Program Highlight

Philip Glass' inspiration for The Triumph of the Octagon, CSO, Thu 1/18 @ 8pm

Classical 91.5 WXXO-FM

Published December 22, 2023 at 10:43 AM EST

The octagon of Glass’s title refers to the World Heritage site Castel del Monte, a hilltop citadel on the heel of the boot of Italy, built by the 13th-century Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II. With its esoteric, numerological aura, the place has always drawn Muti like a magnet. He grew up nearby and now owns adjoining properties, enjoying privileged access.

1/4 Dvořák: Cello Concerto, Symphony No. 8 (Andrei Ioniță, c; Herbert Blomstedt, cond)

1/11 Wagner: Prelude to Lohengrin Strauss: Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks Bruckner: Symphony No. 8 (Daniel Barenboim, cond)

1/18 Glass: The Triumph of the Octagon Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 4, Italian Strauss: Aus Italien (Riccardo Muti, cond)

1/25 Rossini: Overture to Il viaggio a Reims Mozart: Symphony No. 39 Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5 (Riccardo Muti, cond)