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Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto NOVEMBER 24 – 26, 2023
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2023/2024 SEASON J A C K , J O S E P H A N D M O RTO N M A N D E L C O N C E RT H A L L AT S E V E R A N C E M U S I C C E N T E R
Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto Friday, November 24, 2023, at 7:30 PM Saturday, November 25, 2023, at 8 PM Sunday, November 26, 2023, at 3 PM
Pietari Inkinen, conductor Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904)
Othello Overture, Op. 93
15 minutes
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893)
Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35
35 minutes
I. Allegro moderato II. Canzonetta: Andante III. Finale: Allegro vivacissimo con moto Augustin Hadelich, violin
COVER: PHOTO COURTESY OF LIVE MUSIC VALENCIA/PALAU DE LA MÚSICA VALENCIA
Antonín Dvořák
I N TERMIS SI ON
20 minutes
Symphony No. 8 in G major, Op. 88
35 minutes
I. Allegro con brio II. Adagio III. Allegretto grazioso IV. Allegro ma non troppo Total approximate running time: 1 hour 45 minutes
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AN I N TRO DU C TION
IN 1888, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky made two trips to Prague, and he came into contact with Antonín Dvořák on both of them. After the first meeting, the two traded compositions. Following the second journey, during which Tchaikovsky conducted his opera Eugene Onegin, Dvořák was so moved by the performance he wrote his fellow composer: “This is a wonderful work … in short, it is a music which lures us to itself and penetrates so deeply into the soul that it is impossible to forget.” Two years later, Dvořák traveled to Russia at the invitation of Tchaikovsky to conduct a pair of concerts of his own works. He even considered presenting a new symphony that he was currently working on, his Eighth, for the occasion. According to the German scholar Hartmut Schick in his essay “Dvořák’s Eighth Symphony: A Response to Tchaikovsky?” Dvořák suggested to his presenter, “My honoured Herr Direktor! To your esteemed enquiry regarding the symphony, I beg to recommend the new Symphony in G major.” Alas, the premiere of the Symphony No. 8 did not happen in Russia, but rather in Prague. Yet, Schick finds parallels between this new work and Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony such as the minor key openings and elegant waltzes that occupy each one’s third movement. In 1891, another coincidence arose as Dvořák received an honorary doctorate from Cambridge University. The composer conducted his Eighth Symphony for the occasion and also gave a speech in which he spoke glowingly of Giuseppe Verdi. Shortly thereafter, he began work on his Othello Overture whose subject had only recently been adapted into an opera by Verdi. Dvořák distills the sweeping tragedy into 15 minutes, focusing on themes of love and jealousy. Sandwiched between these two works, Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto has no direct connection to Dvořák. Though it met harsh criticism at its premiere, it was quickly established as one of the great examples of the form. “There are many great pieces written for the violin,” says soloist Augustin Hadelich (above), “but nothing is more exhilarating and satisfying than playing this piece in concert!” — Amanda Angel
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TH E MUSI C
Othello Overture, Op. 93 by Antonín Dvořák BORN : September 8, 1841, in Nelahozeves, Bohemia (the present-day Czech Republic) DIED : May 1, 1904, in Prague
▶ COMPOSED: 1891–92 ▶ WORLD PREMIERE: April 28, 1892, in Prague, with Dvořák leading the National Theater Orchestra ▶ CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA PREMIERE: November 21, 1991, conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy ▶ ORCHESTRATION: 2 flutes (2nd doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (bass drum, cymbals), harp, and strings ▶ DURATION: about 15 minutes
ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK BEGAN WORK on his
Othello Overture in 1891, four years after Verdi’s opera of the same name premiered at La Scala in Milan. Whether or not Dvořák saw the opera by the time he started his own composition is uncertain, although in 1889 it was performed in London, where he was a frequent guest. In 1891, Dvořák was again in England, this time to receive an honorary doctorate from Cambridge University, and it so happened that Verdi was the only composer he spoke enthusiastically about in his acceptance speech. Soon after his return to Prague, Dvořák started composing his own Othello. But Dvořák, unlike Verdi, did not take Shakespeare’s drama as his point of departure. To him, the choice of Othello as a subject was to symbolize love and 4 | 2023/2024 SEASON
jealousy, which he wanted to depict as general concepts. These concepts in turn were part of a vast orchestral triptych in which Dvořák intended to portray the scope of human existence in three different spheres: nature, life, and love. With the invocation of the Moor of Venice as its final part, the triptych ended tragically, showing the destructive power of jealousy rather than the happiness of love. It has to be stressed that Othello is an overture, hewing to the classical rules of sonata form, and not a symphonic poem. However, Dvořák combined classical structure with more modern programCzech photographer Jan Mulač took this image of Antonín Dvořák at the end of his life. By that time, Dvořák was among the most celebrated composers of his generation.
