No. 24 in C Minor, K. 491 James Levine, conductor
July 18, 1986 HAYDN Piano Concerto in D Major, H.XVIII, No. 11 LISZT Piano Concerto No. 2 in A Major Raymond Leppard, conductor
November 21, 22, and 23, 1991, Orchestra Hall LISZT Piano Concerto No. 2 in A Major Tsung Yeh, conductor
April 11, 13, and 16, 1996, Orchestra Hall BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Op. 15 BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58 Lawrence Foster, conductor
April 3, 4, and 5, 1997, Orchestra Hall BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major, Op. 73 (Emperor) Lawrence Foster, conductor
April 10 and 11, 2003, Orchestra Hall BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37 Roberto Abbado, conductor
February 23 and 25, 2006, Orchestra Hall MOZART Piano Concerto No. 25 in C Major, K. 503 Daniel Barenboim, conductor
March 8 and 10, 2007 MOZART Piano Concerto No. 17 in G Major, K. 453 Roberto Abbado, conductor
Under the auspices of Allied Arts and Symphony Center Presents, Brendel also has appeared in Orchestra Hall on numerous times in recital, as follows:
March 15, 1970* BEETHOVEN Bagatelles, Op. 126 BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 23 In F Minor, Op. 57 (Appassionata) BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 29 in B-flat Major, Op.106 (Hammerklavier)
Alfred Brendel (Steve J. Sherman photo)
February 7, 1971* MOZART Nine Variations in D Major on a Minuet by J. P. Duport, K. 573 LISZT Hungarian Rhapsody No. 11 LISZT Hungarian Rhapsody No. 13 LISZT Hungarian Rhapsody No. 17 LISZT Funérailles from Harmonies poetiques et religieuses LISZT Benediction de Dieu dans la Solitude from Harmonies poetiques et religieuses SCHUBERT Sonata in A Major, D. 664
April 2, 1972* HAYDN Sonata in C Major SCHUBERT Sonata in G Major, D. 894 SCHOENBERG Six Little Pieces, Op. 19 LISZT Disaster LISZT Bagatelle without Tonality LISZT The Mournful Gondola LISZT Saint Francis de Paul Marching on the Waves LISZT Mephisto Waltz
March 11, 1973* BEETHOVEN Sonata in C Major, Op. 53 (Waldstein) SCHUBERT Sonata in A Minor, Op. 42 LISZT Années de Pèlerinage: Prèmiere année–Suisse
March 31, 1974* HAYDN Sonata in C Minor SCHUMANN Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13 BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 30 in E Major, Op. 109 BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 31 in A-flat Major, Op. 110
March 16, 1975 SCHUBERT Moments Musicaux, D. 780, Nos. 1-6 SCHUBERT Fantasy in C Major, D. 760 (Wanderer) BEETHOVEN Sonata in E-flat Major, Op. 31, No. 3 MOZART Adagio in B Minor, K. 540 MOZART Sonata in A Major, K. 331
May 10, 1976* BACH Fantasy-Prelude in A Minor, BWV 922 BACH Italian Concerto, BWV 971 LISZT Grand Variations on Bach’s Weinen Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen LISZT Prelude and Fugue on BACH BEETHOVEN Six Variations on an Original Theme in F Major, Op. 34 BEETHOVEN 32 Variations on an Original Theme in C minor, WoO 80 BEETHOVEN Seven Variations in F Major on Kind, willst du ruhig schlafen by Peter Winter, WoO 75
May 12, 1977* BEETHOVEN Six Bagatellies, Op. 126 BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 30 in E Major, Op. 109 BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 31 in A-flat Major, Op. 110 BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 32 in C Minor, Op. 111
