The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is experiencing a surge in attendance as Klaus Mäkelä prepares to assume the role of Music Director in the 2027-28 season. His recent performance with the CSO, featuring works by Sibelius and Strauss, drew large crowds and critical attention, signaling a promising future for the orchestra under his leadership.
The program, presented on , juxtaposed Jean Sibelius’s Lemminkäinen Suite and Richard Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben. Both compositions, originating from the 1890s, share similarities in their scale, instrumentation, and thematic focus on heroic figures. However, the heroes themselves differ significantly: Sibelius’s work centers on Lemminkäinen, a protagonist from the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala, while Strauss’s piece is largely autobiographical, portraying the composer himself as the hero.
The pairing of these works, while potentially formulaic, was elevated by Mäkelä’s intensely dramatic interpretations. According to a review in Bachtrack, the conductor’s approach ensured that each piece possessed sufficient internal contrast to maintain audience engagement throughout its approximately 45-minute duration. This ability to create dynamic shifts within each composition prevented the program from feeling repetitive or predictable.
Mäkelä’s conducting style is described as meticulous and expressive. He began the Sibelius piece with a deliberate pause, demanding complete silence from the audience – a technique previously employed by Riccardo Muti. This created a heightened sense of anticipation before launching into the first movement, Lemminkäinen and the Maidens of Saari. The horns delivered the opening chord with “crystalline tone,” setting the stage for a virtuosic performance by the orchestra.
Particular praise was given to Mäkelä’s handling of the second movement, The Swan of Tuonela. He elicited a remarkably quiet tremolo from the string section, creating a somber atmosphere that perfectly complemented the haunting solo from English horn player Scott Hostetler. The conductor thoughtfully positioned Hostetler at a separate music stand, allowing his performance to take center stage. The review highlighted Mäkelä’s skill in building a sonic “nest” for melodies, allowing them to emerge with clarity and emotional resonance.
While the fourth movement of the Lemminkäinen Suite, Lemminkäinen’s Return, presented some challenges in coordination between the winds and strings, the orchestra ultimately recovered with a powerful brass entrance. The performance of Ein Heldenleben showcased Mäkelä’s ability to navigate both the chaotic and lyrical passages of the score. His physical conducting style, described as “mime-like” and incorporating expressive gestures, added another layer of engagement for the audience.
The Bachtrack review noted that Mäkelä’s attention to detail extended to his ability to direct the audience’s focus, guiding their ears to key moments and revealing the reasoning behind his interpretations. This approach, likened to a stage director, fostered a deeper connection between the conductor, the orchestra, and the listeners.
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra has a historical connection to both composers featured on the program. According to the Chicago Classical Review, Theodore Thomas and the CSO gave the U.S. Premieres of Richard Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben in and sections of Jean Sibelius’s Lemminkäinen in . This performance, served as a tribute to the orchestra’s rich history and its commitment to showcasing both established masterpieces and emerging talent.
Mäkelä will take this program on tour next week, with a performance at Carnegie Hall and additional dates in Ann Arbor, Washington, and Boston. The tour program will also include Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 and Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique, both of which Mäkelä led in local concerts last year. This tour marks his first with the CSO and represents a significant step in his journey toward becoming the orchestra’s Music Director.
The CSO’s performance of Ein Heldenleben and Lemminkäinen is not merely a concert event; it’s a statement about the orchestra’s artistic direction under Mäkelä’s guidance. His ability to draw compelling performances from the ensemble, coupled with his thoughtful programming choices, suggests a bright future for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. As Bachtrack succinctly put it, “Mäkelä is speaking. Chicago is listening.”
