Ravinia CD
Ravinia had a great idea. They mailed out brochures that included Season Preview CDs with the sample pieces from this summer’s residency by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (“… and more” says the CD). “How clever,” I thought, “they’ll educate me a bit about classical music and I’ll want to buy dozens of tickets.” I threw the CD on while I was making dinner.
And I turned it off after 10 minutes. Our CD “hosts” Sylvia McNair and Welz Kauffman talk a lot. Over every piece. There’s one track that’s 36 seconds long, and only has 3 seconds of un-talked-over music. And I understand this is an ad, but the commentary is just a little too enthusiastic. Might I say “cheesy”? I might.
Wait, you didn’t enjoy the playful, almost flirtatious banter between those two?
I might have if it didn’t sound so much like they were reading their flirtatious banter off of cue cards.
Ravinia is no longer the hidden gem that it was. Now it’s a total hassle from beginning to end for just about any popular show. The crowded trains and very limited parking, higher ticket prices, and very little lawn space make it pretty much a no-brainer to stay away. I might make the trip once a summer, that’s about it.