PHOTO BY JAN MULAČ / COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
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THE MUS I C
matic elements. Most importantly, he incorporated a theme that is shared by all three overtures in the cycle: the main melody of In Nature’s Realm, also heard in the middle section of Carnival, appears at critical junctures in Othello, as dictated by the drama of the music rather than by purely formal considerations. Also, Dvořák noted in pencil the action of the play as it unfolded in the score. These comments were not included in the published version but have been unearthed by researchers.
... the choice of Othello as a subject was to symbolize love and jealousy, which he wanted to depict as general concepts. Mostly concerned with Othello’s murder of Desdemona and his subsequent suicide, the majority of Dvořák’s comments are concentrated near the end. Everything in the first half of the overture seems to prepare the tragic ending. The work’s slow introduction starts with a soft, chorale-like melody on the muted strings. It will return near the end, representing Othello’s prayer after the killing (something “for which there is no precedent in either Shake6 | 2023/2024 SEASON
speare or Verdi,” Dvořák biographer John Clapham remarked). The introduction also makes use of a descending figure that eventually turns into the main theme of the allegro con brio sonata section. At the beginning of the fast tempo, both themes are heard in alternation. After a lyrical second melody (later identified as Desdemona’s innocence theme), the exposition culminates in a literal quote from a well-known operatic passage. The source, however, is not Verdi but Wagner: the “slumber” motif from Die Walküre, preceded in the manuscript by Dvořák’s pencil note, “They embrace in silent ecstasy.” During the development “jealousy and revenge begin to grow in Othello’s mind.” The recapitulation is interrupted by the murder, and the return of the second theme receives dramatic justification as Desdemona pleads her innocence for the last time. After Desdemona’s death and Othello’s prayer, Othello kisses his wife for the last time. It is the counterpart of Verdi’s unforgettable “Un bacio ancora” aria — and we hear Wagner’s slumber motif again. There is nothing left for Othello but death: his final decision to kill himself is taken in the overture’s coda as the cellos play over a menacing kettledrum roll; the entire orchestra then plays fortissimo as the drama reaches its tragic conclusion. — Peter Laki Peter Laki is a musicologist and frequent lecturer on classical music. He is a visiting associate professor of music at Bard College.
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Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky BORN : May 7, 1840, in Votkinsk, Russia DIED : November 6, 1893, in St. Petersburg
▶ COMPOSED: 1878 ▶ WORLD PREMIERE: December 4, 1881, by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Hans Richter, with Adolf Brodsky as the soloist ▶ CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA PREMIERE: February 13, 1921, at the New York Hippodrome conducted by Nikolai Sokoloff and featuring soloist Mishel Piastro ▶ ORCHESTRATION: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, and strings, plus solo violin ▶ DURATION: about 35 minutes
had written the concerto, rejected it. And the Viennese critic Eduard Hanslick, great masterpieces that met with negaa friend of Brahms and a fierce opponent tive criticism at their premiere, but few of Wagner, uttered the immortal phrase have fared worse than Tchaikovsky’s after the 1881 premiere that the concerto Violin Concerto. This may sound surprising, since this work — now one of the “stank to the ear.” The harshness and most popular of all concertos — is devoid vulgarity of these opinions could not of the revolutionary spirit of Stravinsky’s help but exacerbate Tchaikovsky’s depressive tendencies, which were rarely riot-inciting The Rite of Spring, Wagner’s far from the surface. The composer enraging Ring of the Nibelung operas, never forgot Hanslick’s caustic remarks. or Beethoven’s unprecedented Third Why such unusually strong resistance Symphony, to name just three works that to a work that did not attempt to generated heated controversies at their unveilings. Yet, at the time of its premiere, challenge the existing world order but simply aspired to be a brilliant and Tchaikovsky’s work clashed with the beautiful violin concerto? expectations of people who had strong opinions about what a violin concerto ought to be. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky endured the scathing The great violinist and teacher reviews of his Violin Concerto to see it become Leopold Auer, for whom Tchaikovsky a beloved staple of the form. 8 | 2023/2024 SEASON
IMAGE COURTESY OF GEORGIOS KOLLIDAS / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO
THERE IS CERTAINLY NO SHORTAGE of
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In Hanslick’s case, the answer may lie in the critic’s inability to accept symphonic music outside of Germanic traditions. The first great violin concerto to come from Russia, Tchaikovsky’s work struck a chord that was disconcertingly foreign in Vienna. (While Hanslick thought of Tchaikovsky as a Russian barbarian, ironically in Russia, the composer was considered a “Westernizer” whose music was not as truly Russian as that exemplified by the work of the group of composers known as the “Mighty Five.”) As for Auer, the novel technical demands of the piece may have seemed out of place to him. He was later quoted as feeling that certain passages were “not in keeping with the demeanor of the violin,” as he knew the instrument. To his credit, once others introduced the concerto, Auer became a great advocate for it — although, he modified passages to conform to his view of how they should have been written. As one of the great violin teachers of his era, Auer taught the work to many of his star pupils, including Mischa Elman, Jascha Heifetz, and Efrem Zimbalist. Tchaikovsky wrote his Violin Concerto in the spring of 1878. In order to recover from the recent trauma of his ill-fated and short-lived marriage to Antonina Milyukova, the composer retreated to the Swiss village of Clarens, on the shores of Lake Geneva, accompanied by his brother Modest and a 22-year-old violinist named Yosif Kotek, who assisted him in matters of violin technique. 10 | 2023/2024 SEASON
