by Jacqueline Armbruster
As the decade comes to a close, the world is in a state of reflection — observing the drastic shifts that have occurred to land us in this constant state of upgrading, updating, and consuming new material, much to our own exhaustion. For lovers of classical music, though, this next decade will begin with the celebration of a timeless figure in the canon, Ludwig van Beethoven.
by Mike Telin
Over the years I have been fortunate to hear a number of impressive double bass recitals. But when I started listening to Derek Zadinsky’s debut solo recording, Bach + Brahms, I quickly mouthed the phrase ‘OMG, this is amazing!’
by Mike Telin
There are few recordings that provide as much listening pleasure as guitarist Jason Vieaux’s and the Escher Quartet’s Dance. Released by Azica Records, the album is an hour-long feast for the ears that is full of pristine beauty and energetic swagger.
by Jarrett Hoffman
In Pictures, the debut album from composer and pianist James Wilding, every piece was inspired by something outside the world of music, from the concrete (a particular sculpture) to the abstract (a vision of the end of the world).
by Jarrett Hoffman
Hearing the music of Schumann through the lens of cellist Brian Thornton and pianist Spencer Myer is to experience a level of expressivity one might forget even exists.
by Daniel Hathaway
Christmas was a major inspiration for church music in Leipzig in J.S. Bach’s time, as evidenced by the six festive cantatas he wrote for the celebrations of 1735 — one each for December 25, 26, and 27, New Year’s Day, the first Sunday of the new year, and the feast of the Epiphany. This week, Apollo’s Fire will perform four of the cantatas that comprise Bach’s Christmas Oratorio in five venues around the city under guest conductor Julian Wachner, with soprano Molly Netter, countertenor Daniel Moody, tenor Stephen Soph, baritone Jesse Blumberg, and Apollo’s Singers.
Julian Wachner has spent his distinguished career with one foot in church music and the other in the concert world. A native of California, he began as a boy chorister at New York’s St. Thomas Choir School and currently serves as Director of Music and the Arts at Trinity Church, Wall Street. An acclaimed conductor of early music, contemporary music, and opera, he also finds time to compose. I spoke with him by telephone last week in Missouri, where he was leading performances of Handel’s Messiah with the Kansas City Symphony.
The Christmas Oratorio holds a special place in Wachner’s career — it’s the first work he recorded 20 years ago, and that recording has recently been re-engineered and re-released. “Jeannette Sorrell told me to pick four of the six cantatas for Cleveland,” Wachner said, “so I thought I’d choose five and six, the ones that aren’t often done, in addition to one and two. There’s such glorious music in the last pair that I thought it would be wonderful to spring those on the audience.” [Read more…]
by Jarrett Hoffman
It was the late 1980s when oboist Jeffrey Rathbun and pianist Marc Shapiro first tackled Herbert Howells’ Sonata for Oboe and Piano, written in 1942 but not published for another 45 years.
by Daniel Hathaway
German conductor Stefan Willich, founder of the World Doctors Orchestra, got to know Ronald and Eugenia Strauss, founders of CityMusic Cleveland, in 2011 and they immediately hit it off. “They told me about their orchestra in Cleveland, and after lots of mutual admiration, we decided to do something together.” As a result, Willich was invited to Cleveland to lead a set of concerts. “It’s been great,” Willich said in a telephone conversation from Berlin. “I love the musicians and I love the audiences, so ever since, I’ve been back regularly to Cleveland for the December concerts.”
This time around, Willich’s program is called “Fire and Ice,” and will be presented in four different venues around town between December 12 and 15. “It’s a nice blend of pieces. Some are fiery, like Haydn’s Symphony No. 49 and de Falla’s Ritual Fire Dance, and some have a wintry atmosphere, like Suk’s Meditation on St. Wenceslas, Corelli’s Christmas Concerto, and Mozart’s Sleigh Ride.”
Willich likes CityMusic’s peripatetic habit of repeating programs several times around the region. “The venues are so different, and there’s always something new to tease out in the music. There’s a lot of attraction in repeating repertoire — George Szell was famous for doing that with The Cleveland Orchestra — and different audiences react differently. I like that.” [Read more…]
by Mike Telin
Although saxophonist Noa Even has spearheaded many commissioning projects for her duos Ogni Suono and Patchwork, she had not commissioned one for herself. That was until events surrounding the 2016 presidential election got her thinking about how humans connect to one another.
On Thursday, December 12 at 7:00 pm at Snap House Studios, Even will give the first Cleveland performance of Atomic, which features four solo works for saxophone, interactive electronics, and video that explore themes of human connection. The event is part of fp Creative’s concert series. As always, admission is a sliding scale: $0-$15 (at the door). RSVP here.
Even, who co-founded the Cleveland Uncommon Sound Project (CUSP) and serves as assistant professor at Kent State University, where she teaches saxophone and co-directs the school’s New Music Ensemble, said in a recent interview that she did not give any stipulations to the composers other than that the works should explore the broad topic of human connection. “Some people chose social justice themes and others chose themes that are more personal to them.”
by David Kulma
How can a composer tell a story through instrumental music? Although it’s a complex topic among music intellectuals, great performers can easily cut to the quick with carefully considered performances full of imagination. In Tuesday Musical’s annual concert dedicated to the late Margaret Baxtresser on November 21 at E.J. Thomas Hall, the pianist Fei-Fei brought both engaging musicality and delightful spoken commentary that showed how vivacious and poetic pianism can create a compelling narrative. [Read more…]