Cleveland Orch reopens Blossom
mainIn line with Boston rolling out its Tanglewood summer schedule, Cleveland is also soundg hopeful.
To commemorate Independence Day and the Orchestra’s first concert at Blossom since 2019, former Cleveland Orchestra associate conductor Brett Mitchell leads music by acclaimed American composers.
An all-Mozart program will be presented July 11 under the baton of Jane Glover. The Great American Songbook comes to Blossom, performed by Broadway star vocalist Capathia Jenkins and led by Lucas Waldin on July 18.
Venezuelan conductor and music director of the San Diego Symphony Rafael Payare makes his Cleveland Orchestra debut on July 25 in Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 (“From the New World”).
On August 1, Herbert Blomstedt returns to Blossom for Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7. Karina Canellakis, Chief Conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, makes her Cleveland Orchestra debut on August 15 with Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4.
Former Cleveland Orchestra resident conductor Jahja Ling leads Brahms’s Third Symphony on August 22.
Originally scheduled to make her Cleveland Orchestra debut last season, Elim Chan will lead the ensemble for the first time on August 28, in a program featuring Elgar’s powerful and mysterious Enigma Variations.
Tchaikovsky 4. Brahms 3. Beethoven 7. Dvorak 9. What brilliant, original and exciting programming!
Where’s a sense of adventure and excitement? Is this what the future is: playing the same hackneyed chestnuts endlessly? It’s great music to be sure, but there’s so much else to discover!
Yes but the argument should be made for the opposite. It should be the summer season to offer the Music for the Masses (Classical Musics Greatest Hits) when one can give the masses great music for their picnics with friends.
The real intellectuals want the concert hall experience and that is where the repertoire should challenge ears.
Background music to food and wine?
Most U.S. summer outdoor seasons are heavy on repertory chestnuts, and Blossom is no exception. That said, we don’t know (from the quotation above) what else is on the programs.
While I agree with your point, they’re probably not rehearsing much these days. Those are works they can do with little or no rehearsal.
I agree with J Barcelo. And symphonies fork over thousands to pay “artistic directors” for programming like this?
Yes, they are great works but they are also vastly overplayed and performed. Try something new.
After not having an audience for so long, perhaps they want to be sure to “fill the hall” and get some revenue in.
That’s the first time I have heard Elgar described as “powerful and mysterious” – wonder if the copywriter has ever listened to the music?
Exactly, a stupid comment made about a major English composer.