The composition progressed so effortlessly that the whole concerto was written in only three weeks, with an extra week taken up by the orchestration. During this time, Tchaikovsky wrote not only the three concerto movements that we know, but a fourth one as well. The initial second movement, Méditation, was rejected at an early run-through and replaced with the present Canzonetta, written in a single day. Due to Auer’s initial unfavorable reaction, it took three years for a violinist to agree to perform the work. The premiere fell to Adolf Brodsky, a 30-year-old Russian-born virtuoso living in Vienna, about to make his Vienna Philharmonic debut. One of the things that makes this concerto so great is the ease with which Tchaikovsky moves from one mood to the next. Lyrical and dramatic, robustly folk-like and tenderly sentimental moments follow one another without the slightest incongruity, just as a variety of elements had in the First Piano Concerto, written three years earlier. Another remarkable feature is the combination of virtuosity with emotional depth. Although the technical difficulties of the solo part are tremendous, every note exudes a poignancy beyond virtuosic fireworks. All in all, it is one of the greatest violin concertos ever written, and no critic after Hanslick has ever challenged its status again or smelled anything unpleasant in the work! — Peter Laki Peter Laki is a musicologist and frequent lecturer on classical music. He is a visiting associate professor of music at Bard College.
Symphony No. 8 in G major, Op. 88 by Antonín Dvořák
▶ COMPOSED: 1889 ▶ WORLD PREMIERE: February 2, 1890, in Prague, with Dvořák leading the National Theater Orchestra ▶ CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA PREMIERE: October 27, 1938, conducted by Artur Rodziński ▶ ORCHESTRATION: 2 flutes (2nd doubling piccolo), 2 oboes (2nd doubling English horn), 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, and strings ▶ DURATION: about 35 minutes
PERHAPS IN REACTION TO the nickname that Antonín Dvořák gave to his Ninth Symphony, “From the New World,” his Eighth Symphony has occasionally been called the “London” Symphony, taking its place alongside symphonies by Haydn and Vaughan Williams that were named for the great city. But Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8 has little reason to be associated with London other than the fact that it was published by London-based publisher Novello because Dvořák had temporarily fallen out with his longtime Berlin publisher Simrock. In truth, the Seventh has a greater claim to an association with London than the Eighth, since, like Beethoven’s Ninth, it was commissioned by London’s Philharmonic Society. Unlike Beethoven’s Ninth, Dvořák’s Seventh was first performed in London, in 1885, at a time when the composer was making frequent visits to England, appearing in many regional
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cities as well as in London and making many friends among British musicians. The Eighth, in contrast, was not commissioned by anyone and was written during summer 1889 at Dvořák’s country retreat in the Bohemian hills, where he always felt happy and productive. Dvořák biographer John Clapham has called this the happiest of the composer’s symphonies and points out that by this point in his career and life Dvořák was no longer striving to impress an audience or emulate another composer (i.e., Brahms); he was just allowing his playful invention to sprinkle ideas over four movements, to create a symphony that spoke to himself. Dvořák finished the score on November 8, 1889, and conducted the first performance in Prague in February 1890. He conducted it again in London in the same month, then in Frankfurt in November, and again in Cambridge in June 1891 | 11
when he received an honorary degree (and spoke glowingly of Verdi, see page 4). The symphony had soon been played to great success across Europe, demonstrating how highly Dvořák was regarded in classical music circles at the time. Brahms, never easy to please, admired the work when he heard it in Vienna in January 1891. He called it “musically captivating and beautiful,” despite his ongoing misgivings about Dvořák’s idiosyncratic approach to symphonic form. In that vein, Brahms may have been disconcerted by the opening of the first movement, which is marked Allegro con brio but actually proceeds at a leisurely pace with a tune in the minor mode presented in unison by two clarinets, one bassoon, two horns, and all the cellos — an extraordinarily inventive bit of scoring. Even when a solo flute offers a quite different theme (in major, not minor), it scarcely feels like a symphonic allegro movement. Rapid activity soon infiltrates the texture, however, and the music builds to a robust, full declaration of the flute’s theme, the point at which the body of the first movement is definitively launched. More important themes make their appearance, establishing a strong body of material for symphonic development. The movement’s development section itself begins with a trick Dvořák may have taken from Brahms. The music appears to be going back to the beginning with a literal repeat of the minor-key music and the flute’s major-key solo. This is not, however, a repetition of the exposition, as Mozart or Beethoven might have indicated. 12 | 2023/2024 SEASON