March 25, 1979* LISZT Three selections from Années de Pèlerinage: Troisième année–Suisse LISZT Valse oubliée No. 1 LISZT Czardas macabre SCHOENBERG Six Little Piano Pieces, Op. 19 BUSONI Toccata BRAHMS Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel in B-flat Major, Op. 24
February 7, 1982* MOZART in A Minor, K. 310 SCHUMANN Fantasy in C Major, Op. 17 BERG Sonata, Op. 1 LISZT Funérailles from Harmonies poetiques et religieuses LISZT Two Legendes
May 13, 1984* BEETHOVEN Six Bagatelles, Op. 126 SCHUBERT Sonata in A Minor, D. 784 SCHUBERT Sonata in C Major, D. 840 (Unfinished) BEETHOVEN Variations and Fugue in E-flat Major, Op. 35 (Eroica)
Alfred Brendel (Suseech Bayat photo)
May 5, 1985 HAYDN Variations in F Minor, Hob. XVII/6 HAYDN Sonata in E-flat Major, Hob. XVI/52 SCHUBERT Fantasy in C Major, D. 760 (Wanderer) MUSSORGSKY Pictures from an Exhibition
April 27, 1986 HAYDN Fantasia in C Major, Hob. XVII/4 HAYDN Sonata in E Minor, Hob. XVI/34 SCHUMANN Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13 LISZT Années de Pèlerinage: Prèmiere année–Suisse
May 8, 1988 SCHUBERT Three Pieces, D. 946 SCHUBERT Sonata in G Major, D. 894 SCHUBERT Four Impromptus, D. 935
May 22, 1988 SCHUBERT Sonata in C Minor, D. 958 SCHUBERT Sonata in A Major, D. 959 SCHUBERT Sonata in B-flat Major, D. 960
April 21, 1991 HAYDN Sonata in C Minor, Hob. XVI/20 SCHUMANN Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13 BEETHOVEN Six Variations in F Major, Op. 34 BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 31 in A-flat Major, Op. 110
December 1, 1991 HAYDN Sonata in E-flat Major, Hob. XVI: 49 HAYDN Andante with Variations in F Minor, Hob. XVI:6 HAYDN Sonata in C Major, Hob. XVI:50 LISZT Funérailles from Harmonies poetiques et religieuses LISZT Sonata in B Minor
May 23, 1993 BEETHOVEN Sonata in A-flat Major, Op. 26 BEETHOVEN Sonata in E-flat Major, Op. 27, No. 1 BEETHOVEN Sonata in C-sharp Minor, Op. 27, No. 2 BEETHOVEN Sonata in F Major, Op. 54 BEETHOVEN Sonata in C Major, Op. 53 (Waldstein)
April 29, 1994 BEETHOVEN Sonata in F Minor, Op. 2, No. 1 BEETHOVEN Sonata in C Major, Op. 2, No. 3 BEETHOVEN Sonata in A Major, Op. 2, No. 2 BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 23 In F Minor, Op. 57 (Appassionata)
April 23, 1995 BEETHOVEN Sonata in G Major, Op. 79 BEETHOVEN Sonata in F-sharp Major, Op. 78 BEETHOVEN Sonata in D Major, Op. 28 (Pastorale) BEETHOVEN Sonata in E Minor, Op. 90 BEETHOVEN Sonata in E-flat Major, Op. 7
April 8, 1996 BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 30 in E Major, Op. 109 BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 31 in A-flat Major, Op. 110 BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 32 in C Minor, Op. 111
April 8, 1997 BUSONI Elegy No. 3: My soul longs and hopes for you (Chorale Prelude) LISZT Canzonetta by Salvator Rosa LISZT The Thinker LISZT At the Lake of Wallenstadt LISZT Dark Clouds LISZT At the Cypresses of the Villa d’Este, No. 1 LISZT Eclogue LISZT Sonnet No. 104 by Petrarch BUSONI Elegy No. 6: A Vision (Nocturne) SCHUMANN Fantasy in C Major, Op. 17 HAYDN Sonata in G Major, Hob. XVI:40
