Cleveland Orchestra plans Israel debut
NewsThe Cleveland Orchestra with Music Director Franz Welser-Möst will take their 21st international tour together in October.
It involves visits to Austria and Israel – two concerts in Vienna and Linz (FW-M’s home town) and three in Haifa, Tel Aviv, and Jerusalem. It will be the Clevelanders’ first visit to Israel, and the first by any US orchestra for five years.
Hard times ahead for the Cleveland, now that Slipped Disc will call them out at every possible occasion for performing in a country that illegally occupies the land of another nation, oppresses its people and steals its resources against international law, Security Council resolutions and the fourth Geneva Convention. Well, a news site’s gotta do what a news site’s gotta do.
Nonsense. BTW in writing and posting that you probably used about three Israeli inventions among the many that have bettered the planet (just ask all the drought-hit African nations Israel is currently helping with amazing water and agricultural technology). It also happens to be among the most musically productive nations on Earth.
Bravo.
Your proof that what I write is nonsense is that Israelis have invented things and are musically productive? Seriously?
You have a great point. Maybe we should also consider the engineering advancements achieved by the Third Reich while assessing their morality.
Hey Clem. Does every square inch of US territory, including the former Kingdom of Hawaii, , the territory of the Gadsden Purchase, Puerto Rico, Guam, those Pacific territories, etc. meet your criteria?
Just askin’.
As for occupied territories: Never a good thing. But surely sending in musicians helps all involved?
If it doesn’t for Russia, as Slipped Disc makes abundantly clear, why would it for Israel and Palestine?
The war has long been over; Israel won. To the victors go the spoils.
As for Russia/Ukraine, let them figure it out: a corrupt oligarch vs a petty thief leading a corrupt nation.
Short answer: Yes.
Longer answer: If the US supports it, it is bad. Including Israel
I suppose the new concertmaster of the Cleveland got homesick for Israel.
Let’s hope the program will be interesting and not the mainstream routine works played by touring orchestras (e.g. the IPO with Mahler 1 and some warhorse violin concerto or one of the two Prokofiev
symphonies LS knows by heart). If we get the interesting repertoire played by Cleveland (second Viennese school etc.) then great but otherwise – it will be another redundant concert of the type we get way too often.
The Cleveland Orchestra is known for its eclectic and interesting programming.
In Tel Aviv and Jerusalem- Mahler – Mahler Lieder and 7th symphony. in Haifa- Mahler Lieder, mozart symphony no 29 and Prokofiev 6th
Perhaps, but they’ll also be played superbly. Feeling a little jealous, A.B.? . . . You had your time. If you’ll recall, Welser-Most performed some (all?) of your symphonies, with Cleveland, in the St. Florian Cathedral. They were captured and put out on DVD. Did you complain about that?
Must be nice to have the money to take 21 international tours in 21 years
You don’t seem to be aware that these international tours are underwritten by major companies. No orchestra can afford to subsidize this out of their own coffers. Touring is another way for orchestras to build up their income.
Yes it is. For the members of the orchestra, for the US, for Cleveland as a community with roots in many countries, for FW-M, for the many who financially support the orchestra. It’s essential for the gobal Cleveland brand, attracting talent, financial support, selling CDs, …
Cleveland seems to be doing a lot right.
What’s your point? Envy?
Honestly, yes. I’m jealous. Behind Germany, I believe that America has the highest standard of orchestra playing in the world, and there are many orchestras should tour in Europe and Asia who cannot afford to do so.
I read that the main works are Mahler 7 and Prokofiev 6 symphonies. So more interesting than the European tour last summer, which included Strauss orchestral excerpts from Der Rosenkavaliar and Brucker 9. Some so-so reviews were posted on Bachtrack. FWM is not a big audience draw conductor. Hopefully the CO will be on top form.
Mark wrote: ” FWM is not a big audience draw conductor.”
But he has been conductor at Cleveland for around 2 decades! That is an impressive achievement.
He has also sold a lot of records and CDs.
That he has the political acumen to remain in his Cleveland post so long is impressive. Also, there’s been a lot of very large donations recently, and that’s also impressive. I have not seen data on his recording sales. Generally the major recording companies seem to stay away from him, but a few of his in-house recordings are worth a listen (a few I thought were not). And there were photos from the European tour last year showing many empty seats. Perhaps it’s FWM’s penchant for off beat programming, but his recent performance of Dvorak 9 in Cleveland was not highly regarded in the independent reviews I read, I listened to the live broadcast and agreed.
You might be thinking more of Dohnanyi, who recorded pretty much everything under the sun with Cleveland. As of now, DG has recorded just one disc with Cleveland – an all Wagner one (and it’s good!). The rest of the W-M/Cleveland recordings are self-produced ones that are quite expensive.
Kinda unbelievable they’ve not been there yet under FWM
I don’t know their tour history, but they did perform Bruckner symphonies at St. Florian Cathedral. There are commercial DVD’s to prove it.
With FWM, there was also a Beethoven 9 on DG and some videos of Bruckner symphonies and a Brahms cycle. Lately it’s all been in-house recordings, which is the same as with Muti/CSO. So nothing wrong with that per se. The latest combines music from Berg’s Lyric Suite and a Strauss Der Rosenkavalier suite. The Berg is stunning. Personally it may be a bit romantic for Berg, but the results are there. The Strauss has a quiet ending that’s unsatisfying, but again some impressive playing overall. The prior releases did not convince me.