Very soon instead, an exploration of new territory begins. The movement concludes in unmistakable high spirits. Next comes the symphony’s slow movement, notable for again moving from minor to major, with the latter episode marked by more solo material for flute and an enchanting series of descending octave scales as accompaniment. This is the kind of music that lingers in memory long after a performance is over. Toward the end of the movement, there is a strong buildup of tension, in a manner that recalls Schubert’s angry eruptions, and then, like Schubert, the music falls back to sweet, quiet tones as if nothing had happened. The third movement is an elegant waltz, and its Trio section seems to have been created especially to define the word “lilt.” The fourth-movement finale, on the other hand, defies definition, beyond appearing to be a set of crazy variations on a lovely theme played by the cellos. The opening trumpet fanfare — perhaps in imitation to a bugle call to arms — is sufficient warning that no orthodox finale should be expected. Only in the famous Slavonic Dances do we get such a clear sense that Dvořák is composing entirely for his own enjoyment. This is fun-filled and jovial music of a special character, to which the trombones at the end contribute a hearty Amen. — Hugh Macdonald Hugh Macdonald is Avis H. Blewett Professor Emeritus of Music at Washington University in St. Louis. He has written books on Beethoven, Berlioz, Bizet, and Scriabin, as well as Music in 1853: The Biography of a Year.
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TH E CO N DU C TOR
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Pietari Inkinen FINNISH CONDUCTOR Pietari Inkinen is chief conductor of the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie and became music director of the KBS Symphony Orchestra in Seoul in 2022. Praised for his “thinking on a grand scale,” Inkinen has conducted orchestras including the Concertgebouworkest, Budapest Festival Orchestra, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Orchestra dell’ Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Orchestre philharmonique de Radio France, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Israel Philharmonic. The 2023–24 season marks his first appearances with The Cleveland Orchestra and the Deutsche Oper Berlin, where he leads a production of Wagner’s Tannhäuser. Wagner’s music occupies a central position in Inkinen’s work. In 2023, he conducted Der Ring des Nibelungen at the Bayreuth Festival (directed by Valentin Schwarz). In summer 2021, he conducted three performances of Die Walküre on Bayreuth’s Green Hill. For his performances of the Ring Cycle with Opera Australia (2013 and 2016), Inkinen received Australia’s Helpmann Award for Best Music Direction (2014) and a Green Room Award for Best Opera Conductor (2016). He was also awarded Italy’s National Association of Music Critics’ Franco Abbiati Prize for his 2014 Das Rheingold, which he conducted in Palermo’s Teatro Massimo.
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Other opera productions have taken him to the Finnish National Opera, La Monnaie in Brussels, the Staatsoper Berlin, the Bavarian State Opera, and Dresden Semperoper. Previously, Inkinen was chief conductor of the Prague Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of the Ludwigsburg Schlossfestspiele, and Japan Philharmonic Orchestra. As music director of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, he recorded a complete cycle of Sibelius’s symphonies for Naxos, followed by a live capture of the symphonies with the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra. With the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie, he is working on studio recordings of Dvořák’s and Prokofiev’s complete symphonies. He is the subject of Sven Rech’s 2023 documentary, Ein Taktstock und ein Reisepass: Pietari Inkinen Dirigent. An accomplished violinist, Inkinen studied at the Cologne Music Academy with Zakhar Bron before further studies in conducting at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. | 19
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TH E ARTIST
Augustin Hadelich
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violin KNOWN FOR HIS PHENOMENAL TECHNIQUE, insightful and persuasive interpretations, and ravishing tone, Augustin Hadelich appears on the world’s foremost concert stages. He has performed with all the major American orchestras as well as the Berliner Philharmoniker, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Concertgebouworkest, London Philharmonic Orchestra, NHK Symphony Orchestra Tokyo, and many others. During the 2023–24 season, Hadelich begins a residency at the Konzerthaus Berlin, where he embarks on a series of concerts exploring different formats. For the season opening, he performs the German premiere of Donnacha Dennehy’s Violin Concerto, composed for him, with the Konzerthausorchester Berlin as part of Musikfest Berlin. He performs in season opening concerts of the Orchestre National de France and Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, and debuts with the Staatskapelle Dresden, Orchestra dell’ Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, and NDR Radiophilharmonie. In North America, he plays with The Cleveland Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, as well as the symphony orchestras in San Francisco and St. Louis, among others. In Asia, he is a guest with the NHK Symphony Orchestra, Taiwan Philharmonic, and Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra.
