The Conductors Of The Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Frank Dunsmore

 


The rain and evening air are cold, but the sell-out crowd has come to Orchestra Hall to see and hear the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. They laugh and smile as they stroll into the lobby. Flickering lights alert them to take their seats in the Hall as the concert is about to begin.

The musicians are on stage, some playing arpeggios, scales, and intricate passages. Others chat with one another. The concert master stands and the musicians become still. He gestures for the oboist to play an A. The oboist blows a long, steady note and all of the orchestra players tune on his tone.

Musicians and audience quietly await the entrance of the conductor. Suddenly he strides out from the left wing. The audience greets him with applause. He graciously bows to the audience, steps onto the podium, turns and faces the orchestra.

The conductor raises both of his arms. He captures every player's attention and then with a precise motion of his baton, like a spark he ignites their playing. The orchestra resounds like sunshine bursting through a cloud. The audience is delighted and listens intently to the wonderful sounds of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

For over one hundred and eight years the CSO has created beautiful music for its patrons. Excellent musicians, wise boards of directors, and nine distinguished conductors have brought this about. Today the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is one of the greatest in the world.

Chicago was an exciting town during the 1890s. Politics, big business, crime, and the arts all flourished. Sarah Bernhardt said, "Chicago is the pulse of America, I adore it." Chicago hosted The World's Columbian Exposition and that inspired a city-wide building campaign. Chicago would also have its very own symphony orchestra.

Many people of Chicago appreciated music and came to hear whoever was performing. Often it was a soloist such as Clara Schumann or an orchestra like the touring Theodore Thomas Orchestra. None of the performers stayed because they were on tour. Chicago wanted something permanent.

Theodore Thomas was one of the finest musicians of the day. He founded the Theodore Thomas sixty piece orchestra in New York city. He and his orchestra toured New England, New Orleans, and the Pacific coast, and every summer they performed in Chicago.

While in Chicago, Maestro Thomas met Charles Fay, a prominent Chicago business man and they became good friends. One day Thomas told Fay about his financial troubles from a bad investment in the American Opera Company. It meant he would be unable to pay his orchestra players' salaries and have to disband the orchestra. Also, he was tired of touring the country and wanted to settle in one place.

Fay said, "Would you come to Chicago if we gave you a permanent orchestra?"

Thomas said, "I would go to hell for a permanent orchestra!"

Fay said, "Well, Chicago has always resembled the west end of the next world."

Immediately a general agreement was discussed that included Thomas choosing his musicians for the new orchestra in Chicago. Fay would organize an Association to provide "ways and means" of $50,000 per year for three years. The first Association had five trustees who each donated $10,000 a year. Fay and the Association's financial backing enabled the founding of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Maestro Thomas conducted the first concert with the new Chicago Orchestra on October 17, 1891 in the Auditorium. Chicago Symphony patrons were proud to have their very own symphony orchestra.

Although Thomas was small in physical stature, he spoke his convictions with the confidence of a champion. When criticized for hiring out-of-state musicians, he replied, "I shall select my players where I find them, and will bring them from New York or go to Europe for them if necessary. If there are good men in Chicago, I will use them. I do not work for money or business. I work for art."

Maestro Thomas and the Association realized the need for a hall that would be solely for the Chicago Orchestra. The acoustics were excellent in the Auditorium where they performed, but there were scheduling problems for performances and rehearsals. Often dates were already booked by other groups. Also, the rent was expensive.

Orchestra Hall was built by architect Daniel Burnham and financed by Chicago Symphony patrons. There were over 4,000 contributions from 10 cents to $25,000 and Orchestra Hall was completed with donations totaling $750,000.

The dedication concert was on December 14, 1904. The maestro, the symphony musicians, and all patrons were delighted with their new beautiful Hall. Sadly, less than a month later Theodore Thomas died. He was the first conductor of the CSO from 1891 through 1904.

