The Chainlink

Muti to return Feb 3 (was Proud of Chicago: Riccardo Muti Welcoming Event)

http://cso.org/TicketsAndEvents/EventDetails.aspx?eid=3664

Pretty big deal-- the CSO never plays at Millenium Park, and very very rarely for free -- this is a special "Concert for Chicago" to kick off Riccardo Muti's tenure as the new Music Director.

Bombastic program including Respighi's "Pines of Rome" and Tchaikovsky's "Romeo and Juliet."

Food/drink allowed . . . probably want to be there at 4:30 to stake out seats, or by 5 to get lawn space (maybe earlier.)

Go on Marauders, roll out of bed around 2 and start moseying downtown . . . perfect day.

Views: 63

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on September 19, 2010 at 9:42pm
Wow. Just a few people in attendance, eh?

H3N3 said:
Um . . . I think thousands of people have locked up there?
Did you make it down to the event?
Amazing how many people were there. If the weather had been nice it would have been a full-out disaster. The pics don't start to capture the size of the throngs.
I was never able to get a clear view of the stage no matter where I went-- could have used a periscope. The camera was as high over my head as I could reach for these shots.
Very proud of this city tonight.




milesperhour said:
I'm going to lock up at the McDonald's Cycle Center. I called and they said there is enough free parking for an event like tonight. Has anyone ever locked up there?
H3N3 said:
You should be OK with a U-lock, if you lock anywhere east of Michigan.
All the reports I've received of bikes stolen within Millenium Park have been cable locks.
milesperhour said:
thanks Cameron & jamimaria!
Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on September 19, 2010 at 9:54pm
About 15 minutes before the symphony started they had to stop letting people beyond the outside of the pavillion space-- it was jam packed. In order to get a seat or lawn space within the greater Pritzker Pavillion you would have had to get there around 2:30. Beyond that time the entire park around the area filled up with people and chairs and blankets. Security was amazingly tolerant in terms of letting people fill up all but important passageways (they even let people put folding chairs along all the walls of the passageways down to the pavillion.)
The pics I have don't show any of the spillover.

This is the best my phone's camera can do. Taken about 1/2way between the Pavillion and the Bean.
Permalink Reply by Liz W. Durham on September 20, 2010 at 12:31am
You say "security was amazingly tolerant". Wow. I found security to be incredible rude and insulting. Speaking to people disrespectfully and being unwilling to answer questions or anything. I heard two different security guards cursing at individuals...individuals who were being polite but who asked questions about if there was room to get in or not.
Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on September 20, 2010 at 7:38am
You said "I found security to be incredible."

(there, two can play . . .)

I said:
Security was amazingly tolerant in terms of letting people fill up all but important passageways

I saw what you saw as well and wouldn't disagree. At one point I shushed the screaming security worker and she made a big show out of screaming at me.

Liz W. Durham said:
You say "security was amazingly tolerant". Wow. I found security to be incredible rude and insulting. Speaking to people disrespectfully and being unwilling to answer questions or anything. I heard two different security guards cursing at individuals...individuals who were being polite but who asked questions about if there was room to get in or not.
Permalink Reply by Liz on September 20, 2010 at 8:58am
That has to be the best performance I have ever seen!!! I was totally blown away by how much of an impact Muti had on the orchestra!

As for the seating, we got a little before 4pm, and where able to get a nice space in the southeast corner of the lawn. By 4:30 the venue was full. I have never seen the park that crowded for any event. I think the security was in a tough place, clearly no one anticipated that the even would draw so many. Since the lawn and seating does fill up quickly for "normal" grant park orchestra evets, I knew that we would need to be there early to find a good spot.
Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on September 20, 2010 at 10:20am
Part of the reason I'm proud of our city today-- one might come to expect that the only thing that can mobilize such masses is watching people compete for a ball or a puck and potentially beating the crap out of each-other in the process.
I did some poking around Youtube and there's some interesting stuff on Muti.
It seems like a gift to Chicago that he's agreed to do this.

Liz said:
That has to be the best performance I have ever seen!!! I was totally blown away by how much of an impact Muti had on the orchestra!

