Cleveland Orchestra and Team NEO in Cologne

Team NEO CEO Thomas Waltermire (right) and Jonas Taeger, Cleveland Plus Europe

Ohio's Team Northeast Ohio (Team NEO) is hosting companies in Cologne, Germany this weekend at networking receptions and business presentations surrounding a Cleveland Orchestra performance at the Cologne Philharmonie.  Team NEO, an international business development consulting firm operating as Cleveland Plus Europe, is hosting meetings with 14 companies and industries from across Europe.  Representatives from Amsterdam, Belgium, and Germany attended a pre-concert reception welcomed by Team NEO CEO Thomas Waltermire.  Cleveland Orchestra General Manager Gary Ginstling and Assistant Conductor James Feddeck spoke to the guests about the Orchestra's role as Ohio's most important cultural ambassador and the music on the program.  Violinist Isabel Trautwein, a native German speaker, also greeted guests.

“The Cleveland Orchestra is proud to call Northeast Ohio home and to carry our city’s name around the world,” said Gary Hanson, Executive Director for the Cleveland Orchestra. “We’re pleased to partner with Team NEO to help tell European business leaders about our region’s great assets.”

Team NEO capitalized on the Orchestra’s appearance in Switzerland last year.  “We were able to meet with a dozen companies and industry associations, resulting in four direct investment opportunities for Northeast Ohio,” said Mr. Waltermire. “We anticipate similar results from the response to this visit.” 

European Tour - Ovations and Encores

Franz Welser-Möst and The Cleveland Orchestra at the Auditorio Nacional in Madrid, Spain

The Cleveland Orchestra is on a 21-day tour in Europe that will ultimately conclude in a residency at Vienna's Musikverein.  Music Director Franz Welser-Möst and the musicians have performed to sold-out concert halls in Madrid, Valencia, and Paris.  The varied programs have included music by Mendelssohn, Weber, Adams, Ravel, and Tchaikovsky.  

Madrid's critic announced in the first review, "It is the art of perfection, pure and simple."  In Paris, the audience applauded in unison, demanding an encore, and were rewarded with Wagner's Prelude to Act III of Die Meistersinger.  The Salle Pleyel fans cheered and yelled out Bravos as Franz and the musicians faced them for the final time.

Cleveland's Plain Dealer newspaper journalist Zachary Lewis has been reporting daily from the tour.  Here are the first tour reviews from Madrid:

October 22, 2011

REVIEW - CLASSICAL

The Art of Precision

By J. Á. Vela del Campo

During intermission, the news that ETA had announced the end of its armed struggle spread around the concert hall.  Euphoric feelings got hold of many audience members.  The last piece on the program was Boléro by the Basque-French composer Ravel; it seemed as though it had been intended as a reaction to what was going on outside, a hypnotic reflection of affectionate feelings for the Basque country.  And in fact, it sounded fabulous—with those weapons that Welser-Möst handles so scrupulously:  precision, rhythmic control, a certain highly effective minimalism.  All that, plus the assurance of having an orchestra like the Cleveland at his command:  compact, secure, even luminous.

The Cleveland Orchestra made its Spanish debut at Madrid’s Teatro de la Zarzuela in 1957, under the direction of George Szell, a legend among conductors.  Since its founding in 1918, the orchestra has had only seven music directors.  Welser-Möst has served since 2002.  The orchestra loves him and identifies with his criteria—as does the Vienna Philharmonic, which also appreciates him, having given him the responsibility of conducting the New Year’s Concert at the Musikverein and supported his appointment as musical director of the Staatsoper.  He’s a conductor much appreciated by the instrumentalists—let everyone take note.

Welser-Möst was restrained in Mendelssohn, dominating in Stravinsky and brilliant in Ravel.  His gestures are sober, his movements a bit mechanical; his image ranges from timid to robot-like, from subtle to introverted.  The analytic part takes precedence over the expressive.  The artistic results are overwhelmingly effective.  It is the art of perfection, pure and simple.  No excessive emphases, no special effects, none of those ‟strokes of genius” that are so often arbitrary.  He even smiled in the Ravel, completely won over by the work’s rhythmic and timbral richness.  All sections of the orchestra responded homogeneously and with great class.

