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Archives for November 2021

Cleveland Uncommon Sound Project: A night of improvisation 

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by Mike Telin

“Creativity is the expression of life, so for me the question is why on earth would you not be creative? Why on earth would you not want to grow?” flutist, composer, improviser, author, teacher, and inventor Robert Dick said during a recent telephone interview. A leader in contemporary flute music, he has redefined the instrument’s musical possibilities. 

On Sunday, November 7 at 7:00 pm at the Praxis Fiber Workshop, the Cleveland Uncommon Sound Project will present Robert Dick in an evening of solo works as well as group improvisations with Dana Jessen, bassoon, Bob Drake, hardware electronics, and Stephan Haluska, harp. Tickets are available at the door or online.

“I’m looking forward to returning to Cleveland,” the 71-year-old said. “I’ve had lots of good experiences there.” 

When asked about his — well — improvised program, Dick said that it will be somewhat stream-of-consciousness. “The flute is an unusual instrument in improvised music, so people tend to focus on the instrument and not the music. But all instruments have exactly the same sound, silence — it’s the human that plays them.” 

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Celil Refik Kaya brings a personal touch to Cleveland Classical Guitar Society performance (Oct. 23)

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by Stephanie Manning

Like many of us, guitarist Celil Refik Kaya had a lot of time on his hands over the past eighteen months, and he used the opportunity to lean into another of his musical passions — composing. In his second-ever visit to the Cleveland Classical Guitar Society, Kaya brought the product of this extra time with him — the newly-composed Sketches, based on four works of visual art created by his father.

The Guitar Society’s executive director, Erik Mann, introduced Kaya by proclaiming that the audience would leave feeling addicted to his music, and his prediction wasn’t wrong. The process to get there unfolded over the course of the evening on Saturday, October 23 at Plymouth Church in Shaker Heights.

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Diary: Tuesday, November 2, 2021

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by Daniel Hathaway

TUESDAY’S AGENDA:

At noon, Jonathan Moyer takes advantage of the two very different organs at the Church of the Covenant, playing a Bergamasca by Samuel Scheidt and Johann Pachelbel’s Aria Quarta on the 17th-century-style instrument in the rear gallery, followed by a Mendelssohn Andante and Dudley Buck’s The Last Rose of Summer on the large, eclectic instrument in the chancel. Nice to have a choice! The concert is free.

Details in our Concert Listings.

INTERESTING READ:

Last Thursday’s performance of the Brahms Requiem by the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus was remarkable for a number of reasons, but one of the most noticeable was that the 120 singers performed wearing special face masks. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation ran a story a few days ago about Joan Fernley, a soprano who designed such a device that improved the performing experience for singers. “Fearnley says she couldn’t find a mask online that was suitable for the needs of a singer. ‘They were really close to the lips and you would breathe in and you would suck the fabric right into your mouth. You would open [your mouth] wide to make a tall vowel and the mask would pop off,’ she said. Her design has caught on with vocalists around the world. Read the story here.

TODAY’S ALMANAC:

Some random milestones to recall on November 2 in classical music history,

On this date in 1887, Swedish coloratura soprano Jenny Lind died in England at the age of 67. Having made her mark in opera, she retired at the age of 29 in 1849, but the next year undertook a 93-concert tour of the U.S. under the management of P.T. Barnum. She raised today’s equivalent of nearly $11 million, endowing free schools in her native country and contributing to charities. Lind settled in England in 1852, raised three children, and taught at the Royal College of Music.

Jumping across into the mid-20th century, Gian Carlo Menotti’s Piano Concerto had its debut on November 2, 1945 by Rudolf Firkusny and the Boston Symphony with Richard Burgin on the podium. An instrumental work by Menotti, who was known principally as an opera composer? Give it a try in this performance by Earl Wild and the Symphony of the Air under the baton of Jorge Mester.

On this date in 1979, Peter Shaffer’s musical Amadeus, opened in London.

And on November 2, 1960, Greek American conductor Dimitri Metropoulos died of a heart attack in Milan while rehearsing Mahler’s Third Symphony with the Orchestra of La Scala. Here’s some footage of Metropoulos rehearsing part of Liszt’s tone poem, Faust, with the New York Philharmonic.

DIARY: Monday, November 1, 2021

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by Jarrett Hoffman

IN THE NEWS:

The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra and music director Vinay Parameswaran have announced details about the 2021-22 season, marking the ensemble’s return to performing in person. The three-concert series begins on November 21 with works by Joan Tower, Howard Swanson, Aaron Copland, and Antonin Dvořák. Concerts in February and May will also include the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus. Individual tickets are on sale now.

Did you catch the Browns yesterday? The end result might not have been ideal, but the beginning (at least in person) offered up the opportunity to hear the national anthem sung by the beloved baritone Brian Keith Johnson. A ubiquitous presence onstage in Northeast Ohio, and beyond, Johnson is also in his 32nd year teaching in Akron Public Schools. APS has proudly shared the audition video that earned him the Browns gig. Watch here.

And as of November 15, Early Music America will have its sixth Executive Director: David McCormick. He previously served in that position with Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival and Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival, and is also artistic director of Early Music Access Project and a founding member of the Medieval ensemble Alkemie.

Also of note: a fellowship awarded to him last year by the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies to investigate the repertoire of free and enslaved Black musicians associated with Monticello, culminating in ongoing concert and web series.

“I’m thrilled for this opportunity to lead Early Music America and look forward to advocating on behalf of our membership and our entire field,” McCormick says. “Whether you are an aspiring student musician, a dedicated amateur, a seasoned professional, or an avid concertgoer, I want EMA to be a place where your voice is heard and your work is supported.”

INTERESTING READ:

Facial coverings have been key not only in fighting the pandemic but also in the return to the stage. However, they present a bit of an obstacle to anyone who makes music with their vocal cords. Read an article from CBC News about soprano/conductor Joan Fearnley, who, fed up with trying to sing while wearing other masks, decided to design one especially for vocalists — and choirs across the world have been grateful.

TODAY’S ALMANAC:

English art song composer Roger Quilter (born on this date in 1877) and German composer Hugo Distler (died on this date in 1942) have both been featured in earlier editions of our almanac here and here. One newcomer is American composer Kent Kennan, who died on November 1, 2003 in Austin, Texas, where he had spent the majority of his career on the faculty of UT — though he also taught briefly at Kent State and Ohio State.

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