by Daniel Hathaway

TODAY’S ALMANAC — A QUIZ!

See if you can identify from the bulleted clues these five composers whose milestones we celebrate today, then click through the link to check your answers and enjoy examples of their music.

Died in Paris in 1772

• worked at Versailles from 1739-1770
• wrote a set of a dozen pieces you’ll not likely hear played in June
• but you might hear a performance of Le coucou

Click here for the answer

Born in Bergen in 1843

• family name associated with the Scottish Clan Gregor
• distantly related to Glenn Gould
• honored with a statue in Seattle and a crater on the planet Mercury

Click here for the answer

Born in Armagh, Ireland in 1886

• taught both Ralph Vaughan Williams and Herbert Howells
• first director of music and organist at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge
• co-edited three books of carols with G.R. Woodward using Renaissance tunes

Click here for the answer

Born in Kansas City in 1894

• worked as George Gershwin’s assistant  and orchestrator
• wrote more than seven symphonies and five concertos
• wrote orchestrations for the film versions of Showboat and Oklahoma!

Click here for the answer

Born in Milwaukee in 1900

• studied with Busoni and was actor and stage manager for James Joyce’s English Players
• conducted the premieres of Virgil Thomson’s The Mother of Us All and Menotti’s The Medium
• his manipulations of flute recordings on magnetic tape in a 1952 concert at MOMA led to an appearance on The Today Show with Dave Garroway

Click here for the answer

TODAY ONLINE:

It’s summer, and the calendar is thinning out — at least on days like today. Late tonight, tune in to the West Coast Chamber Music Concerts to hear Portraits of Josephine, by Imani Winds’ flutist Valerie Coleman, along with works by Ligeti and Beethoven.\

Or explore the Musical America calendar of (mostly) free online events through the link at the top of our Concert Listings page. We comb these listings to select items we think will be of particular interest to the Northeast Ohio audience, but you may discover something you find personally interesting. Today’s streams bring you performances by Bach Collegium Japan, Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, International Contemporary Ensemble, Caramoor, the MET Opera, and The Knights (from Naumburg, Germany).

IN THE NEWS:

The Cleveland Institute of Music has appointed Scott Harrison as the school’s first executive vice president and provost, effective August 16, completing a leadership team that includes Deans Jerrod Price, Dean Southern and Madeline Lucas Tolliver. Read more here.

Oberlin’s Assistant Professor of Conducting Tiffany Chang has been named an inaugural recipient of OPERA America’s 2021 Grants for Women Stage Directors and Conductors. Chang will make her debut at Opera Columbus conducting Puccini’s Tosca during the 2021-22 season. Read the press release here.

Cleveland Orchestra violinist Miho Hashizume is one of five U.S. musicians to receive a Ford Musician Award for Excellence in Community Service by the League of American Orchestras. Hashizume was honored for her work with the Orchestra’s Crescendo program, which brings together musicians and students in some of Cleveland’s most under-resourced neighborhoods, and has provided instruments and music instruction to students in Slavic Village and Hough since 2018. Watch a video here.

INTERESTING READ:

Earlier in his career, the celebrated pianist Andras Schiff dismissed period instrument performances, telling a reporter in a 1983 interview, “I’ve heard some ghastly things done in the name of authenticity.” Jaws are now dropping as the pianist, now 67, has made a U-turn and recently recorded both of Brahms’ concertos using a contemporary instrument made by Julius Blüthner in Leipzig in 1859. Conducting from the keyboard, Schiff leads an ensemble of 50-some members of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, who perform on gut strings. Read a New York Times story here.

by Daniel Hathaway

FOR REAL AND ON SCREEN THIS WEEKEND:

ChamberFest Cleveland continues its outdoor series on Saturday at 7 pm at The Grove Amphitheater with “Rambunctious Fun,” including folk songs from around the world arranged by Dave Morgan and Paul Ferguson and sung by Amanda Powell (pictured). Then the festival moves onto the front lawn of a Guilford Rd. property in Cleveland Heights on Sunday morning at 11 for music by Biber, Perkinson, and J.S. Bach.

In-Person events on Sunday afternoon include a 4 pm organ recital by Karel Paukert at St. Paul’s, Cleveland Heights, and an Encore Chamber Music Institute Sunday Discovery Concert, “Sparked by Murakami,” in the Dodero Center at Gilmour Academy in Gates Mills that culminates in Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht.

