A wonderful, grand-scale “Opera Night” concert came to Chicago’s Symphony Center this past Thursday, Friday and Saturday as Maestro Riccardo Muti, the CSO’s music director emeritus for life, returned to the stage in top form, moving to the music with impressive grace, expressive motion and ideal clarity.
In addition to the wonderful energy and ever superb playing of the CSO’s grand-scale musicians, there also were two guest artists on the program in the outstanding soprano Lidia Fridman and tenor Francesco Meli. And there was more: The Chicago Symphony Chorus, comprised of 138 powerful vocalists, all in black outfits, and led by Chorus Director Donald Palumbo.