October 25, 2011

REVIEW - CLASSICAL

Warm and Brilliant

Rosa Solà

After Sunday’s performance, we can safely say that the charge of interpretive dullness that has been frequently associated with the name of Franz Welser-Möst cannot be upheld—far from it.  One could even surmise that he went well out of his way to counteract that perception.  Not so much in his gestures, of course, which were extremely restrained (though highly effective and precise), but rather in the color and character he gave the scores.  The overture to Euryanthe had a splendid brilliance from the very first note; in this reading one could divine the profoundly Germanic roots of Wagner’s Mastersingers.  As if by coincidence, the third-act prelude of that opera was given as an encore at the end of the concert.  After the Weber overture we heard the Doctor Atomic Symphony by the American composer John Adams.  Based on the opera of the same name, premiered in 2005, the work treats of the first secret testing of the nuclear bomb at Los Alamos in 1945.  The score is more vertiginous than panic-inducing, more melancholy than terrifying.  John Adams’s language is accessible, expressive and unites many different elements.  The difficulties of the music, however, are considerable; yet they were resolved with great dexterity by all sections and soloists of the incomparable Cleveland Orchestra.  The percussion maintained the necessary tension, while the long notes sustained by the brass lent the music a solemn and almost organ-like naturalness.  The work’s subject matter, moreover, was a very sensitive one for everybody, given the recent tragedy of Fukushima.

Then Welser-Möst conducted a Tchaikovsky Fourth whose tempi were much faster than usual, with strongly emphasized contrasts.  So much so that the fatalistic tone of the work almost disappeared in a sea of limpid atmospheres.  Much attention was paid to the internal voices and to the implacable logic of the symphonic development.  The famous Fate motif sounded at times like a fanfare, yet without ever becoming unnatural.  The pizzicato of the scherzo had wings and magic.  The American musicians launched into the finale like crazy at a truly risky tempo, yet they did not play a single wrong note.  Nor was there a single boring moment or a single rigid phrase.  In one word:  the Austrian conductor seems to have blood in his veins.  A lot of it.

Franz Welser-Möst honored by European Academy of Yuste

The European Academy of Yuste has honored Cleveland Orchestra Music Director Franz Welser-Möst, recognizing his induction as an Academician of the Academy.  Academy Director Antonio Ventura Díaz welcomed him during a special ceremony at the Royal Monastery of Yuste in Spain.

Antonio Ventura Díaz Díaz
Director of the European Academy of Yuste Foundation

Mr. Welser-Möst, who had recently been appointed as a new member of the Academy, was officially awarded a medal as he was named to the Johannes Kepler Chair during the Accession Ceremony.

After Franz accepted his inauguration with remarks, he was welcomed by the Ambassador of Austria in Spain, M.E. Mr. Rudolf Lennkh.

Franz and M.E. Mr. Rudolf Lennkh

The members of the Academy are recognized for their outstanding creative endeavors or research and who through their work and efforts have contributed to the promotion and development of cultural and scientific progress in Europe.

Academicians serve as an advisory body to the European Academy of Yuste Foundation. Each Academician holds a symbolic chair, each of which bears the name of a notable deceased European (i.e. Socrates, Shakespeare, Leonardo Da Vinci, Cervantes). The Academy appoints Academicians who are intellectually and culturally prestigious European personalities.  Current Academicians include Umberto Eco and Vaclav Havel, and those in memoriam include Mstislav Rostropovich.  For a complete list view the Academy's website.

The European Academy of Yuste, founded in 1992, aims to defend core values such as tolerance, peaceful coexistence among all peoples and nations, solidarity, democracy, freedom, and global peace.

 (l to r) Foundation Assesor Miguel Ángel Martín Ramos, Director of the Austrian Cultural Forum in Madrid Barbara-Lee Storick, Mrs. Maud Lennkh, Ambassador Lennkh, Franz, and Mr.  Díaz Díaz

After the inauguration ceremony, the Austrian delegation and Franz had a tour of the monastery.  The historic site is the final home of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, who passed away there in 1558.  The tour was led by the delegate of Patrimonio Nacional (National Heritage) in Yuste, Francisco Javier Gomez Pizarro.

New Violins for Rainey Students

View the slideshow below to see how 30 students traded their paper violins for brand-new real ones in a ceremony on Oct. 13, 2011 at Cleveland's Rainey Institute.

The Cleveland Orchestra and Conn-Selmer, Inc., have supplied Scherl & Roth violins  for an intensive after-school program called El Sistema@Rainey, launched in September by Rainey Institute. Cleveland Orchestra violinist Isabel Trautwein (shown at left in photo) is the artistic director of the new program, based on El Sistema, (“the system”) a social program developed in Venezuela.

In programs around the world, El Sistema provides needy children with free musical training, teaching them musical skills and the opportunity to change the direction of their lives. Isabel Trautwein took a year-long leave of absence from The Cleveland Orchestra during the 2010-11 season to serve as an Abreu Fellow, learning the principles of El Sistema's founder, Jose Antonio Abreu, by studying in Boston and Caracas.

Orchestra travels to Europe for Residency and Tour



The Cleveland Orchestra performing at the Musikverein in 2007

 The Cleveland Orchestra is on its way to Madrid, Spain, where it will begin its European tour which will include thirteen performances in seven European cities in Spain, France, Luxembourg, Germany, and Austria, from October 20 through November 5.

