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Cleveland Orchestra: Stravinsky and Beethoven share a program, and Igor muses on Ludwig

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by Jarrett Hoffman

collagestravinskybeethoven

On Thursday, September 28 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, September 30 at 8:00 pm, The Cleveland Orchestra continues its centennial season at Severance Hall under Music Director Franz Welser-Möst with “The Rite of Spring.” The concert will include Stravinsky’s famously provocative work — which Puccini called “the work of a madman” — and a string orchestra adaptation of Beethoven’s Quartet No. 15 in a, Op. 132.

Should Beethoven, from the grave in Vienna, feel snubbed by the title of the concert, TCO and Welser-Möst will make it up to him on the 29th at 11:00 am at Severance. “Friday Morning: All-Beethoven” features the same a-minor Quartet adaptation and Leonore Overture No. 3. Friday bus service will be provided from the South Side, East Side (Beachwood), West Side, and Akron.

Passing the mic to Stravinsky, six feet under on the Isle of San Michele in Venice — how does it feel to share a program with the great German? A 1922 quote suggests, not so good.

[Read more…]

The Cleveland Orchestra begins 100th Season with revival of Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen

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by Mike Telin

Opera: Leoš Janáček's The Cunning Little Vixen Martina Janková, soprano (Vixen) Alan Held, bass-baritone (Forester) Jennifer Johnson Cano, mezzo-soprano (Fox) Raymond Aceto, bass (Harašta) Julie Boulianne, mezzo-soprano (The Dog Lapák) Dashon Burton, bass-baritone (Parson/Badger) David Cangelosi, tenor (Schoolmaster/Mosquito) Cleveland Orchestra Chorus Cleveland Orchestra Children's Chorus with The Cleveland Orchestra conducted by Franz Welser-Möst Photo by Roger MastroianniThe Cleveland Orchestra begins its landmark 100th season this week with a revival of Yuval Sharon’s critically acclaimed, made-for-Cleveland production of Leoš Janáček’s opera The Cunning Little Vixen.

Franz Welser-Möst leads the Orchestra and a cast that will include Martina Janková (Vixen), Alan Held (Forrester), Jennifer Johnson Cano (Fox), Andrew Foster-Williams (Harašta), Daryl Freedman (Lapák the Dog), Dashon Burton (Parson/Badger), and David Cangelosi (Schoolmaster/Mosquito).

Performances will take place on Saturday, September 23 at 8:00 pm, Sunday the 24th at 3:00 pm, and Tuesday the 26th at 7:30 pm. Tickets available online. Writing for Classical Voice North America, Daniel Hathaway said that the digitally enhanced production was “beguiling in concept and brilliant in execution.” [Read more…]

Save the dates for September’s early season openers & special events

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by Daniel Hathaway

hradetzky_usa_oh_cleveland_st_paulsAfter the gradual spinning down of the summer concert season, September can sneak up on you. Here’s a list of early season openers and one-off events that Northeast Ohio music lovers should be sure to jot down in their calendars.

Ars Organi at St. Paul’s, Cleveland Heights

Organist Karel Paukert has created a festival to celebrate the collection of organs (and a harpsichord) that grace the music program at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Cleveland Heights. The seven events in “Ars Organi” between September 15 and October 1 will feature the Walter Holtkamp Sr. instrument as well as the Vladimir Slajch chamber organ, the Gerhard Hradetzky Italian Baroque organ, and the Matthias Griewisch harpsichord — a fleet of keyboard instruments any church would be delighted to have at its disposal.

Performers include Prague organist Jaroslav Tuma (right) on Friday, September 15 at 7:30 jaroslav_tumapm and Saturday, September 16 at 4:00 pm (featuring his paraphrase of Smetana’s My Country); Oberlin professor James David Christie with members of Oberlin’s Collegium Musicum on Tuesday, September 19 at 7:30 pm; and University of Kansas professor James Higdon in a lecture and masterclass on Jehan Alain on Saturday, September 23 at 2:00 pm and a recital of Alain’s works on Sunday, September 24 at 4:00 pm. [Read more…]

Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom: Milhaud, Roussel & Beethoven (July 15)

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by Daniel Hathaway

TCO-FWM-070917-1Dionysius and Apollo each reigned over half of the Cleveland Orchestra program at Blossom on Saturday evening, July 15 under the direction of Franz Welser-Möst. Albert Roussel’s Suite No. 2 from Bacchus and Ariadne celebrates the invention of wine — for which picnickers on the Blossom lawn will be ever grateful — and Darius Milhaud’s Brazilian-infused ballet Le boeuf sur le toit takes place in a rowdy New York bar during Prohibition. Even with its premonitions of Romanticism and the composer’s signature quirkiness, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 brought a sense of Classical balance to the second half. [Read more…]

Cleveland Orchestra: Summers@Severance July 14

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by Timothy Robson

Summers@Severance-Barbara-MerrittSeverance Hall was packed on Friday, July 14, for the first of this year’s Summers@ Severance concerts. It was the perfect evening for this more casual concert, which included audience members attired in everything from t-shirts and shorts to evening attire, plus food and drinks before and after on the terrace. In the auditorium, however, the proceedings were anything but casual. Franz Welser-Möst conducted a program of Beethoven: the Symphonies Nos. 1 and 5, and the Overture to Egmont. [Read more…]

Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom: “A Night at the Opera” with Erin Wall (July 9)

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by Daniel Hathaway

Erin-Wall-(Credit-Kristen-Hoebermann)The Canadian soprano Erin Wall made only one costume change on Sunday evening at Blossom — from a burgundy to a sparkling black gown — but she brought winning vocal versatility and theatrical savvy to her portrayal of five different divas, brilliantly supported by Franz Welser-Möst and The Cleveland Orchestra. [Read more…]

Cleveland Orchestra: Haydn symphonies, Cheung premiere & Ligeti with Aimard (May 18)

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by Daniel Hathaway

TCO-051817-FWM-AimardThursday evening’s Cleveland Orchestra program at Severance Hall cozied two ear-stretching modern works by Anthony Cheung and György Ligeti between a pair of Haydn Symphonies — No. 39 from the composer’s “Storm and Stress” period, and No. 96 from his late, mature period. [Read more…]

Cleveland Orchestra: Mendelssohn & Henze with Julia Fischer (May 11)

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by Daniel Hathaway

TiranFWMWhen the 17-year-old Felix Mendelssohn saw A Midsummer Night’s Dream with his sister, he ran right home to write a piano duet on the subject that turned into an overture and later a whole suite of incidental music. Did he have any idea that his music would be inextricably bound to Shakespeare’s play — or its march appropriated for countless wedding recessionals? [Read more…]

Cleveland Orchestra: a conversation with Pelléas and Mélisande’s Golaud

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by Mike Telin

Muller-BrachmannClaude Debussy’s journey to writing an opera had many false starts. Then he happened across the symbolist plays of Maurice Maeterlinck. After discovering that the author had given Vincent d’Indy permission to to set his La princesse Maleine to music, Debussy turned his attention to Maeterlinck’s Pelléas et Mélisande.

On May 2nd, 4th, and 6th at 7:30 pm at Severance Hall, The Cleveland Orchestra under the direction of Franz Welser-Möst will present three performances of the new fully-staged production by Yuval Sharon of Debussy’s only completed opera. The cast will include Elliot Madore (as Pelléas), Martina Janková (Mélisande), Hanno Müller-Brachmann (Golaud), Nancy Maultsby (Genevieve), Peter Rose (Arkel), Julie Mathevet (Yniold), and David Castillo (Doctor/Shepherd). [Read more…]

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