Ravinia 2022, Issue 3

SASHA GUSOV have better summarized the continual won- derment inspired by Schubert’s songs than Johannes Brahms did in 1863: “Where else is there a genius like his, soaring so boldly and certainly up to the heavens, where we see the few giants sitting enthroned? He seems to me to be like a young god playing with Jupiter’s thunder and handling it a little bit singularly now and then. But he plays in regions, and at heights with others cannot scale for long.” Song was the natural medium for Schubert’s musical expression. While a choirboy in the Imperial Court Chapel, Schubert developed a fine voice and considerable musical ability as a conductor and violinist. Evidently, he un- derwent a particularly awkward change of voice. The following note was found penciled in his score: “Schubert, Franz, crowed for the last time, 26 July 1812.” As a man, his voice was thin and weak. Many of his songs re- ceived their first, and sometimes only, perfor- mance during the composer’s tragically short lifetime at private gatherings of friends, known as “Schubertiads.” The first documented Schubertiad took place at the home of his longtime friend Franz von Schobert in January 1821. This informal gathering of 14 friends lasted until 3:00 a.m., during which Schubert sang and played his songs at the piano and much punch was con- sumed. Many similar events transpired over the next several months and at irregular inter- vals until shortly before his death. The typical evening began with the actual Schubertiad, a concert featuring Schubert’s vocal and occa- sionally instrumental music, and continued with food, drink, and dancing. An eclectic assemblage of artists, musicians and writers took part in the conviviality. This same circle held reading parties on separate evenings. –Program notes © 2022 Todd E. Sullivan Charade: Parlor Game of the Schubertians in Atzenbrugg by Leopold Kupelwieser (1821) MATTHIAS GOERNE, baritone For Matthias Goerne’s biography, see page 33. ALEXANDRE KANTOROW, piano The first French pianist to win the gold med- al at the Tchaikovsky Competition—in 2019, at age 22—Alexandre Kantorow is also only the fourth Grand Prix recipient in the com- petition’s history. He began attracting atten- tion as a professional artist even before those and many other honors—including being named “Musical Revelation of the Year” by the French Professional Critics Association in 2019 and winning both the Recording of the Year and Instrumental Soloist of the Year awards from the Victoires de la Musique Classique in 2020—making his debut at La Folle Journée festival in Nantes, France, at age 16. Having studied with Pierre-Alain Vo- londat, Igor Lazko, Frank Braley, and Rena Shereshevskaya, Kantorow has since been a featured guest with such orchestras as the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, Orchestre National de France, and Staatskapelle Berlin, and this April he made his Boston Symphony Orchestra debut. Over the next year, his engagements include tours with the Orchestre National de Toulouse, Bu- dapest Festival Orchestra, and the Munich Philharmonic, as well as performances with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Phil- harmonia Orchestra, and Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, plus returns to the Orchestre de Paris and Staatskapelle Berlin. Also a ded- icated chamber musician, Kantorow has giv- en solo recitals at many major venues across Europe including the Concertgebouw’s Mas- ter Pianists series, Berlin’s Konzerthaus, Par- is’s Philharmonie, BOZAR in Brussels, and Stockholm’s Konserthus, as well as such festi- vals as La Roque d’Anthéron, Piano aux Jaco- bins, Verbier Festival, and Klavierfest Ruhr. He also regularly performs in collaboration with cellist Victor Julien-Laferrière, violinists Renaud Capuçon and Daniel Lozakovich, and baritone Matthias Goerne. Kantorow records exclusively for BIS, most recently releasing an album of Brahms solo works that received the 2022 Diapason d’Or. His discography also includes Diapason d’Or and Classica Choc de l’Année winning albums of Saint-Saëns’s Piano Concertos Nos. 3–5 and solo works by Brahms, Bartók, and Liszt, earning both awards in 2019 and 2020 respectively. Alex- andre Kantorow is making his Ravinia debut. PAVILION 7:00 PM WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 2022 JUST LIKE THAT… TOUR MAVIS STAPLES –Intermission– BONNIE RAITT RAVINIA MAGAZINE • JULY 18 – JULY 31, 2022 38 SASHA GUSOV