DIARY: Friday, April 10, 2020

April 10, 2020 by Daniel Hathaway

By Daniel Hathaway

TODAY’S FEATURED STREAMS:

Visit the Concert Listings page for details about today’s scheduled events, including Lunchtime with The Cleveland Orchestra, Cleveland Opera Theater’s Opera-101 Online and master classes, a CIM Virtual Concert featuring violinist James Thompson, the Akron Symphony’s Radio Hour with Joshua Bell, and the MET Opera’s HD Archive performance of Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette.

RECOMMENDED VIDEOS FOR TODAY:

April 10 is the third day of Passover and Good Friday. There are strong musical traditions around both of those celebrations.

Passover, celebrated domestically, seems tailor-made for this season when people are sheltering at home. Members of the Israeli Philharmonic have collaborated remotely to produce a Pesach greeting from their individual living rooms for the occasion. Listen here.

And Cleveland Orchestra cellist Brian Thornton offers a Living Room Concert in which he has cloned himself to play all parts of Lev Aronson’s Hasidic Dances. Thornton comments: “Aronson was a Holocaust Survivor, former principal cellist of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and influential cello instructor. Wishing all who celebrate Passover, chag sam.

Good Friday, the first day of the Christian triduum, is marked in churches and cathedrals with solemn rituals recalling the Passion of Jesus. Apollo’s Fire will post a video later today of its Trinity Cathedral performance of J.S. Bach’s St. John Passion from March of 2016. Jeannette Sorrell conducts, with Apollo’s Singers, Nicholas Phan, tenor (Evangelist), Jesse Blumberg, baritone (Jesus), Jeffrey Strauss, baritone (Pilate) Amanda Forsythe, soprano Terry Wey, countertenor, and Christian Immler, baritone. Watch here.

Another Good Friday tradition is meditations on Jesus’ utterances from the cross as recorded in the Gospels.

Several composers have made musical settings of the “words,” including Joseph Haydn (seven Adagios commissioned in 1786 for the Good Friday observances at the Oratory of the Holy Cave in Cádiz, Spain), and Théodore DuBois (a sentimental oratorio first performed on Good Friday of 1867 at the Church of St. Clotilde in Paris).

We recommend the haunting setting by Scottish composer James MacMillan commissioned by BBC Television and first screened in seven nightly episodes during Holy Week of 1994. Watch a 2016 performance here with MacMillan conducting Toronto’s Choir 21 and the Virtuoso String Orchestra in a program at Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre. The work ends with a traditional Scottish violin lamentation, reflecting the composer’s heritage.

About Daniel Hathaway

Daniel Hathaway founded ClevelandClassical.com in September, 2008, after a thirty-one year tenure as music director of Cleveland’s Trinity Cathedral, where he founded the Wednesday Noon Brownbag Concert Series and Trinity Chamber Orchestra. A graduate of Harvard College and the Episcopal Divinity School, he also studied historical musicology at Princeton and Harvard Universities. Before coming to Cleveland in 1977, he served as head of humanities at the Sunset Hill School in Kansas City and as head of arts at Groton School in Massachusetts. In Cleveland, he has served on the music staff of Cleveland Opera, Great Lakes Theater Festival, and the faculty of Laurel School. As an organist, Hathaway has played recitals in the U.S., England, France, Germany, and Austria. He team-teaches Music Journalism at Oberlin College and Conservatory and is a member of the Music Critics Association of North America.

Apollo’s Fire delights in second decade of Praetorius’ Christmas Vespers (Dec. 18)

by Peter Feher

The German composer Michael Praetorius never had a Christmas hit on the level of, say, O Tannenbaum — an early version of which, circa 1600, is attributed to his contemporary Melchior Franck.

But in the 21st century, Praetorius has found seasonal success thanks to a team of savvy producers. Apollo’s Fire and artistic director Jeannette Sorrell have championed the composer for two decades now, fashioning his music into an enduring, historically informed holiday program. Christmas Vespers isn’t a single piece from the Praetorius catalog but rather a unique “best of” compilation that Cleveland’s Baroque orchestra unveiled in 2005 and last presented in 2015.

Who says a liturgical service can’t be popular? Apollo’s Fire once again drew sold-out crowds to church venues across Northeast Ohio with these concerts, including a packed Trinity Cathedral on Thursday evening, December 18. And for anyone who still can’t get enough Praetorius, the ensemble plans to release a video recording of the 2025 Trinity performances — not instead of, but in addition to, the group’s 2007 CD. [Read on…]

Burning River Brass opens Arts Renaissance Tremont season (Dec. 19)

by Kevin McLaughlin

Presented by Arts Renaissance Tremont, Burning River Brass’s annual Holiday Spectacular filled Pilgrim Congregational Church on Friday evening, December 19.

The handsome late 19th-century sanctuary rang with brass, and the season arrived. Many in the audience were regulars, a familiarity that showed in the musicians’ ease onstage — the kind of exchange that gives these concerts an enduring appeal.

Trumpeter Heather Zweifel helped set the tone with spoken introductions that were relaxed, conversational, and disarming. More than an emcee, she shaped the evening’s pace and sense of welcome, guiding listeners through the program with an ease that mirrored the ensemble’s assured playing.

Introductions revealed the players’ far-flung origins — New York, Chicago, New Orleans, Michigan, anchored by a strong Cleveland core — but the playing suggested long acquaintance. [Read on…]

Christmas with Cantus at Tuesday Musical (Nov. 30)

by Peter Feher

Tuesday Musical gave Akron audiences a generous Christmas gift this year. The presenter tied three holiday classics together in one sumptuous concert on Sunday afternoon, November 30, at E.J. Thomas Hall. First up was the story of The Velveteen Rabbit, followed by a quick waltz through The Nutcracker and a ride on The Polar Express.

Delightfully, this trio of tales was recounted with drama and poise — not by any actors or dancers but by the eight members of the all-male a cappella ensemble Cantus. The group, based in Minnesota and now in its fourth decade, is once again touring the country with a polished, compact production of carols, pop tunes, and of course Tchaikovsky.

[Read on…]

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