If the humidity or rain showers are sending you indoors, on Saturday you can spend a late afternoon hour with pipa virtuoso WuMan in Boston, join Carnegie Hall for a tribute to the late Chick Corea, and watch performances of Flamenco with choreography by Alice Blumenfeld.

Couch-viewable transmissions on Sunday include the finale of the MET Opera Orchestra’s Spotlight series, keyboardist Peter Sykes on the Music Before 1800 series from New York, the debut of a new work by Cleveland composer Margaret Brouwer by the Pacific Symphony, early duos by Mozart, CPE Bach, Joseph Boulogne, and Beethoven with fortepianist Sylvia Berry, and violinist Daniel Stepner,  from the Aston Magna Music Festival, music celebrating the end of the Thirty Years War in 1648 by the Acronym Ensemble from the Boston Early Music Festival, and “Kronos Festival Kids,”  a collection of short films with music.

Details in our Concert Listings.

NEW CREATIVE FUSION VIDEO OUT

In the second video of the Cleveland Classical Guitar Society’s Creative Fusion Series, four Cleveland Orchestra musicians — violinists Emma Shook and Isabel Trautwein, violist Lisa Boyko, and cellist Bryan Dumm — join guitarist Hermelindo Ruiz in an arrangement of Puerto Rican composer Jean Felix Acosta De Arce’s Ojos de Ensueño. Click here to watch.

THIS WEEKEND’S ALMANAC

Scottish composer and conductor Oliver Knussen was born on this date in 1952. We noted the anniversary of his untimely death on July 8, 2018 in an earlier Diary entry, and linked to the video of an evening at the Royal Academy of Music the following December celebrating his life, as well as to remarks by violinist Leila Josefowicz before her performance of his violin with The Cleveland Orchestra in February, 2020.

Otherwise, this weekend marks the death of British composer John Ireland (June 12, 1962), the birth of Mexican composer and conductor Carlos Chavez (June 13, 1899), and the death of American composer David Diamond (June 13, 2005). Although each of them have been championed by individual conductors, their music awaits wider attention.

Ireland is known for his miniatures, chamber music, songs, and the anthem, Greater Love Hath No Man, composed in 1912 but often sung in Britain to commemorate those who perished in “The Great War.” Click here to hear it sung in a live BBC broadcast from the chapel of St. John’s College, Cambridge, on August 13, 1997. But another piece much loved by Ireland admirers is his Concertino Pastorale, written on the brink of World War II.

The music of Chavez has all but disappeared as Latin American culture has faded from the American consciousness. Listen to his Toccata performed by the Eastman Chamber Percussion Ensemble in Kilbourn Hall at the Eastman School of Music, and to his Sinfonia India led by Gustavo Dudamel — apparently in a football arena.

Diamond began his musical education at the Cleveland Institute of Music before continuing studies at Eastman and with Nadia Boulanger in Paris. Although his eleven symphonies have been performed and recorded by Leonard Bernstein and Gerald Schwarz, they’re far from familiar to the American concertgoer. In this 1990 video, Diamond discusses his symphonies — especially the fifth — with fellow composer John Corigliano. Listen here to the premiere of his Symphony No. 5 by Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic in April, 1966.

 

by Daniel Hathaway

TODAY LIVE OR ONLINE:

Encore Chamber Music Institute makes its first appearance in the new Dodero performing arts center at Gilmour Academy in Gates Mills tonight with a 7:00 pm concert by the Ariel Quartet. Simultaneously, ChamberFest Cleveland, forced indoors for its season opener on Wednesday, is scheduled to play its first outdoor performance at The Grove Amphitheater in Mayfield.

At 5:00 pm, PianoCleveland presents a pop-up, outdoor concert at the Van Aken District featuring 2020 Virtu(al)oso medalist Arseny Gusev, the piano and bongo duo of Jackie Warren and Sammy DeLeon, soprano Crystal Carlson, and Piano Cleveland President Yaron Kohlberg.

And at 7:30 this evening, the Cleveland International Classical Guitar Festival continues with a shared program of pre-recorded recitals by Colin Davin and Duo Melis.

With a click of the mouse or a tap on your phone, technology can carry you away to the Caramoor Festival for a look at the outrageous musical experiments of Trimpin, to Trinity Wall Street for “Comfort at One” with Mary Lou Williams and Aaron Diehl, to the Verbier Festival for the keyboard wizardry of Sergei Babayan and Daniil Trifonov, and to the Boston Early Music Festival for Renaissance lute music by Paul O’Dette.