This is Music Director Franz Welser-Möst and The Cleveland Orchestra’s eleventh international tour together, including its fifth biennial residency in Vienna’s historic Musikverein concert hall.

The Orchestra’s performances will feature works by Adams, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Ravel, R. Strauss, Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky, and Weber. During its four-concert Residency at the historic Musikverein in Vienna, the Orchestra will give two performances of Mozart’s “Great” Mass in C minor, featuring soprano Malin Hartelius, soprano Juliane Banse, tenor Martin Mitterrutzner, bass-baritone Ruben Drole, and the Vienna Singverein. Cellist Truls Mørk will perform as soloist with the Orchestra in one of the concerts in Luxembourg.



The Auditorio Nacional in Madrid, Spain

 Since it began touring internationally in 1957, The Cleveland Orchestra has performed on five continents (Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America), and in 45 countries, and continues to be in demand to perform in the great music capitals of the world.

Highlights of past tours include being the first American orchestra to participate in the Hong Kong Festival and the first American ensemble to appear in the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Last season, the Orchestra performed in Europe, Japan, and South Korea, and performed in four states outside of Ohio – Indiana, Michigan, Florida, and New York.

In addition to its four-concert Residency at the historic Musikverein in Vienna, the Orchestra will perform two concerts in Madrid’s Auditorio Nacional, Paris’s Salle Pleyel, and Luxembourg’s Philharmonie, and single concerts in Valencia’s Palau de la Música, the Philharmonie in Cologne, and Linz’s Brucknerhaus.





The Palau de la Música in Valencia, Spain

 THE CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA
MUSIKVEREIN RESIDENCY AND EUROPEAN TOUR
OCTOBER 20-NOVEMBER 5, 2011


MADRID, SPAIN
Thursday, October 20, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.
Auditorio Nacional
Franz Welser-Möst, conductor

MENDELSSOHN Symphony No. 3 (“Scottish”)
STRAVINSKY Agon
RAVEL Boléro


MADRID, SPAIN
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 10:30 p.m.
Auditorio Nacional
Franz Welser-Möst, conductor

WEBER Overture to Euryanthe
ADAMS Doctor Atomic Symphony
TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 4


The Salle Pleyel in Paris, France



VALENCIA, SPAIN
Sunday, October 23, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.
Palau de la Música
Franz Welser-Möst, conductor

MENDELSSOHN Symphony No. 3 (“Scottish”)
STRAVINSKY Agon
RAVEL Boléro


PARIS, FRANCE
Tuesday, October 25, 2011 at 8:00 p.m.
Salle Pleyel
Franz Welser-Möst, conductor

STRAVINSKY Agon
R. STRAUSS Metamorphosen, A Study for 23 Solo Strings
TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 4


PARIS, FRANCE
Wednesday, October 26, 2011 at 8:00 p.m.
Salle Pleyel
Franz Welser-Möst, conductor

MENDELSSOHN Symphony No. 3 (“Scottish”)
ADAMS Doctor Atomic Symphony
RAVEL Boléro

The Philharmonie in Luxembourg

LUXEMBOURG
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 8:00 p.m.
Philharmonie
Franz Welser-Möst, conductor

MENDELSSOHN Symphony No. 3 (“Scottish”)
STRAVINSKY Agon
RAVEL Boléro


LUXEMBOURG
Friday, October 28, 2011 at 8:00 p.m.
Philharmonie
Franz Welser-Möst, conductor
Truls Mørk, cello

WEBER Overture to Euryanthe
SHOSTAKOVICH Cello Concerto No. 1
TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 4

The Philharmonie in Cologne, Germany

COLOGNE
Sunday, October 30, 2011 at 4:00 p.m.
Philharmonie
Franz Welser-Möst, conductor

WEBER Overture to Euryanthe
ADAMS Doctor Atomic Symphony
TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 4


VIENNA, AUSTRIA
Monday, October 31, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.
Musikverein
Franz Welser-Möst, conductor
Malin Hartelius, soprano
Juliane Banse, soprano
Martin Mitterrutzner, tenor
Ruben Drole, bass-baritone
Vienna Singverein

The Musikverein in Vienna

R. STRAUSS Metamorphosen, A Study for 23 Solo Strings
MOZART Mass in C minor, K. 427 (“The Great”)


LINZ, AUSTRIA
Thursday, November 3, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.
Brucknerhaus
Franz Welser-Möst, conductor

MENDELSSOHN Symphony No. 3 (“Scottish”)
STRAVINSKY Agon
RAVEL Boléro


VIENNA, AUSTRIA
Friday, November 4, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.
Musikverein
Franz Welser-Möst, conductor