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Hadelich’s recordings cover a wide range of violin literature. In 2016, he received the Grammy Award for Best Classical Instrumental Solo for his recording of Dutilleux’s violin concerto L’arbre des songes. His recording of Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas was also nominated for a Grammy. His latest recording, Recuerdos, features works by Britten, Prokofiev, and Sarasate, with the WDR Sinfonieorchester. An American and German citizen, Hadelich was born in Italy to German parents. He studied with Joel Smirnoff at The Juilliard School. In 2006, he won the International Violin Competition in Indianapolis followed by an Avery Fisher Career Grant in 2009, and a fellowship from the Borletti-Buitoni Trust in 2011. Musical America named him Instrumentalist of the Year in 2018. In June 2021, Augustin Hadelich was appointed professor in the practice of violin at Yale School of Music. He plays a violin by Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù from 1744, the “Leduc, ex Szeryng,” on loan from the Tarisio Trust. | 21
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TH E CLEV EL AN D ORCHESTR A NOW IN ITS SECOND CENTURY , The Cleveland Orchestra, under the leadership of Music Director Franz Welser-Möst since 2002, is one of the most sought-after performing ensembles in the world. Year after year, the ensemble exemplifies extraordinary artistic excellence, creative programming, and community engagement. The New York Times has called Cleveland “the best in America” for its virtuosity, elegance of sound, variety of color, and chamber-like musical cohesion. Founded by Adella Prentiss Hughes, the Orchestra performed its inaugural concert in December 1918. By the middle of the century, decades of growth and sustained support had turned it into one of the most admired globally. The past decade has seen an increasing number of young people attending concerts, bringing fresh attention to The Cleveland Orchestra’s legendary sound and committed programming. More recently, the Orchestra launched several bold digital projects, including the streaming platform Adella, the podcast On a Personal Note, and its own recording label, a new chapter in the Orchestra’s long and distinguished recording and broadcast history. Together, they have captured the Orchestra’s unique artistry and the musical achievements of the Welser-Möst and Cleveland Orchestra partnership. The 2023–24 season marks Franz Welser-Möst’s 22nd year as music director, a period in which The Cleveland Orchestra earned unprecedented acclaim around the world, including a series of residencies at the Musikverein in Vienna, the first of its kind by an American orchestra, and a number of acclaimed opera presentations. Since 1918, seven music directors — Nikolai Sokoloff Sokoloff, Artur Rodziński, Erich Leinsdorf George Szell, Lorin Maazel, Christoph von Dohnányi, and Franz Leinsdorf, Welser-Möst — have guided and shaped the ensemble’s growth and sound. Through concerts at home and on tour, broadcasts, and a catalog of acclaimed recordings, The Cleveland Orchestra is heard today by a growing group of fans around the world.
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TH E CLEV EL A N D ORCHESTR A
Franz Welser-Möst, Music Director KELVIN SMITH FAMILY CHAIR FIRST VIOLINS
Sonja Braaten Molloy
Ralph Curry
ENGLISH HORN
David Radzynski
Carolyn Gadiel Warner
CONCERTMASTER
Elayna Duitman
Brian Thornton William P. Blair III Chair
Ioana Missits
David Alan Harrell
Robert Walters Samuel C. and Bernette K. Jaffe Chair
Jeffrey Zehngut
Martha Baldwin
Sae Shiragami
Dane Johansen
Kathleen Collins
Paul Kushious
Beth Woodside
BASSES
Emma Shook Dr. Jeanette Grasselli Brown and Dr. Glenn R. Brown Chair
Maximilian Dimoff* Clarence T. Reinberger Chair
Blossom-Lee Chair
Jung-Min Amy Lee ASSOCIATE CONCERTMASTER
Gretchen D. and Ward Smith Chair
Jessica Lee ASSISTANT CONCERTMASTER
Clara G. and George P. Bickford Chair
Yun-Ting Lee
Stephen Tavani
Jiah Chung Chapdelaine
ASSISTANT CONCERTMASTER
Liyuan Xie
Dr. Ronald H. Krasney Chair