Frederick Stock was his successor and he would conduct the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for the next thirty-seven years. Maestro Thomas had chosen him as his assistant years before. Stock played for Thomas in the viola section for ten years and was an excellent musician. Maestro Stock was an unassuming man and all of the orchestra players liked him and respected his musicianship.

During his thirty-seven year tenure, Dr. Stock was an innovator. The CSO toured the Midwest, performed working men's and neighborhood concerts in the city, and the annual Milwaukee Concert series. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra was the first American symphony orchestra to make a commercial recording in 1916.

Dr. Stock also founded the Civic orchestra of Chicago in 1920. This was the first training orchestra related to a major symphony orchestra. He also started youth auditions and the first subscription concerts for children.

Dr. Stock's dedication, excellent musicianship, and his love of music were admired and respected by all. During his service, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra was considered one of the finest orchestras. His death was like the loss of a loving father or a favorite uncle. The next ten years, 1943-53, were difficult and frustrating for the patrons, musicians, and the conductors. This was a period of growing pains.

Desire Defauw was the third conductor of the CSO from 1943 through 1947. Before coming to Chicago he conducted the Brussels Orchestra, the National Orchestra of Belgium, and the Montreal Symphony. He was an excellent musician and his directing gestures were clear and confident but the audiences remembered Frederick Stock. Unfortunately, nobody was satisfied with Desire Defauw's conducting and after four seasons he resigned.

Maestro Arthur Rodzinski, the fourth conductor, was with the CSO only one season, 1947-48. He was assistant conductor to Leopold Stokowsky with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Arturo Toscanini with the NBC Orchestra before coming to the CSO. The most severe Chicago critic, Claudia Cassidy, gave Rodzinski rave reviews but financial disagreements with management caused him to resign.

Rafael Kubelik was the fifth CSO conductor. He led the Orchestra from 1950 through 1953. He was initially well liked but soon antagonized the musicians and the patrons. The musicians were angry because Maestro Kubelik insisted on lengthy rehearsals, beyond the union time limit. The patrons were annoyed by too many contemporary works on the program. Because of the negative attitudes toward him he resigned.

The ten years from 1943 through 1953 were emotional growing pains for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. All music lovers of Chicago lamented the loss of Frederick Stock, their great conductor for thirty-seven years. Maestros Defauw, Rodzinski, and Kubelik were excellent conductors. Given another time, each might have been a great conductor of the CSO. However the sixth CSO conductor brought confidence, pride, and discipline to the Orchestra.

Fritz Reiner was feared by some musicians, disliked by others but they all respected him. Dr. Reiner was born and educated in Budapest, Hungary. He came to America and conducted the Cincinnati Symphony and later was professor of orchestra and opera at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. He conducted the CSO from 1953 through 1962.

Maestro Reiner's conducting gestures were slight and he did not raise his arms above his shoulders. The audience never saw his hands and he became known as "The vest pocket conductor." The musicians joked about the smallness of his conducting gestures. During rehearsal, a player in the back row pulled a telescope from his pocket in a comical way, "to be able to see the beat." Reiner fired him immediately.

Maestro Reiner was always a disciplinarian and perfectionist but the Orchestra gained great respect and prestige because of this. It was said, "If you can play for Reiner, you're a fine musician."

In 1957 he founded the Chicago Symphony Chorus with Margaret Hillis as the director. He is remembered as an extraordinary conductor, with a vast repertoire of operatic and symphonic works. His poor health caused him to retire and he died in November, 1963.

The seventh CSO conductor was Jean Martinon. He was born in Lyons, France and studied composition and conducting at the Lyons Conservatory and the Paris Conservatoir. After World War II he conducted many orchestras and also composed. Maestro Martinon conducted the CSO from 1963-68. Many pieces that he programmed were of the modern School. His critics said his programs were too progressive. He resigned in 1968.

