The Cleveland Orchestra Blog

I heart it was great concert! It's a pity I wa...

2011-10-31T09:32:32.913-04:00

I heart it was great concert! It's a pity I wasn't there..

I wish I could have been there to see it.

2011-10-25T13:58:20.055-04:00

I wish I could have been there to see it.

That is so beautiful and light! I adore it.

2011-10-20T10:21:28.355-04:00

That is so beautiful and light! I adore it.

BRAVO!... I was in attendance on Thursday evening,...

2011-10-14T23:18:31.120-04:00

BRAVO!... I was in attendance on Thursday evening, October 13. Znaider was truly magnificent, playing with supreme lyricism, suppleness, technical command and a bravura which many violinists surely would envy!

It is a real pleasure to listen to the sophisticat...

2011-10-05T09:34:56.200-04:00

It is a real pleasure to listen to the sophisticated music!

I would love to submit my self painting on Commemo...

2011-08-18T01:37:39.622-04:00

I would love to submit my self painting on Commemoration Concert. And so glad to see my work up there. :)

The DVD was released in late May 2011, and is avai...

2011-06-15T14:48:54.730-04:00

The DVD was released in late May 2011, and is available for purchase at the Cleveland Orchestra Store and on various websites, including Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Bruckner-Symphony-8-C-Minor/dp/B004TWOX9Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1308163547&sr=8-1

What is "soon"? :-)

2011-06-09T15:32:48.353-04:00

What is "soon"? :-)

Awesome concert at Carmel Palladium. Sat right be...

2011-05-26T22:54:29.647-04:00

Awesome concert at Carmel Palladium. Sat right behind the percussion. Lots of action during Guide To Strange Places. LOVED IT!

I like his Voice.....................

2011-04-07T07:44:08.200-04:00

I like his Voice.....................

I like her effort to music...................

2011-04-07T05:57:36.438-04:00

I like her effort to music...................

I was impressed by how quickly your staff moved th...

2011-03-28T16:19:00.537-04:00

I was impressed by how quickly your staff moved the concert-attenders to their seats: very friendly and efficient! Thanks!

Dear Cleveland Orchestra Blog:First I must admit t...

2011-02-25T17:02:30.631-05:00

Dear Cleveland Orchestra Blog:First I must admit that I am a volunteer and received my tickets as a reward for my service. I brought a young woman from another culture with me for her first concert experience and she was overjoyed and overawed. The most extraordinary thing about last night was the performance of Robert Walters in the English Horn Concerto by Peteris Vasks. We do not have many chances to hear the artistry of the double reed players. Thank you for this remarkable program uniting composers associated with St. Petersburg.

A lovely concert from a wonderful orchestra, soloi...

2011-02-20T07:29:37.156-05:00

A lovely concert from a wonderful orchestra, soloist, and conductor in a beautiful hall. My only complaint came in the finale of the Nielsen 4th. The placement of the two sets of dueling timpani on the front of the stage was dramatically effective, but the drums over matched even the brass in the final battle between them. Placing them in the back of the stage would have been less theatrical and produced a more balanced sound. Still, I'm sure we will again travel from Chicago to hear your terrific orchestra and enjoy the University Circle area.

It was a treat to hear Leonidas Kavakos in the Sib...

2011-02-14T08:11:54.452-05:00

It was a treat to hear Leonidas Kavakos in the Sibelius Violin Concerto. The beauty of his playing and his evident enjoyment in the act of making music made this a complete joy.

Very exciting... Congratulations and BRAVO!...

2011-02-13T22:18:59.962-05:00

Very exciting... Congratulations and BRAVO!...

Thank you for offering our favorite violin concert...

2011-02-12T10:13:37.685-05:00

Thank you for offering our favorite violin concerto by one of its best if not the best interpreter in the world. The performance was magical and we were treated with an unusual encore also that made the evening quite special.

Jun Markl looked like he was having a ball conduct...

2011-02-12T08:54:55.973-05:00

Jun Markl looked like he was having a ball conducting the Debussy Printemps. And violinist Leonidas Kavakos was just spellbinding. Four curtain calls and an encore were the least we in the audience could do for such magnificence.

Cleveland taking its true talents to South Beach. ...

