“Out of the Silence” reviewed by Julia W. Rath

Highly Recommended! ***** The Chicago Philharmonic opened its 2021-2022 season on September 12th in epic fashion at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, in Skokie. “We missed you!” said Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Scott Speck over and over again. He added: “It’s one thing to play to a couple thousand on Zoom; it’s [far better] to play to a couple hundred people in person!” This season has been named “Rejoice” in honor of the return of live music to live audiences, with Sunday’s performance being billed as the “Out of the Silence” concert.

“Out of the Silence” not only refers to the Chicago Philharmonic’s first live event since stages went dark in March 2020 but is also the title of William Grant Still’s 1939 composition of that name. Still was the first African-American to conduct a major U.S. orchestra, and “Out of the Silence”—with its blend of jazz, blues, and classical music—emerges as a butterfly from the chrysalis of the Great Depression, just as we are emerging from the grip of the pandemic. Similarly, the choice of Aaron Copeland’s “Appalachian Spring” (1944) represents renewal after a long winter. The Still and Copeland works served as the perfect bookends for the larger performance.

Introducing and promoting outstanding talent proved to be one of the highlights. Composer Marcus Norris wrote his concerto “Glory” (2019) for violin and orchestra, and it has been rarely played until now because of COVID restrictions. What a joy to watch Norris rise from the audience to introduce this emphatic piece himself! He explained that the point of creating “Glory” was as a musical tribute to “triumph despite adversity.” Soloist Njioma Grevious, on violin, spellbinds us by injecting forcefulness, vibrance, and joy into Norris’s creation to obtain the intended fevered pitch.

The portion which captivated me the most, however, was the spectacular rendition of Mozart’s classic clarinet concerto in A Major, K. 622 (1791). This three-part composition happens to be one of my all-time favorites, because it takes advantage of the wide range of notes in different registers that the clarinet is capable of playing. As a former player myself, I could recognize just how well clarinetist Sergey Gutorov recreated Mozart’s bounciness and charm through his lustrous, melodic, and crisp performance.

The mix of styles throughout the program was nicely done: all in keeping with the theme of renewal and revitalization. The energy created by the show was fierce! I particularly enjoyed watching how the orchestra was configured and reconfigured depending on the musical demands of each composer. For example, we listened to a comparatively small ensemble playing Copeland’s original version of “Appalachian Spring” as compared to his subsequent version for full orchestra.

“Out of the Silence” was excellently conceived and fantastically executed—and above all, what a great experience it was being in the audience! Generally speaking, the revival of live concerts throughout the Chicago Metropolitan area has been very important to all of us who have been starved of high-quality entertainment. Thus it was no surprise that at the end of the program, we gave the conductor and all the musicians a standing ovation!

The Chicago Philharmonic’s next concert at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts is on November 21st and is entitled “Simply Serenades.”

PLEASE NOTE: The orchestra performs at other venues throughout the Chicago metropolitan area, including the Harris Theater and Ravinia. There is also a virtual concert that you can hear as well, which is playing online through October 15th.

For a complete list of upcoming performances, dates, and locations including the link to the virtual performance, please go to their website: https://chicagophilharmonic.org/. There you can find information on how to obtain single tickets and a subscription to the series.

The North Shore Center for the Performing Arts is located at 9501 Skokie Boulevard, Skokie, Illinois. It is a spectacular venue to take in an afternoon or evening event with its wonderful acoustics and without a bad seat in the house. For more information about their offerings and COVID restrictions, visit: https://northshorecenter.org/ or call their box office at (847) 673-6300.

You must show proof of vaccination and have an ID with a matching name on it in order to be admitted into the performing arts center. Masks must be worn indoors per local ordinance.