by Daniel Hathaway
First came Apple’s Siri (if she didn’t know the answer to a question, she’d helpfully reply, “I can look that up for you on the internet”). Then Amazon’s Alexa offered hands-free connections to the web (“Alexa, play NPR”) — while perhaps also listening in on our conversations.
Now, The Cleveland Orchestra has introduced Adella, named after its founder and first general manager, Adella Prentiss Hugues. She will knowledgeably serve as curator for all of the Orchestra’s digital content. That includes premium items — the In Focus Concert Series and Cleveland Orchestra Showcase — as well as free video from the Orchestra’s archives, expeditions behind the scenes, and “On A Personal Note” podcasts.
Central to Adella’s mission is bringing musicians back to Severance Hall to make music for the Orchestra’s patrons for the first time since the pandemic threw a spanner into the works in March. The In Focus series, which begins this Thursday, October 15, will comprise five, one-hour programs recorded mostly by the Orchestra’s strings, masked and physically distanced on the Severance stage. Wind players will be used sparingly. A few souls will be invited to attend, but most will watch via the stream.
In addition to the musical selections, each program will include a peek behind the scenes, and interviews with Music Director Franz Welser-Möst, guest conductors, Orchestra musicians, and soloists.
Access to the five In Focus concerts, as well as to videos of chamber works recorded this summer for the Showcase library, is automatically available to subscribers, donors, and membership holders, who have already been sent login instructions by email. Those who don’t fit those categories can subscribe to premium content for $34.99 a month. Content can be viewed on a variety of devices, and a digital program book is available.
Here is a schedule of release dates for the In Focus episodes:
Episode No. 1 – INSPIRATIONS. Digital Streaming Premiere: Thursday, October 15 at 7:00 p.m. ET, and available on demand until January 13.
Franz Welser-Möst, conductor
RESPIGHI Ancient Airs and Dances, Set 3
GEORGE WALKER Antifonys – Cleveland Orchestra premiere
TCHAIKOVSKY Souvenir de Florence, Opus 70
Episode No. 2 – BRONFMAN AND BEETHOVEN. Digital Streaming Premiere: Thursday, October 29 at 7:00 p.m. ET, and available on demand until January 27.
Franz Welser-Möst, conductor
Yefim Bronfman, piano
SCHNITTKE Concerto for Piano and Strings
BEETHOVEN String Quartet No. 10 (“Harp”) in E-flat major — performed by string orchestra
Episode No. 3 – AX PLAYS MOZART. Digital Streaming Premiere: Thursday, November 12 at 7:00 p.m. ET, and available on demand until February 10.
Franz Welser-Möst, conductor
Emanuel Ax, piano
HAYDN Piano Concerto in D
BARTÓK Divertimento for Strings
Episode No. 4 – MENDELSSOHN AND BEETHOVEN. Digital Streaming Premiere: Thursday, December 3 at 7:00 p.m. ET, and available on-demand until March 3.
Bernard Labadie, conductor
Jan Lisiecki, piano
HAYDN Overture to L’isola disabitata [The Deserted Island]
MENDELSSOHN Piano Concerto No. 1 in g
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 1 in C
Episode No. 5 – MUSICAL PATTERNS: JOHN ADAMS CONDUCTS. Digital Streaming Premiere: Thursday, December 10 at 7:00 p.m. ET, and available on-demand until March 10.
John Adams, conductor
Jung-Min Amy Lee, violin
Víkingur Ólafsson, piano
PÄRT Fratres (for solo violin, strings, and percussion)
GLASS Glassworks: Opening (reworked by Christian Badzura)
J.S. BACH Keyboard Concerto No. 5 in F minor
ADAMS Shaker Loops (for string orchestra)
The Cleveland Orchestra Showcase library includes selections from George Walker’s Lyric for Strings, Villa-Lobos’s Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 featuring soprano Joélle Harvey, Steve Reich’s Nagoya Marimbas, Arvo Pärt’s Spiegel im Spiegel, and Mendelssohn’s Octet in E-flat major for Strings. Each program includes such bonus extras as interviews with Cleveland Orchestra musicians and guest artists.
Published on ClevelandClassical.com October 13, 2020
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