by Jarrett Hoffman

MUSICAL SCULPTURES:

Four hundred years after his birth on this date in 1605, English polymath Thomas Browne was commemorated by his adopted home city of Norwich with a series of sculptures commissioned in his honor. One of those was a large, marble brain — perfect as a representation of that famous thinker, but also as a resting spot for pigeons, who apparently can be seen drinking rainwater from its folds.

That got me wondering about other fun sculptures — especially ones that are right out in the open, and that are related to music. Locally, among all the beautiful statues in the Cultural Gardens is Romanian composer George Enescu. Then there’s the ROCK BOX, a collection of loudspeakers along E. 9th St. that play music from Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees.

Expanding out on the map, there’s plenty of quirky, creative stuff that you could plan a trip around. In Houston there’s Virtuoso, the big, light-hearted, and invisible-bodied cellist that plays classical music through an integrated sound system. And right inside the Stopera in Amsterdam, there’s The Fiddler — a real break-out performer (kill me).

Here’s an article from Classic FM with more recommendations for musical sculptures, though the location for some of them may require some digging.

TODAY’S ALMANAC:

The most famous name to celebrate today is Jacqueline du Pré, who died on this date in 1987 at the age of 42, and who is considered one of the greatest cellists in history, despite her career being cut short by multiple sclerosis. Du Pré is often mentioned in the same breath as the Elgar Cello Concerto — check out one of her stunning performances of that work, like this one, where she plays the first movement with Daniel Barenboim and the London Philharmonic.

And to keep up with today’s theme, here’s a statue of her in Randwick, Australia — nice if you’re going for peace and serenity, as the city planned, but pretty tame compared to her playing, which The New York Times described in her obituary as “an unusual mixture of elegance and ferocity.”

Other figures to celebrate today:

• Charles Wheatstone (English scientist who invented the microphone — died on this date in 1875)
• Roland Dyens (noted French composer and guitarist known for improvisation and for crossing over between classical and jazz — born on this date in 1955)
• Nadezhda Rimskaya Korsakova (Russian pianist and composer who also exerted a strong influence on the music and legacy of her husband Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov — born on this date [Old Style] in 1848)
• Stephen Paulus (prolific, Grammy-winning American composer known for his operas and choral works — died on this date in 2014)

ONLINE TODAY:

Les Délices continues its SalonEra series with “Latin Baroque” at 7:30, the CIM Orchestra tackles Elgar, Mendelssohn, and Mozart at 7, and the Boston Early Music Festival presents French Baroque ensemble Nevermind at 8. Check our Concert Listings for details.

by Jarrett Hoffman

TODAY ON THE WEB:

One current and one former CIM faculty pianist will offer live-streamed recitals tonight: Antonio Pompa-Baldi at 7, and Frank Huang at 8:30. Youngstown State’s Dana Piano Trio will also share a pre-recorded program at 7 — one that includes a certain Finn who is considered among the greatest living composers, and who happens to be featured in today’s almanac below. Links and details in our Concert Listings.

And Episode 6 of The Cleveland Orchestra’s podcast On A Personal Note is now available. “Color & Character” features bassoonist and contrabassoonist Jonathan Sherwin, who “contemplates the role of the lower voices of the woodwind section — and the meaning of life as portrayed in Mahler’s Second Symphony.” Listen here.

THIS WEEKEND FROM THE ASO & STAN HYWET:

The Akron Symphony continues with its Interlude Season on Saturday, October 17 from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm when violinists Sarah Husak and Steve Ostrow join cellist Jim Benson at Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, providing a soundtrack while masked, socially-distanced guests take the self-guided tour of the Manor House. Click here for more information, including the estate’s admission fees.

(One other potentially fun discovery on the Stan Hywet website: the online version of their murder-mystery series, which coninues October 15, 16, 22, and 23. That may be entirely non-musical, but I’ll defend its inclusion here by pointing out that Arthur Conan Doyle published The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes on this date in 1892. And speaking of #OnThisDate…)

TODAY’S ALMANAC:

That mystery composer featured on the Dana Piano Trio’s program tonight is Kaija Saariaho, who was born in Helsinki on October 14, 1952 and has lived in Paris now for thirty-some years. Last year, the BBC Music Magazine polled 174 composers about the greatest names in the history of their field — the GOATs, we could say. Bach landed 1st, and Saariaho 17th, the highest ranking among living composers. (Here are the results of the top 50.)

Among local performances of her work, hear Oliver Herbert play the Sept Papillons (“Seven Butterflies”) for solo cello during the 2017 edition of ChamberFest Cleveland. And check out her recent interview with Tom Welsh as part of the “Behind the Beat” series from The Cleveland Museum of Art.

Maurice Martenot, the inventor of the electronic instrument known as the ondes Martenot, was born in Paris on this date in 1898. Cynthia Millar, described by The Guardian as the “unchallenged sovereign” of the instrument, describes its nature and its importance to Messiaen’s Turangalîla-Symphonie here. And moving to the world of popular music, listen to this collection of ondes Martenot-heavy excerpts from the band Radiohead, whose lead guitarist and keyboardist became a fan of the instrument after hearing Turangalîla as a teeanger.

