Esa-Pekka Salonen and Iveta Apkalna bring his Sinfonia concertante to life in its Chicago debut

United StatesUnited States R. Strauss, Salonen, Bartók: Iveta Apkalna (organ), Chicago Symphony Orchestra / Esa-Pekka Salonen (conductor). Orchestra Hall, Chicago, 30.1.2025. (ZC)

Esa-Pekka Salonen leads the CSO in Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra © Todd Rosenberg

R, Strauss Don Juan
Esa-Pekka Salonen Sinfonia concertante for Organ and Orchestra
Bartók Concerto for Orchestra

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra has returned home to Orchestra Hall after a successful tour through Florida, New York and Oklahoma, and launched an anticipated two-week residency with conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen. Salonen, a dynamic force in contemporary music, steps onto the Chicago podium at a transitional moment in his career, following his well-publicized decision to not seek a new contract as music director of the San Francisco Symphony over creative differences. Currently in the Windy City, the Finnish maestro will guide the CSO through a compelling lineup, including Bartók staples, Beethoven’s buoyant Symphony No.2 and a performance of his Sinfonia concertante for Organ and Orchestra.

The first program of Salonen’s residency focused on three orchestral showpieces, with his Sinfonia concertante framed by Richard Strauss’s Don Juan and Béla Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra. While Salonen’s work was a new addition to the orchestra’s repertoire, the Strauss and Bartók pieces have a storied history with the CSO, particularly through landmark recordings with Fritz Reiner. The orchestra’s first RCA recording of the Concerto for Orchestra is widely regarded as one of the definitive interpretations: Reiner’s deep understanding of Bartók’s music – coupled with the orchestra’s balance, precision and virtuosity – shaped Bartók’s popularity in America and contributed significantly to the CSO’s reputation as a world-class ensemble.

Salonen brought a fresh perspective to these CSO classics, offering interpretations that were both elegant and bold. His Don Juan was softer-edged, yet still daring – a debonair take that reimagined the character for twenty-first-century ears by exuding a more nuanced type of masculine energy. The CSO’s strings played with seductive warmth, and the instrumental solos were impeccably judged which added to the work’s charm.

Similarly, Salonen’s interpretation of the Bartók, which closed the program, maintained a sense of sophistication over sheer virtuosity, and emphasized contextualization and detail over ferocity. The second movement’s playfulness emerged with a joyful energy that can sometimes be overlooked, while the central elegy resonated with deep sonority, the cellos and double basses providing a solid foundation. This mournful intensity was soon swept away by the final movement’s triumphant energy, where Salonen’s quick pacing and dynamic contrasts allowed intricate orchestral textures to shine.

Between Don Juan and Concerto for Orchestra, Salonen showcased his Sinfonia concertante, a work born during the pandemic. In program notes, Salonen reflected on the challenge of composing for an instrument as powerful as the organ without overwhelming the orchestra or competing with it. His solution was to treat the organ as a constantly shifting presence – alternating among standing alone, blending seamlessly with the orchestra or even engaging in chamber-like dialogues with small instrumental groups. This flexibility capitalized on the organ’s versatility. Written with Iveta Apkalna in mind, the piece provided her with an opportunity to showcase an expressive technical range for her CSO debut.

Organist Iveta Apkalna performs Sinfonia concertante in her CSO debut © Todd Rosenberg

Salonen’s work unfolds in three movements, each offering a distinct atmosphere. The first, ‘Pavane and Drones’, opens in a dreamlike atmosphere before the organ introduces a reimagined take on Renaissance elegance. The strings gradually join, their phrases delicately ornamented by the organ, and the pavane motif resurfaces in various guises, lending the movement a sense of evolution and transformation. The second movement, ‘Variations and Dirge’, is the most somber of the three, its pensive elegance punctuated by two cadenzas and a haunting solo organ dirge – a farewell to Salonen’s mother. The final movement, ‘Ghost Montage’, erupts with raw energy, drawing inspiration from the bombastic organ riffs of American hockey arenas. Though much of the piece is restrained emotionally, this final movement teeters on the brink of chaos as it barrels toward a dramatic conclusion.

Salonen masterfully blended organ and orchestra in Sinfonia concertante. At times, the two forces merged into an almost indistinguishable soundscape; at others, particularly later in the work, the organ pulsed against the full force of the orchestra. The most striking moments, however, came when Apkalna’s playing seemed to float above the orchestra, adding an ethereal dimension to the piece.

Despite its surprisingly monochrome sonic palette, the ever-evolving relationship between organ and orchestra kept the performance engaging and unpredictable. As the final notes faded, the audience responded with a well-earned standing ovation for the artistry of Apkalna, the CSO’s skill and Salonen’s striking contribution to the organ repertoire.

Zach Carstensen

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