Kreutzer Sonata Archives - Cleveland Classical

DIARY: Friday, May 24, 2024

May 24, 2024 by Jarrett Hoffman

by Jarrett Hoffman

IN THIS EDITION:

•Today: Cleveland Orchestra plays The Magic Flute, No Exit concludes its Year of Surreality season with “Breaking the World,” Oberlin presents “The Grand Piano Extravaganza,” and M.U.S.i.C. puts on “Two Pianos and More”

•In the news: “an antiquated system in bad need of repair” — a look into the orchestral tenure process, including accusations that race played a role in the dismissal of former Kansas City Symphony principal percussion Josh Jones (pictured)

•Almanac: the strange story of Bridgetower, Beethoven, and the “Kreutzer” Sonata

[Read more…]

DIARY: Tuesday, May 24, 2022

May 24, 2022 by Jarrett Hoffman

by Jarrett Hoffman

IN THIS EDITION:

•Today’s schedule: Art Song Festival master classes, organ at the Covenant, “Honoring Black Composers,” and the premiere of a violin concerto with the composer on the podium.

•Oberlin digs up old photos of tenor and alum Limmie Pulliam, currently starring in The Cleveland Orchestra’s “Otello in Concert.”

•The strange and complicated story behind Beethoven’s “Kreutzer” Sonata

[Read more…]

Cleveland Chamber Music Society: Second Ehnes & Armstrong recital features Beethoven’s ‘Kreutzer’ Sonata

January 10, 2020 by Daniel Hathaway

by Daniel Hathaway

Credit Opus 47 for inspiring the complete cycle of Beethoven’s violin sonatas that James Ehnes and Andrew Armstrong are touring this season to celebrate the composer’s 250th birthday.

As the Canadian-born violinist told us in a phone conversation last fall, he and his piano colleague once booked a studio in England to record a commissioned piece, but the work wasn’t ready yet. “The space, the recording engineer, and the producer were all on hold and we were faced with a whole day of dead time. What could we do to turn this into a useful day?”

Having performed Beethoven’s Ninth Sonata (the “Kreutzer”) quite frequently around that time, Ehnes proposed using that day to record it. “It’s never a bad idea to have a recording of the ‘Kreutzer,’ and we could figure out what to do with it later.”

What they did with it later was to record Beethoven’s Sixth Sonata and release the two sonatas on the same disc. “Some publications assumed that this was the start of a cycle,” Ehnes said, and that prediction came true when the violinist was looking for a way to mark the big anniversary of the composer’s birth in 2020. [Read more…]

M.U.S.i.C. Shines at Cleveland Museum of Art (Dec. 12)

by Kevin McLaughlin

By six o’clock on December 12, winter light was already draining from the Ames Family Atrium at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Museumgoers crossed paths with concertgoers as chairs were added for late arrivals.

The pale stone space, faintly scented with art, shifted from public square to indoor gathering place — a civic thoroughfare briefly claimed for music and dance.

Much of the evening’s ease was due to Stars in the Classics artistic director Jodi Kanter, who assembled the roster of rising artists and guided the program with a light touch — offering brief remarks and filling a transition while the stage was readied for the dancers.

[Read on…]

Singers’ Club of Cleveland: To Dwell in Harmony (Dec. 9)

by Kevin McLaughlin

The Singers’ Club of Cleveland brought the joy of the season to Trinity Cathedral on Tuesday evening with a program titled To Dwell in Harmony, a holiday offering both polished and good-humored. The venerable all-male chorus — whose lineage stretches back to 1891 and includes collaborations with conductors from Beryl Rubinstein to Robert Shaw — now finds itself under new leadership.

Christopher Clark, appointed in August as Artistic Director (while serving concurrently as Director of Choirs at Case Western Reserve University), led his first Singers’ Club concert with easy command. The chorus appeared to trust him from the first downbeat, and the audience received him just as warmly.

Trinity Cathedral, whose acoustics can flatter or expose a chorus in equal measure, proved an asset. The evening opened with one of its most effective moments: Veni, Veni Emmanuel in John Englert’s arrangement. Clark placed the choir on three sides of the audience, creating a surround-sound of chant that was silky and assured — a confident beginning. [Read on…]

Les Délices welcomes the festive season with “Noel, Noel” (Dec. 7)

by Stephanie Manning

Once December kicks in, an almost overwhelming number of holiday programs pop up around Northeast Ohio. But Les Délices’ offering should draw your attention.

While other festive concerts may create the atmosphere of a bustling party by the fireplace, “Noel, Noel” is like observing a snowy evening from the warmth of the indoors. This is music best enjoyed in quiet contentment, and especially live — so it’s no surprise that the early music ensemble brought back this signature program for three performances this month.

On December 7 at West Shore Unitarian Universalist Church, the six-member group presented a lovely ninety-minute program, which is also available on CD and via streaming until the end of the year. [Read on…]

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