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Cast
Victor Aitay — Concertmaster
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Sir Georg Solti — Conductor
John Vernon — Producer
Program notes
At the Royal Festival Hall in London, Sir Georg Solti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra perform works by Mozart, Tchaikovsky and Debussy for the 14th and last concert of their European tour in 1985.
Sir Georg Solti, who was music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 1969 to 1991, has led several times European tours with his orchestra. Under his baton, their first European tour in 1971 helped the orchestra to join the rank of world leading orchestras. As a climax of this tour that led them on the stages of eleven cities, from Stockholm to London, they perform one of Mozart's latest symphonies, then Tchaikovsky's fourth symphony and one of Debussy's Nocturnes, « Fêtes »: a beautiful program to end this great tour.
For the opening of the concert, Sir Georg Solti conducts Mozart's Symphony No. 39, that was composed during summer 1788 with two other symphonies. Georg Solti reveals again his incredible understanding of Mozart's Genius, in developing both the finesse and the power of this work. On this point, he recognized he had this mission: "Every musician has a duty to keep not only Mozart, but and all of the other geniuses alive.", he said in an interview with Bruce Duffie.
The program continues with the performance of the legendary Symphony No. 4 composed by Tchaikovsky between 1877 and 1878. The orchestra performs remarkably this symphony with musical depth, in this way it highlights the dramatic and inspiring aspect of this work characterized by Russian Romantic influences.
Finally, Debussy is honoured through a charming performance of the « Fêtes » extract from his Nocturnes.