As for the seating, we got a little before 4pm, and where able to get a nice space in the southeast corner of the lawn. By 4:30 the venue was full. I have never seen the park that crowded for any event. I think the security was in a tough place, clearly no one anticipated that the even would draw so many. Since the lawn and seating does fill up quickly for "normal" grant park orchestra evets, I knew that we would need to be there early to find a good spot.
Permalink Reply by Liz W. Durham on September 20, 2010 at 10:38am
Ok ok. Typo on my part. Also, I get your clarifying point. I took your statement in broader terms than you intended. :-)

The music was amazing and the CSO definitely has an outstanding new director in Muti.
The mass of people wanting to hear the performance was incredible. Of course, given the costs of tickets to a CSO show, it probably should not be a surprise at the numbers in attendance. A free performance is just about the only way many folks can get to hear the CSO.

H3N3 said:
You said "I found security to be incredible."

(there, two can play . . .)

I said:
Security was amazingly tolerant in terms of letting people fill up all but important passageways

I saw what you saw as well and wouldn't disagree. At one point I shushed the screaming security worker and she made a big show out of screaming at me.

Liz W. Durham said:
You say "security was amazingly tolerant". Wow. I found security to be incredible rude and insulting. Speaking to people disrespectfully and being unwilling to answer questions or anything. I heard two different security guards cursing at individuals...individuals who were being polite but who asked questions about if there was room to get in or not.
Permalink Reply by Liz on September 20, 2010 at 11:59am
Previous years the CSO has also given a free concert, on the day following opening night and usually a repeat of that show at Symphony Center as well as all day music around the hall. This year Muti decided on the park so the most people come enjoy the show.


During the show they gave out ticket discounts. I believe the upper balcony seats are between $23-38 each, which I think is actually quite reasonable for how great the music is. There are also additional discounts for students and programs to bring music to everyone. I think our city really does an amazing job of bringing culture to the people. The chicago civic orchestra has free open concerts, and the grant park orchestra performs all summer long. The cultrual center has free concets twice a week. While there can always be more outreach, I think it is worth noting how much this city does to bring music to the people.


Liz W. Durham said:
Ok ok. Typo on my part. Also, I get your clarifying point. I took your statement in broader terms than you intended. :-)

The music was amazing and the CSO definitely has an outstanding new director in Muti.
The mass of people wanting to hear the performance was incredible. Of course, given the costs of tickets to a CSO show, it probably should not be a surprise at the numbers in attendance. A free performance is just about the only way many folks can get to hear the CSO.

H3N3 said:
Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on September 20, 2010 at 12:10pm
I suppose it was only a matter of time until this turned into a complaint about Daley and the city . . . we don't subsidize the arts here like they do in Europe (and even in Europe the subsidies have dried up with general economic belt-tightening) so be angry at American culture for not being European culture.
I'm pretty sure the cheapest seats for normal symphony concerts are $27-- I don't think that's unreasonable to be able to go see one of the top 5 orchestras in the world a few times a year.
I usually take a sheet of paper out of the copier when I want to see the symphony, and draw a big "need 1" on it with a sharpie, and get down there at least a 1/2 hour early and wait outside.
Occasionally it doesn't pay off but now and then I score big-- about a year ago someone gave me a $168 box seat. Typically I'm hoping to end up in the very top of the gallery (my favorite spot-- the bass tends to "collect" there) for something less than face value.

I can't really comment on the quality of the performance last night as what I heard was probably 85% amplified and 15% actual sound waves passing from the musicians to my ears. It pretty clearly sounded like the Chicago Symphony, but I can't say more.
I heard they doubled the brass with extra winds on the periphery of the stage for the Respighi-- we got there at 4:30 which was apparently about 30 minutes late to have a prayer of line-of-sight (or sound) to the orchestra. I didn't know they'd done this every year . . . definitely had a bit of the feel of a marketing event (to which I say "well done, symphony management").
Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on September 20, 2010 at 12:25pm
Subsidizing the arts...

how much money should the government be giving Lady Gaga?

H3N3 said:
I suppose it was only a matter of time until this turned into a complaint about Daley and the city . . . we don't subsidize the arts here like they do in Europe (and even in Europe the subsidies have dried up with general economic belt-tightening) so be angry at American culture for not being European culture.
Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on September 20, 2010 at 12:46pm
Begin Phase II of Symphony Discussion: Subsidizing the Arts.
Take it away, James.
Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on September 20, 2010 at 1:17pm
Heh, What a "meat-hat" thing to say...

:P

H3N3 said:
Begin Phase II of Symphony Discussion: Subsidizing the Arts.
Take it away, James.

RSS

Groups

© 2008-2016   The Chainlink Community, L.L.C.   Powered by

Disclaimer  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service