Wei-Fang Gu Drs. Paul M. and Renate H. Duchesneau Chair Kim Gomez Elizabeth and Leslie Kondorossy Chair Chul-In Park Harriet T. and David L. Simon Chair Miho Hashizume Theodore Rautenberg Chair Jeanne Preucil Rose Larry J.B. and Barbara S. Robinson Chair Alicia Koelz Oswald and Phyllis Lerner Gilroy Chair
VIOLAS Wesley Collins* Chaillé H. and Richard B. Tullis Chair
Derek Zadinsky2 Charles Paul1 Mary E. and F. Joseph Callahan Chair Mark Atherton Thomas Sperl Henry Peyrebrune Charles Barr Memorial Chair
CLARINETS Afendi Yusuf* Robert Marcellus Chair Robert Woolfrey Victoire G. and Alfred M. Rankin, Jr. Chair Daniel McKelway2 Robert R. and Vilma L. Kohn Chair Amy Zoloto
E-FLAT CLARINET Daniel McKelway Stanley L. and Eloise M. Morgan Chair
Lynne Ramsey1 Charles M. and Janet G. Kimball Chair
Charles Carleton
BASS CLARINET
Scott Dixon
Amy Zoloto Myrna and James Spira Chair
Stanley Konopka2
HARP
Mark Jackobs Jean Wall Bennett Chair
Trina Struble* Alice Chalifoux Chair
Lisa Boyko Richard and Nancy Sneed Chair Richard Waugh Lembi Veskimets The Morgan Sisters Chair
BASSOONS John Clouser* Louise Harkness Ingalls Chair
FLUTES
Gareth Thomas
Joshua Smith* Elizabeth M. and William C. Treuhaft Chair
Barrick Stees2 Sandra L. Haslinger Chair
Saeran St. Christopher
Jonathan Sherwin
Jessica Sindell Austin B. and Ellen W. Chinn Chair
CONTRABASSOON
Mary Kay Fink
HORNS
William Bender
PICCOLO
Gareth Zehngut
Nathaniel Silberschlag* George Szell Memorial Chair
CELLOS
Mary Kay Fink Anne M. and M. Roger Clapp Chair
Michael Mayhew§ Knight Foundation Chair
Mark Kosower* Louis D. Beaumont Chair
OBOES
Richard Weiss1 The GAR Foundation Chair
Frank Rosenwein* Edith S. Taplin Chair
Hans Clebsch
Genevieve Smelser
SECOND VIOLINS
Charles Bernard2 Helen Weil Ross Chair
Meghan Guegold Hege
Stephen Rose* Alfred M. and Clara T. Rankin Chair
Bryan Dumm Muriel and Noah Butkin Chair
Corbin Stair Sharon and Yoash Wiener Chair
Eli Matthews1 Patricia M. Kozerefski and Richard J. Bogomolny Chair
Tanya Ell Thomas J. and Judith Fay Gruber Chair
Yu Yuan Patty and John Collinson Chair Isabel Trautwein Trevor and Jennie Jones Chair Katherine Bormann Analisé Denise Kukelhan Gladys B. Goetz Chair Zhan Shu Youngji Kim
24 | 2023/2024 SEASON
Eliesha Nelson Anthony and Diane Wynshaw-Boris Chair Joanna Patterson Zakany
2
Jeffrey Rathbun2 Everett D. and Eugenia S. McCurdy Chair Robert Walters
Jonathan Sherwin
Jesse McCormick Robert B. Benyo Chair Richard King
TRUMPETS Michael Sachs* Robert and Eunice Podis Weiskopf Chair
Richard Stout
LIBRARIANS
CONDUCTORS
Michael Ferraguto Joe and Marlene Toot Chair
Christoph von Dohnányi
Donald Miller
Daniel Reith
Jack Sutte
TUBA
Lyle Steelman2 James P. and Dolores D. Storer Chair
Yasuhito Sugiyama* Nathalie C. Spence and Nathalie S. Boswell Chair
ENDOWED CHAIRS CURRENTLY UNOCCUPIED
Michael Miller
TIMPANI
Elizabeth Ring and William Gwinn Mather Chair
CORNETS Michael Sachs* Mary Elizabeth and G. Robert Klein Chair Michael Miller
PHOTO BY ROGER MASTROIANNI
EUPHONIUM & BASS TRUMPET
vacant
PERCUSSION Marc Damoulakis* Margaret Allen Ireland Chair Thomas Sherwood
TROMBONES
Tanner Tanyeri
Brian Wendel* Gilbert W. and Louise I. Humphrey Chair
KEYBOARD INSTRUMENTS
Richard Stout Alexander and Marianna C. McAfee Chair Shachar Israel2
clevelandorchestra.com
Carolyn Gadiel Warner Marjory and Marc L. Swartzbaugh Chair
MUSIC DIRECTOR LAUREATE
ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR
Virginia M. Linsdseth, PhD, Chair
Sidney and Doris Dworkin Chair
Lisa Wong DIRECTOR OF CHORUSES
Frances P. and Chester C. Bolton Chair
Paul and Lucille Jones Chair James and Donna Reid Chair Sunshine Chair Otto G. and Corinne T. Voss Chair Mr. and Mrs. Richard K. Smucker Chair Rudolf Serkin Chair
* Principal § Associate Principal 1 First Assistant Principal 2 Assistant Principal
This roster lists full-time members of The Cleveland Orchestra. The number and seating of musicians onstage varies depending on the piece being performed. Seating within the string sections rotates on a periodic basis.
| 25
TH E 2023/2024 SEAS ON
CALE N DAR Pre-concert lectures are held in Reinberger Chamber Hall one hour prior to the performance.