Georg Solti was born in Budapest, Hungary and was a piano prodigy, giving recitals at the age of twelve. Solti was a Jew and fled Hungary during the Nazi anti-Semitism in the 1940s. He moved to Switzerland and won the International Piano Competition in 1942.

Like Fritz Reiner, he could conduct operatic or symphonic works. His first conducting positions were with the Munich and Frankfurt Operas. He first conducted the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Ravinia in 1954 and the Lyric Opera of Chicago in 1956.

Georg Solti became Sir Georg Solti in 1969 when he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth for his achievements with the London Royal Opera, Covent Garden. He brought back the quality of performances that had long been gone.

The CSO Orchestral Association had tried for five years to make Sir Georg the eighth conductor of the CSO and they succeeded in 1969. Before Sir Georg, the CSO was considered "the greatest provincial orchestra in the world." So said a critic. After Sir Georg and the CSO toured Europe in 1971 the CSO was considered "the greatest orchestra in the world." This tour included twenty-five concerts in fifteen major cities in a little over a month.

Sir Georg was lauded with many awards and honorary doctorate degrees from countries and universities throughout the world. He received thirty-two Grammy Awards, more than any other artist, classical or popular. The CSO has received fifty-six Grammy Awards and has made more than nine hundred recordings since 1916.

All the musicians respected and admired him. One player said of Sir Georg, "He gets more out of any two an half hour rehearsal than any other conductor I've played for. He talks, he sings, he listens, and conducts. He explains exactly what he wants."

Maestro Solti's programs were balanced with a variety of traditional and modern composers. He invited guest conductors who were foremost in conducting works by French, Spanish, and other national composers. He is best known for his interpretations of German composers but he could conduct any composition.

Just as Theodore Thomas chose Frederick Stock to be his successor, Sir Georg approved of a brilliant young pianist and conductor by the name of Daniel Barenboim to succeed him. He passed the baton to Maestro Barenboim in 1975 to conduct the Orchestre de Paris and in 1991 he passed the baton again to him to conduct the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Sir Georg then became the CSO Music Director Laureate.

Maestro Georg Solti conducted the CSO for twenty-one years and was one of the greatest conductors of all time. He died on September 5, 1992, shortly before he was to conduct his 1000th concert.

The ninth and current conductor of the CSO is Daniel Barenboim. He was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and studied piano and conducting in Fountainbleau, Santa Cecelia Conservatory in Rome, and conducting in Siena.

He is considered one of the world's foremost pianists. He made international debuts in Paris in 1955, London in 1956, and New York in 1957. In the 1960s he was frequent guest conductor of the Israel Philharmonic, the New York Philharmonic, and the London Symphonic Orchestra.

Maestro Barenboim has prevailed in spite of the few negative reviews of his conducting. The majority of critics have praised both his conducting and his near flawless piano performances. During the 1998 CSO Paris and Berlin Spring Tour, the critics raved about the "Extraordinary sonic machine that is the Chicago Symphony Orchestra."

In Paris Jacquest Doucelin wrote in Le Figaro, "their virtuosity and unbelievable sense of ensemble had the audience nailed to their seats!"

In Berlin Klaus Geitel wrote in the Berliner Morgenpost, "The Orchestra was explosive, powerful, well trained, and deserving in all sections of due respect."

Maestro Barenboim is a gifted, brilliant conductor and pianist. The men and women of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra admire and respect him. He is carrying on the great tradition that Theodore Thomas started.

The concert has ended as the last chord of the finale resounds through Orchestra Hall. The audience is joyful and excited as they stand, cheer, and applaud the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's wonderful performance. "Bravos" are heard above in the gallery and down on the main floor.

The conductor smiles as he bows, then turns and gestures for the entire Orchestra to stand. He steps aside and joins the audience in applause, as if to say, "You are why they are applauding!" The patrons leave the Hall, delighted they came and knowing they will be back again soon.




 

 

Copyright © 2002 Frank Dunsmore
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