Another week of historic concerts. This one, featuring the celebrated Chicago Symphony, conducted by Sir Georg Solti and featuring the American debut of the Russian violinist Lydia Mordkovitch in Glazunouv’s A Minor Violin Concerto.
Also on the bill is a premier for The Chicago Symphony: Their very first performance of the Sinfonia Sacra by Andrzej Panufnik, who is on hand for the premier. The concert starts with the Italian Symphony by Felix Mendelssohn.
Lydia Mordkovitch, born in Saratov, near the border of Kazakhstan, studied violin in Moscow. She briefly studied with David Oistrakh and won the National Young Musicians Competition in Kiev and 1967 and later travelled to Paris to take part in the Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud Competition in 1969. She migrated to Israel in 1973. In 1979 she made her British debut with the Hallé Orchestra and finally came to the U.S. in 1982 where this concert marked her American debut. A widely celebrated violinist and teacher, Mordkovitch died in 2014. She has left an impressive catalogue of recordings, most all of which are currently available. Check them out.
Ending the concert is the Chicago Symphony premier of the Sinfonia Sacra (Symphony Number 3) by the 20th century Polish composer Andrzej Panufnik. Even though the Symphony was written in 1963, and was the third of eight symphonies Panufnik wrote, it wasn’t until 1982 that Chicago finally got to hear it.
So, a rare concert and a historic one. Part of the 1982 season of The Chicago Symphony. This concert was broadcast on February 5, 1983, but certainly wasn’t the date of the actual concert.
Certainly qualifies for Anti-Road Rage Wednesday music. The Panufnik is wonderful and Mordkovitch playing Glazounov is lovely. A double bill that bears many repeats.
Enjoy.
