by Daniel Hathaway
ChamberFest Cleveland has announced its fifth season under the joint artistic direction of its founders, Cleveland Orchestra principal clarinet emeritus Franklin Cohen and his daughter, Diana Cohen, concertmaster of Canada’s Calgary Symphony. Eleven concerts over fourteen days will be held at venues throughout metropolitan Cleveland from June 16 through July 2.
The theme for 2016 is “Tales and Legends.” Concerts will center around stories ranging from the profane to the divine, including the fantastical, mystical, and obsessive.
Performers who will join Franklin Cohen and Diana Cohen include (to name just a few) pianists Orion Weiss and Roman Rabinovich, violinist/violist Yura Lee, violinist Noah Bendix-Balgley, and accordionist Merima Ključo, who is composing a piece to be premiered at the festival.
The complete schedule is as follows (performers for each event will be announced later). For subscriptions and ticket information, visit the ChamberFest website.
Wednesday, June 15 — Nosh at Noon at WCLV’s Smith Studio in Playhouse Square, featuring ChamberFest Cleveland’s 2016 Young Artists (free event).
Thursday, June 16 at 8:00 pm — Schumann Fantasies at CIM’s Mixon Hall, 11021 East Blvd. (Opening-night party follows the performance at Crop Kitchen, 11460 Uptown Ave.)
Robert Schumann’s Fantasiestucke, Movement from the “F.A.E” Sonata and Piano Quintet, Gyorgy Kurtág’s Hommage à Schumann, and Stephen Coxe’s A Book of Dreams.
Friday, June 17 at 8:00 pm — To My Distant Beloved in Reinberger Chamber Hall at Severance Hall (sponsored by The Cleveland Orchestra).
Frank Bridge’s Three Songs for Mezzo-Soprano, Antonín Dvořák’s Cypresses, György Kurtág’s One More Voice from Far Away, Ludwig van Beethoven’s To My Distant Beloved, and Johannes Brahms’s Piano Quartet in c.
Saturday, June 18 at 8:00 pm — Isaac’s Dreams at Maltz Center for the Performing Arts, 1855 Ansel Road.
Joseph Haydn’s Piano Trio in E-flat, “Jacob’s Dream,” Merima Ključo’s Duo, “Miriam the Prophetess,” Benjamin Britten’s Canticle II, Op. 51, and Osvaldo Golijov’s Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind.
Monday, June 20 at 8:00 pm — Movie Night with Matan Porat at Dobama Theatre, 2340 Lee Rd., Cleveland Heights.
Buster Keaton’s silent movie Steamboat Bill, Jr., with live music
Wednesday, June 22 (two performances at 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm) — YURA! Carte Blanche with Yura Lee at Transformer Station, 1460 W. 29th Street.
Heinrich Biber’s Passacaglia “The Guardian Angel,” Georges Enescu’s Fiddler (Impressions d’Enfance), Eugène Ysaÿe’s Sonata No. 5, Fritz Kreisler’s Recitativo and Scherzo, Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst’s The Last Rose of Summer, and J.S. Bach’s Chaconne.
Friday, June 24 at 8:00 pm — Obsession at CIM’s Mixon Hall.
Richard Wagner’s Wesendonck Lieder, Leoš Janáček’s String Quartet “Intimate Letters,” Erwin Schulhoff’s Sonata Erotica, and César Franck’s Quintet.
Saturday, June 25 at 8:00 pm — (Fairy)tales and Tales of the Macabre at Harkness Chapel, Case Western Reserve University, 11200 Bellflower Rd., (followed by Mitchell’s ice cream).
Robert Schumann’s Märchenbilder, André Caplet’s Conte Fantastique, Maurice Ravel’s Mother Goose (piano four hands), and Charles Ives’ Trio.
Monday, June 27 at 8:00 pm — Last Words at United Methodist Church of Chagrin Falls, 20 South Franklin St.
Yoshihisa Taïra’s Sublimation, Joseph Haydn’s Seven Last Words of Christ, Sofia Gubaidulina’s Sieben Worte and Richard Strauss’s Metamorphosen.
Tuesday, June 28 at 8:00 pm — Shakespeare at CIM’s Mixon Hall.
Erich Korngold’s Four Shakespeare Songs, Ludwig van Beethoven’s String Quartet, Op. 18, No. 1, Sebastian Currier’s Night Time, and Sergei Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet.
Friday, July 1 at 8:00 pm — Schubert Journeys in Harkness Chapel at Case Western Reserve University.
Franz Schubert’s Quartettsatz and Octet, and Kurt Rohde’s Maestoso, Misterioso.
Saturday, July 2 at 7:30 pm — L’Histoire du Soldat (A Soldier’s Tale) at Maltz Center for the Performing Arts (closing night party with Mitchell’s ice cream). Performance features life-sized puppets designed and acted by puppeteers from Talespinner Children’s Theatre, with video mapping technology created by T. Paul Lowry, and narration by Dorothy Silver.
Igor Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale, Eric Ewazen’s Philharmonic Fanfare, Antonín Dvořák’s Sextet, and J.S. Bach’s Agnus Dei.
All concerts will be preceded by a 7:15 pm lecture with Patrick Castillo, except on July 1 when the lecture will be given by composer Kurt Rohde. Yura Lee will speak at her performances, and there will be no lecture before the Movie Night performance.
Additionally, a special event will be held on Sunday, June 19 at 11:30 am for the first 75 patrons who purchase a $75 ticket. Brunch with ChamberFest Musicians at Maron Glass Box, 629 Euclid Avenue, Fl. 16, will be catered by Murray Hill Market. The program includes Johann Sebastian Bach’s Cello Suite No. 1, Ernst von Dohnányi’s Serenade, and Max Bruch’s Octet.
Published on ClevelandClassical.com April 26, 2016.
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