A MOMENT TO REFRESH — The Weekly Opine

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra was at the top of its game last Thursday. (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

The fine arts soar!

On the eve of my delayed spring break from opining, politicians in my birth state Indiana made a terribly dumb decision. An unforced error as they say in tennis. The MAGA Republican controlled legislature ended a monthslong legislative session by sneaking in a last-minute provision – without allowing time for debate – that handed the keys to my beloved alma mater, Indiana University, over to newly-elected Governor Mike Braun. Braun now controls selection of all of IU’s board of trustees, undoing decades of alumni electing fellow alumni to three of the nine trustee seats.

Worse still, faculty face draconian measures. For example, having to publicize class syllabi on the internet which allows untrained officials to interfere with professor’s subject matter. Additionally, IU’s tenured faculty are on notice that tenure is becoming an uncertain concept that can, at the whim of government officials, be reversed. While not a stated goal of the Braun administration, the result of Republican’s continued attacks on education may someday cause Indiana’s populace to become – at least education-wise – the Mississippi of the North.

Disregard for education now runs rampant across America, with a particular disdain for scientific research and the fine arts. Thankfully, last Thursday, I had the opportunity to experience the arts, in a setting that’s as fine as it gets.

May Day Christmas

Back in late December, I presented Bethanny with an envelope gifting her two tickets to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. She chose the program, I secured the tickets and gladly tagged along!

Last Thursday, May 1st, was the big day and the timing was perfect. After participating in political resistance attending protests at a suburban Tesla dealership and a huge downtown Chicago rally, and calling the U.S. Capitol to leave messages for elected officials and writing weekly opines lamenting the condition of American democracy, I needed a break. Something soothing and invigorating.

Twenty minutes before show time the crowd’s attire was a reminder the days of dressing up for a night at the symphony are dwindling. (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

Symphony Center

Considering what’s happening in Washington D.C. these days, I concluded the intelligence level of patrons inside Orchestra Hall far outweighs all the brainpower sitting in any building in the nation’s capital (and the Indiana state legislature). And the CSO’s performance vividly demonstrated the captivating power and brilliance of the fine arts.

The program was directed by Klaus Makela, a 29-year-old Finnish conductor who will become CSO music director in 2027. While not anywhere close to being a knowledgeable aficionado, I do know enough to recognize when someone “has it.” Klaus Makela possesses the “it” factor, in bundles. His energy, physical movement and firm command of one of the world’s greatest orchestras were impressive. Following the great conductor Riccardo Muti won’t be easy, but young Makela looks like a superstar-in-waiting.

The program opened with Brahm’s Concerto No. 2, with Daniil Trifonov tickling the ivories. Trifonov delivered a memorable performance, at times passionately attacking and at times delicately caressing the keys. To this layman it was masterful, like mixing poet Edgar Allen Poe’s startling intensity with historian Shelby Foote’s gentle southern dialect. The result was calm serenity escalating into high drama, back and forth. Makela’s conducting and Trifonov’s playing fit like hand and glove, symmetrical like a shortstop making a flawless toss to his second baseman to start the perfect double-play.

The second “act” was a somewhat forgettable five minutes featuring an all-brass ensemble (two trumpets, two French horns, two trombones and one sousaphone). For this former trombone player, it was a letdown.

Also disappointing is the way people now dress at Orchestra Hall. Call me old school, dated, or a curmudgeon (I am a bit of a curmudgeon). Gladly, we are among those who still dress up when attending symphony orchestra concerts. Same as when we (rarely) eat at top-tier restaurants. Unfortunately, cargo shorts and backward baseball caps have taken up residence at many fine dining establishments. At Orchestra Hall last week, I even saw a Baby Boomer woman wearing a baseball cap!

The evening’s final performance was Dvorak’s Symphony No. 7. It was superlative, with a variety of instruments delivering shining solos. The CSO and lanky, spirited conductor Klaus Makela sent the audience into a fine spring night on an arts-induced high. The concert completed an evening that began with a sumptuous dinner at The Exchange restaurant, located next door to Symphony Center.

The combination of Thursday’s music performance and Saturday afternoon’s highly enjoyable “catch up” lunch with my cousin Carol made my “respite from resisting” fulfilling and complete.

Now, where did I put the phone number to the U.S. Capitol?