by Stephanie Manning
This article was originally published on Cleveland.com
CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio — French composers Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel often drew inspiration from water. Pieces like Debussy’s La Mer (“The Sea”) and Ravel’s Jeux d’eau (“Fountains” or “Water Games”) are prime examples of how to capture rippling shapes and shimmering colors in sound.
Neither of those pieces were played on The Cleveland Orchestra’s half-Debussy, half-Ravel program on Aug. 22, but they may well have been, as Mother Nature had her rainy way at Blossom Music Center.
Thankfully the heavy storms that pounded Northeast Ohio in the early evening tapered off before the beginning of Saturday’s concert, which was delayed only a few minutes to accommodate latecomers. Those who braved the elements were rewarded with a lovely program of Gallic music conducted by Antonello Manacorda.
Debussy’s Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun set the tone for the evening with its gentle yet complex layering, and special focus on the woodwinds. This is a showpiece for the flute, and Joshua Smith’s beautiful, glossy tone floated airily over the orchestra. Manacorda paced it perfectly, giving the piece room to breathe.
The most exciting moments of the evening came during Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G Major. Often described as a concerto for both piano and orchestra, the piece requires some intense coordination. Making his Cleveland Orchestra debut, pianist Nelson Goerner knew the orchestra parts as well as his own. Unfailingly on the beat throughout Ravel’s many flights of fancy, Goerner commanded attention in the outer two movements.
Some finer details got lost when both piano and orchestra overlapped, but it was charming to hear the ethereal second movement against a backdrop of chirping crickets and distant thunder.
Goerner revealed his greatest strengths in the slow middle movement, where he crafted a thoughtful opening solo. When principal English Horn Robert Walters eventually joined him, the pianist graciously yielded the spotlight to Walters’ warm, expressive melody.
In fact Walters was the wind player who had the most to do during the program, and the video feed returned to him with regularity. He spun out an arresting, mysterious solo in the first movement of Debussy’s Nocturnes, a piece in three movements that prefers to wander rather than arrive at a defined conclusion.
The final movement evokes the song of the half-human sirens in The Odyssey through the mellow, repetitive “ooh”s of The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus.
Ravel’s Suite from Mother Goose closed the evening out with five lighthearted movements based on fairytales, from Tom Thumb to Sleeping Beauty. “Laideronnette, Empress of the Pagodas” may have lacked some of the contrast that Manacorda appeared to want, but “Conversations of Beauty and the Beast” featured an attention-grabbing solo from contrabassoonist Jonathan Sherwin in his role as the Beast.
“The Enchanted Garden” made for a satisfying finale — rather than ending gently as the evening began, its last moments turned more triumphant, as if celebrating a program well-played.
Photo by Roger Mastroianni
Published on ClevelandClassical.com, August 31, 2026
Click here for a printable copy of this article