2011-01-31T17:27:51.462-05:00

Cleveland taking its true talents to South Beach. Something to be proud of!

Interesting!

2011-01-25T11:21:07.880-05:00

Interesting!

I believe this was the first concert of The Clevel...

2011-01-24T00:05:18.499-05:00

I believe this was the first concert of The Cleveland (for me) that was all contemporary. It was extraordinary. "Woven Dreams" was uniquely beautiful and both the Bartok pieces demanded an incredible virtuosity from the soloist and the orchestra, and they were all up to it! The all brass piece was exciting; I enjoyed the layered discordances. I liked it all; it stretched my awareness and understanding. It was the perfect birthday present to myself.

Very interesting and cerebral program with Hosokaw...

2011-01-23T12:54:46.486-05:00

Very interesting and cerebral program with Hosokawa, Takemitsu, and Bartok. The entire program was new to me.

I found Hosokawa "Woven Dreams" to be too abstract to be enjoyable. I react to such percussive and sound effects compositions to be interesting, but not "music to my ears." Nevertheless, when presented with such compositions, I just concentrate on the marvelous musicianship of the orchestra members, particularly the percussion in this instance.

The Takemitsu "Garden Rain" was more pleasing to the ear and while dissonant, yet was tonal and beautiful. What an unusual treat to hear brass played softly in a legato style.

I loved the Bartok Piano Concerto and the performance by Pierre-Laurent Aimard. His virtuosity on this difficult piece was amazing, especially the Presto section in the second movement. The timpanist certainly got a workout, too. Bravo! The abrupt ending was a big surprise and evoked a bodily response, as in "What just happened?!"

My favorite work of the evening was the "Music for Stringed Instruments." The beautiful effects of two string ensembles playing sometimes in opposition and sometimes together was striking. The range of emotions in the four movements was as broad as could be - somber, playful, mysterious, and joyful. If one had any trouble getting into this music, one only had to look at Joella Jones on the piano! She plays with such flair and obvious enjoyment.

I gave this work a standing ovation. It has always puzzled me how reluctant our audiences are to give standing ovations. Our orchestra is so excellent that it would seem almost every performance should merit the standing O!

I attended the 11am performance of Bartok's Pi...

2011-01-21T21:30:07.850-05:00

I attended the 11am performance of Bartok's Piano Concerto #2 and two shorter, very modern pieces by Japanese composers. I thought it was a balanced program between an early 20th-century European composer and late 20th-early 21st centuries composers combining two traditions. Apart from the program, I wanted to hear Pierre-Laurent Aimard, and I was not disappointed. Lastly, I was extremely impressed by the Symphony's outreach program that availed orchestra seats to seniors and teen agers at very reasonable prices, and also provided bus transport. Despite the forbiddingly cold weather, the orchestra was almost sold out. That's success.

I have never been to an orchestra before and had a...

2011-01-21T11:10:47.562-05:00

I have never been to an orchestra before and had a great night on January 20th. Franz Welser-Most was an outstanding music director! The performances were exceptionally entertaining especially Allegro. The musicians and the conductor were incredible!

My wife and I attended the concert last evening. C...

2011-01-21T10:15:10.609-05:00

My wife and I attended the concert last evening. Congratulations on putting Toshio Hosokawa and Toru Takemitsu on the program. We appreciated the chance to hear these interesting examples of music not ordinarily heard in our concert halls.
The draw for us, however, was Bartok. The Piano Concerto No. 2 was fiendishly difficult (no matter that Bartok may have thought it "less bristling with difficulties...") and brilliantly performed by Pierre-Laurent Aimard. The highlight of the evening, at least for me, was Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta. This, I believe,is one of the true masterpieces of 20th century music. Raptuous harmonies, rich and wonderous melodies, many of them extracted from the hills of Hungary, seismic syncopations and heart-pounding rhythms. I appreciated that Franz Welser-Most let Lev Polyakin play a significant part in this performance. The Celesta was a star played passionately by Carolyn Warner. The piano was a magnificent victim at the hands of Joela Jones. And a huge bravo to the entire percussion section for making the most of their chance to demonstrate how percussive sounds can make music soar. Our deep appreication for this great evening!