April 5, 1998 MOZART Fantasy in C Minor, K. 396 SCHUBERT Sonata in G Major, D. 894 (Fantasy) MOZART Sonata in B-flat Major, K. 570 HAYDN Sonata in E-flat Major, Hob. XVI: 52
April 4, 1999 HAYDN Sonata in E Minor, Hob. XVI:34 SCHUBERT Four Impromptus, D. 935 SCHUMANN Kinderszenen, Op. 15 MOZART Rondo in A Minor, K. 511 MOZART Fantasy in C Minor, K. 475
April 6, 1999 MOZART Piano Quartet in G Minor, K. 478 MOZART Piano Quartet in E-flat Major, K. 493 MOZART Piano Quintet in A Major, K. 414a Katharine Gowers, violin Lucy Jeal, violin Douglas Paterson, viola Adrian Brendel, cello
April 30, 2000 HAYDN Sonata in E-flat Major, Hob. XVI:49 MOZART Sonata in B-flat Major, K. 333 SCHUBERT Sonata in A Minor, D. 845
April 15, 2001 HAYDN Sonata in G Minor, Hob. XVI:44 MOZART Fantasy in D Minor, K. 397 MOZART Sonata in A Minor, K. 310 BEETHOVEN Thirty-Three Variations in C Major on a Waltz by Diabelli, Op. 120
April 28, 2002 MOZART Sonata in D Major, K. 311 SCHUBERT Sonata in C Minor, D. 958 BRAHMS Four Ballades, Op. 10 MOZART Sonata in F Major, K. 533 (with Rondo, K. 494)
April 13, 2003 BEETHOVEN Bagatelle, Op. 33, No. 1 BEETHOVEN Bagatelle, Op. 119, No. 2 BEETHOVEN Bagatelle, Op. 126, No. 2 BEETHOVEN Bagatelle, Op. 126, No. 4 BEETHOVEN Bagatelle, Op. 33, No. 4 BEETHOVEN Rondo in C Major, Op. 51, No. 1 BEETHOVEN Rondo in G Major, Op. 51, No. 2 MOZART Sonata in A Major, K. 331 SCHUBERT Sonata in C Major, D. 840 (Reliquie) BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 1 in B-flat Major, Op. 22
April 18, 2004 MOZART Fantasy in C Minor, K. 396 MOZART Sonata in B-flat Major, K. 281 MOZART Sonata in E-flat Major, K. 282 SCHUBERT Three Piano Pieces, D. 946 BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 30 in E Major, Op. 109
March 27, 2005 MOZART Nine Variations in D Major on a Minuet by J. P. Duport, K. 573 SCHUMANN Kreisleriana, Op. 16 SCHUBERT No. 1 in C Major: Moderato from Moments Musicaux, D. 780 SCHUBERT No. 2 in A-flat Major: Andantino from Moments Musicaux, D. 780 SCHUBERT No. 4 in C-sharp Minor: Moderato from Moments Musicaux, D. 780 BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 15 in D Major, Op. 28 (Pastorale)
February 5, 2006 HAYDN Sonata in D Major, Hob. XVI: 42 SCHUBERT Sonata in G Major, D. 894 MOZART Fantasy in C Minor, K. 475 MOZART Rondo in A Minor, K. 511 HAYDN Sonata in C Major, Hob. XVI: 50
March 4, 2007 HAYDN Sonata in C Minor, H. XVI:20 BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 31 in A-flat Major, Op. 110 SCHUBERT Impromptu No. 1 in F Minor, D. 935 SCHUBERT Impromptu No. 3 in B-flat Major, D. 935 MOZART Sonata in C Minor, K. 457
March 9, 2008 HAYDN Variations in F Minor, Hob. SVII/6 MOZART Sonata in F Major, K. 533/K. 494 BEETHOVEN Sonata in E-flat Major, Op. 27, No. 1 (Quasi una fantasia) SCHUBERT Sonata in B-flat Major, D. 960
*No program on file; repertoire culled from advertisements and reviews.
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra family joins the music world in mourning the loss of British conductor Raymond Leppard, who died yesterday in Indianapolis. He was 92.
Raymond Leppard (Frank Espich photo for the IndyStar)
Leppard appeared with the Orchestra on several occasions, both in Orchestra Hall and at the Ravinia Festival, and a complete list of his appearances is below.
