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Arts & Entertainment

Watts Joins CSO to Light Up Ravinia

Conductor Christoph Eschenbach energizes crowd with Liszt's masterful classics.

Pianist was the headliner at Friday’s concert, but many in the audience came to hear ChristophEschenbach conduct the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring.

Watts delighted the audience with his solo performance of Franz Liszt’s A Sigh as well as joining the symphony to play Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 2. He exuded technique and passion in abundance and the response was a thunderous ovation. 

Even Watts’ enthusiasm took a back seat when Eschenbach picked up his baton to lead the orchestra in The Rite of Spring. 

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“It was brilliant. To be able to hear the world’s greatest orchestra play the Rite of Spring is just beyond words,” said Jeff Schweitzer, who flew to Chicago from Burbank, CA, solely to hear the piece.

“There were so many instruments you wouldn’t see anywhere else,” he added, referring to a large sea shell-looking percussion instrument that one of the orchestra members played with a drumstick. 

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Schweitzer studied music at DePaul University before he headed to California with dreams of scoring music for movies. 

Allison Deputy of Lake in the Hills came with her son Allyn Barnett, a 10-year-old French horn player, just for The Rite of Spring. They enjoyed the concert on the lawn as Allyn sat entranced with his miniature instrument. 

“He’s heard it on the radio and ended up really liking the music,” Deputy said of her son. “He had to come.”

Deputy, who is trained in flute and cello, and her son were not disappointed. 

“It was very powerful, especially the drumming,” she said about the use of kettle drums to evoke Stravinsky’s images of games between towns and references to the “Chosen One” appearing throughout the work. 

Barnett put a youthful spin on the performance. “It was really exciting, very good,” he said. “The orchestra was so energetic.” 

DePaul University graduate music student Suzanne Gillen of Lincoln Park was at the concert with Schweitzer. She was impressed with the solo playing during the piece by instruments not normally featured in a symphonic score. 

“The flute worked in there so well,” Gillen said. “The notes of the bassoon solo really touched me. It was great.” 

Just as the audience was thrilled by the Rite of Spring, Watts’ interpretation of Liszt, played without sheet music before him, showed the passion of the veteran performer. During much of the performance he could be seen singing the music to himself. 

“He was exuberant with Liszt but dignified. He showed his passion when he sang to himself,” said Judy Geleerd of Highland Park. “You don’t even see his fingers move. They just fly.” 

Gilbert Neri of Bensenville not only enjoyed Watts’ performance of Liszt’s second piano concerto Friday but heard play the German composer’s Piano Concerto No. 1 on Thursday. 

“It was an awesome interpretation of Liszt. I liked the forceful playing he did so well,” Neri said. “Lang Lang really entertained us. Watts played Liszt the way he’s supposed to be played.” 

Neri was not the only one who used "awesome" to describe Watts’ effort. Kay Nalbach of Glenview said the same thing.

“His consistency on the piano is awesome,” she said. “He is deeply into the music and it shows.” 

Others, like Hans Eschenbach of Des Plaines, were taken by Watts’ feeling for the music. 

“The energy and musicality were magnificent,” said Eschenbach, who is not related to the CSO conductor. “For such a powerful man, there is such sensitivity.”

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