Before the first of two tour performances of Verdi’s Requiem under Riccardo Muti at the Musikverein, CSO musicians traveled to the Musikgymnasium Wien, a secondary school for gifted students. While there, a CSO chamber ensemble of violins Mihaela Ionescu and Russell Hershow, viola Wei-Ting Kuo, horn Oto Carrillo, bass Rob Kassinger and Vadim Karpinos, assistant principal timpani, performed in recital and then presented master classes. These educational activities were organized by the CSO’s Negaunee Music Institute.
The performance Jan. 13 of Verdi’s Requiem was part of the 150th anniversary celebration of the historic Musikverein. Joining the CSO and Muti in these concerts of Verdi’s masterpiece were guest vocalists Krassimira Stoyanova (soprano), Daniela Barcellona (mezzo-soprano), Francesco Meli (tenor) and Riccardo Zanellato (bass) and the Wiener Singverein, the Musikverein’s resident chorus. The program was repeated Jan. 14, with Muti offering a special dedication to Maestro Mariss Jansons, who died Nov. 30.
After the concert, orchestra members, including Maestro Muti, received a special guest: composer-conductor John Williams, scheduled to lead the Vienna Philharmonic in two concerts Jan. 18-19 at the Musikverein. David Cooper, the CSO’s principal horn and devoted “Star Wars” fan, seized the opportunity and asked Maestro Williams to autograph a pair of socks decorated with the droid R2-D2.
From Vienna, the CSO’s Europe Tour 2020 moves on to Luxembourg, with additional stops in Paris, Naples, Florence, Milan and Lugano.
For more coverage, go to the tour page on cso.org, Sounds and Stories’ CSO on Tour category, the CSO’s Facebook page and other social media outlets, including Twitter and Instagram.
TOP: Riccardo Muti leads the CSO in the first of two tour performances of Verdi’s Requiem at the Musikverein. | ©Todd Rosenberg Photography 2020
