Conductor Sir Georg Solti
One of a series of films featuring the world's leading orchestras

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1891 by the German-born musician Theodore Thomas and at one time enjoyed the reputation of being 'the best provincial orchestra in the world.' Georg Solti became its permanent conductor in 1969 and in 1971 the orchestra left the United States for the first time to a tumultuous European reception, confirming what Chicago already knew-here was a great orchestra.

The music extracts include:
Mahler Das Lied von der Erde (With Yvonne Minton)
Beethoven Symphony No 9
Mozart Symphony No 25
Strauss Don Juan
Wagner Prelude: Die Meister-singer

"An admirable picture setting the orchestra vividly in its city of rich and poor extremes" (Daily Telegraph)
"Solti is as ever compulsively viewable, both on the podium and as a talker" (The Times)

Co-production by BBCtv and RM Productions, Munich