One last big name for October 14: Leonard Bernstein, who died on this date in 1990. Read our August 25 Diary, where Daniel Hathaway celebrated that needs-no-introduction musical figure (another GOAT?) by going behind the scenes with videos of him in rehearsal.

by Jarrett Hoffman

DEBATING THE “GOAT,” AND CONNECTIONS TO CLASSICAL MUSIC:

The morning after Akron native LeBron James won his fourth NBA championship, this one with the Los Angeles Lakers, a cascade of articles have already been written on the topic of whether he might now, just maybe, be the GOAT — the “Greatest Of All Time” among basketball players. James vs. Jordan: it’s an exhausting question that nevertheless generates plenty of opinions, and to be sure, plenty of clicks.

It’s also a question that’s based on the adversarial nature of sports — one person or team versus another. That’s not what classical music is about. To be sure, there is plenty of competition when it comes to forging a career, but most of all, discussions in the field are based on aesthetics.

Rivalries are compelling, and easy for casual fans to become wrapped up in. But even some basketball icons and journalists feel that those debates can dumb down the conversation around a sport, crowding out discussions of intricate tactics and, yes, also aesthetic beauty.

Still, it’s interesting to wonder how and if such debates could fit into classical music. We have big competitions that help launch careers, but what would it look like to have a “showdown” among the top, established names in composition or performance? Grammys are one thing, but let’s think more creatively.

Cleveland Chamber Choir offered one unique possibility with its “March Madrigal Madness” program in 2018, though the stakes would feel higher if the competing composers were still living, able to watch the results unfold. Another option: could a few orchestras pit their recordings of a single piece against each other, and have listeners vote online? (It would have to be friendly — at least on the surface.)

As the coronavirus crisis continues to challenge the music industry, maybe an effort like that to reach out to casual fans isn’t a bad idea — something fun and harmless, with an ounce of drama, yet still with a substantive and even beautiful artistic result.

TODAY ON THE WEB:

I’ll highlight two live streams and one re-broadcast on tonight’s local schedule. In the first category, hear the CIM Orchestra at 7, and the Diamond Brass Quintet at 7:30 (presented by Rocky River Chamber Music Society). Then at 8:00, in recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Early Music America joins Les Délices in replaying the ensemble’s recent “Recovering Roots” program. More info in our Concert Listings.

TODAY’S ALMANAC:

German composer and lutenist Sylvius Leopold Weiss, English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, and Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti were born on this date in 1687, 1872, and 1935, respectively.

We covered Vaughan Williams in our Diary on August 26, the anniversary of his passing, though it’s neat to celebrate him again today with his A Sea Symphony, which was also premiered on his 38th birthday. (Here’s a performance from the BBC Proms in 2013.)

As for Weiss, one recent performance of his music in Northeast Ohio came in the 2019 Cleveland International Classical Guitar Festival, when Petra Poláčková opened her recital with the Tombeau Sur La Mort de M. Comte de Logy. You can hear her play it on YouTube in a presentation by Cleveland’s own Guitars International.

There are so many possible recordings with which to remember Pavarotti — himself a GOAT contender among tenors — but how about his memorable final performance: Puccini’s “Nessun Dorma” at the opening ceremony of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy. (One note: it was later revealed to have been pre-recorded, though it’s unclear whether that was due to illness on the part of Pavarotti, or the cold temperature.)

by Jarrett Hoffman

HAPPENING TODAY:

Buckle up and be sure to charge that computer, there’s plenty to catch today — all online.

At 11:30 am, hear the poetry of Langston Hughes and music of the Harlem Renaissance in a presentation by Prester Pickett, Coordinator of Cleveland State’s Howard A. Mims African-American Cultural Center.

Along with that celebration of Black artists, we recommend a 7pm webinar devoted to issues and perspectives around race in music. “Black Reflections: Three Conversations on Racial Justice in Concert Music — Experiences of Black Artists” will be moderated by saxophonist and former Baldwin Wallace faculty member Steven Banks.

For live music delivered via stream, look no further than Trinity Cathedral’s Brownbag Concert at noon featuring the Decho Ensemble. Saxophonists Jake Swanson and Sarah Marchitelli play works by J.S. Bach, Jean-Baptiste Singelée, and Brahms.

Another live-streamed event comes at 7: organist Christopher Houlihan continues honoring “Vierne at 150” with a lecture, demonstration, and Q&A in advance of tomorrow’s performance to cap off the festival.

And for the best in re-broadcasts of past performances, you have two options: “Lunchtime with The Cleveland Orchestra” at noon (von Suppé, Mendelssohn, and Mozart) and the Met Opera’s HD Archives (Wagner’s Das Rheingold).

See our Concert Listings for links and details.

TODAY’S ALMANAC:

Even people who want nothing to do with classical music have at least heard of cellist Yo-Yo Ma, who was born on this date in 1955 in Paris. He’s a household name — perhaps the most famous classical musician of his time? And there are many ways to give a snapshot of his career, from his earliest days as a child prodigy, to his bounty of awards and honors, and his remarkable flexibility of genre, from the classics to contemporary music, bluegrass, tango, and more.

But for once, the clearest picture of who a musician is might actually come from the first line of their own bio: “Yo-Yo Ma’s multi-faceted career is testament to his enduring belief in culture’s power to generate trust and understanding.” I’ll point out two examples of that statement: his Silk Road Ensemble, devoted in large part to cross-cultural collaboration, and his Bach Project, which he famously brought to the sister cities of Laredo, Texas, and Nuevo Laredo, Mexico last year.

Here’s just one performance to remember: Yo-Yo Ma joins violinist Itzhak Perlman, clarinetist Anthony McGill, and pianist Gabriela Montero in John Williams’ Air And Simple Gifts at President Obama’s Inauguration in January 2009.