Details in our Concert Listings.

TODAY’S ALMANAC:

Composer Richard Strauss was born on this date in 1864 in Munich, and so was Polish composer and pianist Aleander Tansmann (in Lodz in 1897), American composer George Frederick McKay (in Harrington, WA in 1899) and American opera composer Carlysle Floyd (in Latta, SC in 1926). The sole departure was French organist and composer Théodore Dubois in Paris in 1924 at the age of 86.

We all can probably name half a dozen Strauss works without really thinking about it, but here’s a lesser-known but very beautiful piece that deserves more attention. Strauss’ Die Tagezeiten (“Times of Day”) written for the 1928 centenary of Schubert’s death sets four poems by Joseph Eichendorff for male chorus and orchestra. Follow along with the score in a performance by the Ernst-Senff Choir and the Dresden Philharmonic.

Unless you’re native of the Pacific Northwest, you may not be aware of the music of McKay, who spent most of his prolific career in the Seattle area. Click here to listen to his Suite on 16th Century Hymn Tunes, originally composed in 1946 for organ, then arranged for string orchestra the following year. CIM graduate John McLaughlin Williams conducts the National Radio Orchestra of Ukraine, in the 1962 version for double string orchestra and celesta.

And if you’re a connoisseur of sentimental 19th century French church music, you’ll be familiar with Dubois’ Seven Last Words, but probably unaware (as I was) of numerous other works by this conservative composer. He occupied several important church and educational positions, but was finally nudged into early retirement from the Conservatoire for conniving to derail the careers of progressives like Ravel. But try out his 1909 Dixtuor (Dectet) for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Horn, Bassoon, two Violins, Viola, Cello, and Double Bass (1909) as performed by the Orchestre Les Siècles, François-Xavier Roth, conducting.

by Mike Telin

TODAY’S EVENTS:

The next “A Little Night Music” series is tonight at 6:30 pm at the Cleveland History Center Concert Series. The performers include Evelyn Wright, vocals (pictured), and David Thomas, keyboards. Seating provided, and drinks and food available for purchase. Ticket price includes admission to the Center. Western Reserve Historical Society, 10825 East Boulevard, Cleveland. Click here for tickets.

There’re plenty of concerts happening in the area the weekend — check our concert listings page for details.

The Crafting Change symposium continues today at 3:00 pm with “Power Ground Water” Interdisciplinary artist and NYU educator Taylor Levy addresses the ways technology as a medium for expression means different things to different people — and specifically what it means to Levy, through her work in the studio and the classroom. The fascinating series continues through June 18. Click here for details.

IN THE NEWS:

The Center for Arts-Inspired Learning (CAL) has announced that Sheffia Randall Dooley has been appointed the new CEO and President of the organization. An experienced arts administrator and leader, Dooley succeeds Marsha Dobrzynski whose retirement on June 30 comes after a celebrated 27-year tenure leading the organization. Dooley will assume responsibilities on July 1.

TODAY’S ALMANAC:

Today we mark the passing of British composer Frederick Delius in 1934 in Grez-sur-Loing, France. On a personal note, I fell in love with his music as a teenager playing “Walk to the Paradise Garden,” from his opera A Village Romeo and Juliet, in youth symphony. At the time, little did I know that The Paradise Garden was actually a Pub. Unlike many composers whose music I was initially taken by, my feelings for Delius have never waned. Click here to listen to a performance by the London Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Sir John Barbirolli.

Born in Bradford, England on January 29 1862, Frederick Theodore Albert Delius had little interest in the family business. In 1884 he was sent to Florida to manage an orange plantation. Realizing that orange business was not for him, Delius returned to Europe two years later.

His first musical successes came in Germany in the late 1890s although his music was regularly seen on British concert programmes until conductor Sir Thomas Beecham became a champion of his works. In 1909 Beecham conducted the full premiere of A Mass of Life, and a year later he staged the opera A Village Romeo and Juliet at Covent Garden. In 1929 the conductor produced a six- day Delius festival as well as recording of many of his works. Although in his later life Delius contracted syphilis and  was left both paralysed and blind, he completed late compositions with the assistance of his scribe, Eric Fenby.