WINTER
FALL
Franz Welser-Möst, conductor
NOV 24 – 26 TCHAIKOVSKY’S VIOLIN CONCERTO Pietari Inkinen, conductor Augustin Hadelich, violin DVOŘÁK Othello Overture TCHAIKOVSKY Violin Concerto DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 8 Pre-concert lecture by James Wilding
NOV 30 – DEC 2 MAHLER’S FOURTH SYMPHONY Daniel Harding, conductor Lauren Snouffer, soprano BETSY JOLAS Ces belles années… MAHLER Symphony No. 4
JAN 11 – 13 THE MIRACULOUS MANDARIN KŘENEK Kleine Symphonie MAHLER Adagio from Symphony No. 10 BARTÓK String Quartet No. 3 (arr. for string orchestra) BARTÓK Suite from The Miraculous Mandarin Pre-concert lecture by Kevin McBrien
JAN 17 & 18 MODERN CLASSICIST: WELSER-MÖST CONDUCTS PROKOFIEV 2 & 5 Franz Welser-Möst, conductor PROKOFIEV Symphony No. 2 WEBERN Symphony PROKOFIEV Symphony No. 5 Pre-concert lecture by Eric Charnofsky
Pre-concert lecture by Michael Strasser
DEC 7 & 9 TCHAIKOVSKY’S ROMEO & JULIET Semyon Bychkov, conductor Katia Labèque, piano Marielle Labèque, piano JULIAN ANDERSON Symphony No. 2, “Prague Panoramas” MARTINŮ Concerto for Two Pianos TCHAIKOVSKY Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture Pre-concert lecture by Caroline Oltmanns
FEB 1 RECITAL
Beethoven for Three Leonidas Kavakos, violin Yo-Yo Ma, cello Emanuel Ax, piano
FEB 15 & 17 RAVEL’S MOTHER GOOSE George Benjamin, conductor Tim Mead, countertenor Women of The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus DIETER AMMANN glut GEORGE BENJAMIN Dream of the Song KNUSSEN The Way to Castle Yonder RAVEL Ma mère l’Oye (complete ballet) Pre-concert lecture by James Wilding
FEB 22 – 25 BEETHOVEN’S PASTORAL Philippe Herreweghe, conductor Jean-Guihen Queyras, cello BEETHOVEN Overture to Egmont HAYDN Cello Concerto No. 1 BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 6, “Pastoral” Pre-concert lecture by David Rothenberg
FEB 29 – MAR 2 KANNEH-MASON PLAYS SCHUMANN Susanna Mälkki, conductor Isata Kanneh-Mason, piano J.S. BACH/WEBERN Ricercare from Musical Offering * C. SCHUMANN Piano Concerto HINDEMITH Mathis der Maler Symphony
BEETHOVEN Piano Trio, Op. 70, No. 1, “Ghost” BEETHOVEN/WOSNER Symphony No. 1 BEETHOVEN Piano Trio, Op. 70, No. 2
Pre-concert lecture by Eric Charnofsky
FEB 9 – 11 BEETHOVEN’S FATEFUL FIFTH
Fabio Luisi, conductor Mary Kay Fink, piccolo
Herbert Blomstedt, conductor SCHUBERT Symphony No. 6 BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 5 Pre-concert lecture by James O’Leary
MAR 7 – 9 BRAHMS’S FOURTH SYMPHONY WEBER Overture to Oberon ODED ZEHAVI Aurora BRAHMS Symphony No. 4 Pre-concert lecture by Francesca Brittan
For tickets & more information visit:
clevelandorchestra.com
MAR 10 RECITAL
Chopin & Schubert Yefim Bronfman, piano SCHUBERT Piano Sonata No. 14 R . SCHUMANN Carnival Scenes from Vienna ESA-PEKKA SALONEN Sisar CHOPIN Piano Sonata No. 3
MAR 14, 16 & 17 LEVIT PLAYS MOZART Franz Welser-Möst, conductor Igor Levit, piano MOZART Piano Concerto No. 27 BRUCKNER Symphony No. 4, “Romantic” Pre-concert lecture by Cicilia Yudha
SPRING MAR 21 – 23 SIBELIUS’S SECOND SYMPHONY Dalia Stasevska, conductor Josefina Maldonado, mezzo-soprano RAUTAVAARA Cantus Arcticus PERRY Stabat Mater SIBELIUS Symphony No. 2 Pre-concert lecture by Kevin McBrien
APR 4 & 6 CITY NOIR John Adams, conductor James McVinnie, organ Timothy McAllister, saxophone GABRIELLA SMITH Breathing Forests DEBUSSY Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun JOHN ADAMS City Noir Pre-concert lecture by Eric Charnofsky
APR 11 – 13 ELGAR’S CELLO CONCERTO
MAY 2 – 4 LANG LANG PLAYS SAINT-SAËNS
Klaus Mäkelä, conductor Sol Gabetta, cello Thomas Hampson, baritone * The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus *
Franz Welser-Möst, conductor Lang Lang, piano *
JIMMY LÓPEZ BELLIDO Perú negro ELGAR Cello Concerto WALTON Belshazzar’s Feast * Pre-concert lecture by James Wilding
APR 14 RECITAL
Schumann & Brahms Evgeny Kissin, piano Matthias Goerne, baritone R . SCHUMANN Dichterliebe BRAHMS Four Ballades, Op. 10 BRAHMS Selected Songs