WEBER Overture to Euryanthe
ADAMS Doctor Atomic Symphony
TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 4


The Brucknerhaus in Linz, Austria



VIENNA, AUSTRIA
Saturday, November 5, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.
Musikverein
Franz Welser-Möst, conductor

MENDELSSOHN Symphony No. 3 (“Scottish”)
STRAVINSKY Agon
RAVEL Boléro

Znaider CD Signing Slideshow

"Magnificent, amazing, the finest I've ever heard." Audience accolades were flying after Nikolaj Znaider's performance of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto at Severance Hall Thursday night. Listeners brought him back for repeated curtain calls, and afterward, people lined up to have him sign CDs and talk about the concert.


Nikolaj returns to Severance for concerts at 7 p.m. Oct. 14 and 8 p.m Oct. 15.

View the slide show here.

Znaider masterclass slideshow

Before his three nights of performances with The Cleveland Orchestra, Oct. 13, 14, and 15, Nikolaj Znaider led a masterclass for violin students at Reinberger Chamber Hall of Severance Hall.

Haruno Sato (Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra), Suliman Tekalli (Cleveland Institute of Music), Ran Cheng (Oberlin College Conservatory of Music) and Holly Jenkins (Oberlin College Conservatory of Music) had a chance to learn from Znaider's experience on the international stage.

Znaider on Tchaikovsky

"It has extraordinary beauty, a variety of melody and obviously the virtuosity, which is very seductive for a young aspiring violinist. It is a piece that I have known for as long as I can remember.''
--Violinist Nikolaj Znaider on the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto.

Read the full clevelandclassical.com interview.  

Nikolaj performs the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with The Cleveland Orchestra on Thursday, Oct. 13, Friday, Oct. 14, and Saturday, Oct. 15.

Cleveland Percussionist Wins Award

Congratulations to Richard Weiner, former principal percussionist of The Cleveland Orchestra, who will be awarded the 16th annual Cleveland Orchestra Distinguished Service Award on Thursday, Oct. 13, just before the Orchestra's concert at Severance Hall.  The award honors a person or organization that has provided continuing exemplary service to the Musical Arts Association (MAA), the Orchestra's parent organization.

Before retiring at the end of the 2010-11 season, Richard Weiner served as principal percussionist of the Orchestra for 43 years, leading the section longer than anyone else in the Orchestra’s history. He performed with the Orchestra for a total of 48 years.
 
And he's not done playing: he'll be performing as an extra on the Orchestra's European tour later this month.
 
Photo by Roger Mastroianni

Cleveland Violist's Russian Album Featured

Following the success of her Grammy award-winning last album, Cleveland Orchestra violist Eliesha Nelson has a new recording titled  Russian Viola Sonatas, featuring the music of Varvara Gaigerova, Alexander Winkler, and Paul Juon, released in July on the Sono Luminus label.  Music from the album will be featured when Eliesha is interviewed on host John Simna's program Cleveland Orchestra showcase on WCLV on Friday, Oct. 7, at 9 p.m.

The recording is available at the Cleveland Orchestra Store.

Photo by Roger Mastroianni

Thoughts on Mozart's "Great" Mass

Click here for a Quick Insight provided by WCLV if you're curious about the Mozart Mass in C minor ("The Great") being performed on Thursday and Sunday, October 6 and 9.  Malin Hartelius (shown here), who has performed in Mozart operas at Severance Hall, appears among the international cast of guest singers.

Gala Slideshow

Photos from the Orchestra's October 1, 2011 gala at Severance Hall, celebrating Franz Welser-Möst's 10th season as music director.  Shown are the evening's soloists, Frank Rosenwein, oboe, and Massimo La Rosa, trombone, as well as Franz accepting the key to the City of Cleveland from Mayor Frank Jackson. 

Franz Receives Key to City

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson (center) presented Franz Welser-Möst the key to the city and an official proclamation at a gala concert on Saturday night celebrating Franz's 10th season as Music Director of The Cleveland Orchestra.

Under the leadership of gala chair Norma Lerner and gala corporate chair Beth Mooney, the event brought in $650,000. The proceeds will be placed in an education fund in Franz's name, honoring his initiatives on behalf of music education. 

Photo by Roger Mastroianni

Hartelius and Drole Sing Mozart

Malin Hartelius and Ruben Drole, known to Severance Hall listeners from their appearances in Mozart operas in past seasons, return this week in Mozart's Mass in C minor ("The Great") on Thursday, Oct. 6 at  8 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 9 at 3 p.m.

Here's a trailer from the video of their Zurich Opera production of Cosí fan tutte -- the same production they performed with Franz Welser-Möst in Cleveland in 2010.