Class it up at the CSO

By Amy Mikel in Arts & Entertainment on Feb 22, 2008 4:48PM

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra has just announced its 2008 / 2009 season. Tickets are already on sale, so here are a few Chicagoist recommendations to keep in mind:

Peter and the Wolf May 3, 2008
This orchestrated children’s story, complete with narration, is perfectly suitable for adults as well. You may already be familiar with the music; the “wolf” musical theme with three French horns is also used for Scut Farkus in A Christmas Story. The performances are only matinees and will be geared towards families, but if you already love Peter and the Wolf, might as well snap up the chance to see it performed live.

Memoirs of a Geisha August 20 & 21, 2008
The original score for this Academy-Award winning film was written by John Williams, one of the most prolific composers in the movie business. On his resume: Jaws, Star Wars, Superman, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park, Hook, Schindler's List, and Harry Potter. Selections from the score will be performed by the CSO, as well as guest cellist Yo-Yo Ma (hey we were just talking about him!), and conducted by Williams himself.

Pictures at an Exhibition September 28, 2008
The ten short movements in Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition suite each musically describe a real painting by the composer’s friend Viktor Hartman. Depicted as if the experience was at an exhibition, the suite is interspersed with the promenade theme as the viewer walks to the next painting. Part of CSO’s Beyond the Score® series; Pictures at an Exhibition will be deconstructed from both a musical and historical standpoint, then performed in its entirety to close out the program.

The new season does not start until August, so visit Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s event calendar for the 2007/2008 season current and upcoming performances.