APR 18 – 20 YUJA WANG PLAYS RAVEL & STRAVINSKY Klaus Mäkelä, conductor Yuja Wang, piano RAVEL Concerto for the Left Hand STRAVINSKY Concerto for Piano and Wind Instruments STRAVINSKY The Rite of Spring Pre-concert lecture by Caroline Oltmanns
SAINT-SAËNS Piano Concerto No. 2 * BERLIOZ Symphonie fantastique Pre-concert lecture by Caroline Oltmanns
MAY 16, 18, 24 & 26 MOZART’S MAGIC FLUTE Franz Welser-Möst, conductor Nikolaus Habjan, director Julian Prégardien, tenor Ludwig Mittelhammer, baritone Christina Landshamer, soprano The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus MOZART The Magic Flute Staged production sung in German with projected supertitles
MAY 23 & 25 MOZART’S GRAN PARTITA Franz Welser-Möst, conductor Leila Josefowicz, violin Trina Struble, harp WAGNER Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde JÜRI REINVERE Concerto for Violin and Harp MOZART Serenade No. 10, “Gran Partita”
APR 26 – 28 RACHMANINOFF’S SECOND PIANO CONCERTO
Pre-concert lecture by Michael Strasser
Lahav Shani, conductor Beatrice Rana, piano
* Not performed on the Friday matinee concert
UNSUK CHIN subito con forza RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 2 BARTÓK Concerto for Orchestra Pre-concert lecture by James O’Leary
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YOU R V IS IT HEALTH & SAFETY The Cleveland Orchestra is committed to creating a comfortable, enjoyable, and safe environment for all guests at Severance Music Center. While mask and COVID-19 vaccination are recommended they are not required. Protocols are reviewed regularly with the assistance of our Cleveland Clinic partners; for up-to-date information, visit: clevelandorchestra. com/attend/health-safety
LATE SEATING As a courtesy to the audience members and musicians in the hall, late-arriving patrons are asked to wait quietly until the first convenient break in the program. These seating breaks are at the discretion of the House Manager in consultation with the performing artists.
PAGERS, CELL PHONES & WRISTWATCH ALARMS
IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY
As a courtesy to others, please silence all devices prior to the start of the concert.
Contact an usher or a member of house staff if you require medical assistance. Emergency exits are clearly marked throughout the building. Ushers and house staff will provide instructions in the event of an emergency.
PHOTOGRAPHY, VIDEOGRAPHY & RECORDING Audio recording, photography, and videography are prohibited during performances at Severance. Photographs can only be taken when the performance is not in progress.
HEARING AIDS & OTHER HEALTH-ASSISTIVE DEVICES For the comfort of those around you, please reduce the volume on hearing aids and other devices that may produce a noise that would detract from the program. For Infrared Assistive-Listening Devices, please see the House Manager or Head Usher for more details.
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AGE RESTRICTIONS Regardless of age, each person must have a ticket and be able to sit quietly in a seat throughout the performance. Classical Season subscription concerts are not recommended for children under the age of 8. However, there are several age-appropriate series designed specifically for children and youth, including Music Explorers (for 3 to 6 years old) and Family Concerts (for ages 7 and older).
The Cleveland Orchestra is grateful to the following organizations for their ongoing generous support of The Cleveland Orchestra: the State of Ohio and Ohio Arts Council and to the residents of Cuyahoga County through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.
The Cleveland Orchestra is proud of its long-term partnership with Kent State University, made possible in part through generous funding from the State of Ohio.
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The Cleveland Orchestra is proud to have its home, Severance Music Center, located on the campus of Case Western Reserve University, with whom it has a long history of collaboration and partnership.
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