Click here to watch the documentary A Portrait of Frederick Delius: Life and work of the English Romantic composer. The hour-long program includes commentary from Sir Charles Mackerras, the Welsh National Opera Orchestra, violinist Tasmin Little, cellist Julian Lloyd Webber, baritone Thomas Hampson, the Brindisi Quartet, the Brabant Orchestra of Holland, conducted by Richard Armstrong, and the Brighton Festival Chorus. Additionally, Robert Threlfall of the Delius Trust explains his continuing work on the complete edition and his fascinating research into the original manuscripts and Sir Thomas Beecham’s editing and Dr. Eric Fenby talks about his time with the composer.

by Daniel Hathaway

EVENTS TODAY:

George Leggiero will play the McGaffin Carillon in University Circle today at 12:15 pm, a concert you can enjoy on the lawn of the Church of the Covenant, from your car, or via live stream on YouTube.

This evening, CityMusic Cleveland’s Pantheon Ensemble plays a live concert of piano quintets by Zwilich and Schubert at the Shrine Church of St. Stanislaus at 7:00 pm, followed at 7:30 pm by the latest edition of the Cleveland International Classical Guitar Virtual Festival, featuring pre-recorded performances by Canadian 8-string guitarist Drew Henderson (read a preview interview here) and Czech artist Petra Polácková. Another pre-recorded program goes up at 8:00 pm, this one by the Western Reserve Chorale. “In Her Voice: Celebrating the Poetry of Women” comprises eight new recordings of works led by David Gilson, along with poetry and artwork by local high school students. Details in our Concert Listings.

On the web today, you can pull down broadcasts from Paris (Bach’s St. John Passion dramatized by Calixto Bieto), Amsterdam (the Concertgebouw Orchestra and Stravinsky’s A Soldier’s Tale), Hamburg (Song of America II), and New York (the Little Opera Theater in Monteverdi, Strozzi, and Castello).

NEWS BITS:

Piano Cleveland is gearing up for the Cleveland International Piano Competition later this summer with “Grand Piano Pursuit.” Fifteen local artists have been commissioned to “repurpose pianos into reimagined artwork,” and the organization is challenging the public to find, photograph, and share all of them on social media before the Competition officially begins on July 8. Click here to download the Grand Piano Pursuit Map Quest and register to win an Experience Cleveland Prize Package.

Contemporary Youth Orchestra, now under new leadership, will return to in-person rehearsals and performances in the fall for its 27th season. The audition deadline has now been extended to July 15. “CYO performance opportunities include a 110-member orchestra, chamber ensembles, masterclasses with noted professional musicians, and more. A single audition opens the door to several exciting musical experiences.” Click here for details.

Oberlin Conservatory reports that its 1992 graduate Nkeiru Okoye has received a Guggenheim Fellowship for 2021. “The honor will support the creation of A Truth Before Their Eyes, an opera Okoye has been developing for several years, which chronicles the experiences of two Black women who struggle to be heard in their small community, where Black Lives Matter garners headlines while everyday incidences of racial bias continue with alarming frequency.” Read the article here.

TODAY’S ALMANAC:

Only one departure to memorialize today: Russian-born double bassist and conductor Serge Koussevitzky, who died on this date in 1951 in Boston, where he had led the Boston Symphony for 25 eventful years.

It’s difficult to imagine 20th century music without the long list of works that Koussevitzky commissioned and premiered, or the young musicians he mentored at the Tanglewood Music Center in Lenox, Massachusetts beginning in 1940, two years after the BSO had established its summer home there. Watch The Tanglewood Story, a 1949 movie about Tanglewood’s early years produced by the U.S. Information Service that features rare footage of Koussevitzky and Aaron Copland, pictured above with “Koussey’s” star pupil Leonard Bernstein.

Those commissioned works include Ravel’s orchestration of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition (listen here to a recording made in Symphony Hall in October 1930), Copland’s Appalachian Spring, and Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra, as well as occasional works like Randall Thompson’s Alleluia (ordered for the opening of the school at Tanglewood) and The Last Words of David (watch a rare video of Koussevitzky conducting at Tanglewood in 1950).

Self-taught as a conductor, Koussevitzky spawned many stories about his baton technique and grasp of scores. Flummoxed about when to come in during a soft passage (the conductor unhelpfully said “Ven my stick touch de air, you play”), some of his players determined that the proper moment was when the baton passed the third button on his vest.

And Nicholas Slonimsky reported on his attempts to help Koussevitzky grasp the complex rhythms in The Rite of Spring in his autobiography, Perfect Pitch. “To my dismay, I realized Koussevitzky was incapable of coping with these complications.” Slonimsky’s solution was to work out an alternate score that simplified changes of meter but preserved the composer’s rhythms.