May 15, 16, and 17, 1980, Orchestra Hall
BACH Air from Suite No. 3 in D Major, BWV 1068 Performed in memory of Guido Rizzo, a member of the CSO’s viola section since 1947
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Serenade to Music
Chicago Symphony Chorus Margaret Hillis, director
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS A Sea Symphony Isobel Buchanan, soprano John Shirley-Quirk, bass-baritone
Chicago Symphony Chorus
Margaret Hillis, director
December 17, 18, and 20, 1981, Orchestra Hall
MOZART Serenade No. 13 G Major, K. 525 (Eine kleine Nachtmusik)
DEBUSSY Nocturnes
Chicago Symphony Chorus
James Winfield, director
SCHUMAN Three Colloquies for French Horn and Orchestra Dale Clevenger, horn
STRAUSS Suite from Der Rosenkavalier
April 28, 29, and May 1, 1983, Orchestra Hall
BRITTEN Occasional Overture
DAVIES Stone Litany: Runes from a House of the Dead Jan DeGaetani, mezzo-soprano
BAX Tintagel
ELGAR Symphony No. 1 in A-flat Major, Op. 55
January 9, 10, and 11, 1986, Orchestra Hall
CHABRIER Suite pastorale
BARTÓK Concerto for Two Pianos, Percussion, and Orchestra Anthony and Joseph Paratore, pianos
BIZET Symphony No. 1 in C Major
July 18, 1986, Ravinia Festival
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21
HAYDN Piano Concerto in D Major, H. XVIII:2 Alfred Brendel, piano
LISZT Piano Concerto No. 2 in A Major
Alfred Brendel, piano
STRAUSS Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks, Op. 28
July 19, 1986, Ravinia Festival
DVORÁK Symphonic Variations, Op. 78
PROKOFIEV Violin Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, Op. 63
Cho-Liang Lin, violin
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV Sheherazade, Op. 35 Samuel Magad, violin
Earlier today we heard of the news of the death of the remarkable English bass-baritone John Shirley-Quirk, as reported in The Telegraph.
Shirley-Quirk appeared with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on a number of important occasions, as listed below (all appearances are subscription concerts at Orchestra Hall, unless otherwise noted):
July 3, 1975 (Ravinia Festival)
MAHLER Selections from Des Knaben Wunderhorn James Levine, conductor Maria Ewing, soprano
Mahler’s Symphony no. 8 in E-flat Major, recorded in Vienna in 1971
May 15, 16 & 17, 1980
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS A Sea Symphony Raymond Leppard, conductor Isobel Buchanan, soprano
Chicago Symphony Chorus
Margaret Hillis, director
June 3, 4 & 5, 1982
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 Eugene Ormandy, conductor Benita Valente, soprano Katherine Ciesinski, mezzo-soprano
Jon Frederic West, tenor
Kurt Link, bass (Shirley-Quirk canceled due to illness and was replaced by Link on June 5 only)
Chicago Symphony Chorus
Margaret Hillis, director
November 1, 2 & 4, 1984
MUSSORGSKY Boris Godunov
Claudio Abbado, conductor Ruggero Raimondi, bass Zehava Gal, mezzo-soprano Cyndia Sieden, soprano
Jennifer Jones, mezzo-soprano
Philip Langridge, tenor
Hartmut Welker, baritone Samuel Ramey, bass
Kaludi Kaludov, tenor
Lucia Valentini-Terrani, mezzo-soprano
Sergei Koptchak, bass
Kurt Hansen, tenor
Richard Cohn, baritone
Bradley Nystrom, bass-baritone
Donald Kaasch, tenor
Paul Grizzell, bass
Dale Prest, bass
Chicago Symphony Chorus
Margaret Hillis, director
Glen Ellyn Children’s Chorus
Doreen Rao, director
To honor Sir Georg Solti’s seventy-fifth birthday, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus gave a gala concert of the highest order on October 9, 1987.
Governor James R. Thompson opened the concert with welcoming remarks, and after the intermission, Mayor Harold Washington presented Sir Georg with the City of Chicago’s Medal of Merit. The concert program was as follows:
CORIGLIANO Campane di Ravello (world premiere)
Kenneth Jean, conductor
J. STRAUSS Overture to Die Fledermaus Plácido Domingo, conductor
MOZART Concerto for Two Pianos in E-flat Major, K. 365
Sir Georg Solti, conductor and piano Murray Perahia, piano
STRAUSS Don Juan, Op. 20
Sir Georg Solti, conductor
Plácido Domingo and Kiri Te Kanawa perform a scene from Verdi’s Otello (Jim Steere photo)
VERDI Excerpts from Act 1 of Otello
Sir Georg Solti, conductor Kiri Te Kanawa, soprano
Plácido Domingo, tenor
Kurt R. Hansen, tenor
Joseph Wolverton, tenor
Richard Cohn, baritone
David Huneryager, bass
Chicago Symphony Chorus Margaret Hillis, director
March 27, 1941: Frederick Stock leads the world premiere of Alfredo Casella's Third Symphony, commissioned for the… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…2 days ago