Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Orchestra's two-night-stand at Blossom this weekend
Posted by Frank Lewis on Tue, Jul 14, 2009 at 3:59 PM
Beethoven’s Violin Concerto is a staple that just about every major violinist performs and records. Indeed, as the early 20th-century music critic Lawrence Sommers wrote, the 1806 piece is the “ne plus ultra of fiddling ambition” and it “occupies a place of such transcendent glory in the musical firmament that its eminence is seldom disputed.” (Pause here to rinse that out of your mouth.) You can hear 33-year-old Dane Nikolaj Znaider play it on a violin that’s more than a half-century older than the concerto on Saturday (7/18) with the Cleveland Orchestra. Also on the program is Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5. Franz Welser-Möst conducts. Showtime is 8 p.m.
Cleveland Orchestra concerto performances are typically handled by guest soloists. But orchestra members can ask for the spotlight. Franklin Cohen gets that spotlight a lot. The orchestra’s principal clarinetist has performed concertos seven out of the past eight years. On Sunday (7/19) he plays Brahms Sonata for Clarinet and Orchestra, conducted by Franz Welser-Möst. Also on the program is Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5. It starts at 7 p.m.
Both performances are at Blossom Music Center (1145 W. Steels Corners Rd., Cuyahoga Falls, 216.231.1111). — Michael Gill
CPT to throw Season Announcement Party
Posted by Frank Lewis on Tue, Jul 14, 2009 at 3:19 PM
Theaters announce their upcoming seasons many ways — from simply sending out press releases to hosting media conferences. But Cleveland Public Theatre ups the ante tonight by throwing a party. “We’ve never just opened the doors and let people hang out,” says spokesperson Mindy Herman. “It’s kind of an experiment.” The neighborhood should be ready for a party, what with the flurry of construction and renovation in the Gordon Square Arts District lately. Herman says artistic director Raymond Bobgan will announce CPT’s season of plays and other programs, plus give a sorta State of the Theatre address. Herman says the evening is planned as a “big ol’ dance party,” with bands, DJs and $2 Magic Hat brews. RSVP: rcole@cptonline.org. The party runs from 8 p.m.-midnight at Cleveland Public Theatre’s Gordon Square Theatre (6415 Detroit Ave., 216.631.2727). It’s free. — Michael Gill
