by Daniel Hathaway
TODAY’S FEATURED VIDEOS:
Organist Nicole Keller was scheduled to play a recital at the Cleveland Museum of Art this afternoon, and John Drotleff’s West Shore Chorale had planned to perform its spring concert in Rocky River this evening — two more events that were ambushed by the pandemic.
But you can click here to watch a video from Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, where Keller played a recital on March 9, 2013. The featured selection is the opening movement of former N-D organist Louis Vierne’s Symphonie no 3, and the clip includes views of the cathedral and its Trésoir (following its renovation for the 850th anniversary of the church, which suffered a disastrous fire one year ago).
And watch the first part of Handel’s oratorio Samson, as performed in an abridged version by the West Shore Chorale on May 5, 2013 at Magnificat High School in Rocky River.
TODAY ON THE WEB:
Visit the Concert Listings for times and details about the latest episode of Oberlin Stage Left (“Story Time with the Sneetches and Oberlin Orchestra”), a Detroit Symphony Watch Party (Berlioz’ Symphonie fantastique led by incoming music director Jader Bignamini), Cleveland Orchestra on the Radio (featuring former principal clarinet Franklin Cohen) and the MET Opera’s HD archive broadcast of Rossini’s La Cenerentola.
TODAY’S ALMANAC:
On April 26, 1899, the first performance of the original version of Jean Sibelius’ First Symphony took place in Helsinki, conducted by the composer, who later revised the work. Cleveland Orchestra patrons will remember the brilliant performances of the piece led by Finnish conductor Susanna Mälkki in early February, 2020, which will eventually be broadcast. In the meantime, watch an interview with Mälkki on Episode 61 of Zsolt Bognár’s Living the Classical Life, where she “discusses the conductor’s world and responsibilities — and what it means to be a leader. She also discusses performance day routines, dealing with disappointments, and what is required to create magic on stage.” And hear a complete performance of the symphony with L’Orchestre de Paris under Estonian conductor Paavo Järvi.
On this date in 1900, violinist Joseph Fuchs, who served as concertmaster of The Cleveland Orchestra from 1926-1940, was born in New York City. Here’s a historic recording of Fuchs playing the solo (“Des Helden Gefährtin”) from a complete recording of Richard Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben. Artur Rodzinski leads The Cleveland Orchestra.
And today in 1965, Charles Ives’ Fourth Symphony received its long-delayed first performance with the American Symphony Orchestra and members of the New York Schola Cantorum. Multiple conductors were required: Leopold Stokowski, Jose Serebrier and David Katz. Shortly thereafter, those forces recorded the work for CBS and played it in a televised studio performance. Watch here.
