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Cleveland Orchestra

 
Music Encyclopedia: Cleveland Orchestra
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American orchestra founded in 1918, with Nicolai Sokoloff as conductor. Its home is Severance Hall (1931, cap. 2000) and it gives a summer season at Blossom Music Center (opened 1968), Cuyahoga Falls. Under George Szell (1946-70) the orchestra was enlarged, its season was expanded and it achieved international acclaim. Lorin Maazel has been music director (1972-82) and Christoph von Dohnányi (1984-). Cleveland Orchestra Chorus was established in 1955; a children's chorus was formed in 1967.


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Columbia Encyclopedia: Cleveland Orchestra
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Cleveland Orchestra, one of the foremost orchestras in the United States. It gave its first performance in 1918 under Nikolai Sokoloff, who was conductor until 1933. In 1931, the orchestra moved from the Cleveland Masonic Temple into the Georgian-style Severance Hall, located in Cleveland's University Circle area. (The hall was restored and renovated in 1999 and reopened in 2000.) Since 1968, the orchestra has also performed at the Blossom Music Center just S of the city. Sokoloff was succeeded as conductor by Artur Rodzinski (1933-43) and Erich Leinsdorf (1943-46), and the orchestra achieved renown under the direction of George Szell (1946-70). A perfectionist and disciplinarian, Szell brought the orchestra to international attention, leading it on several European tours and establishing its modern reputation for ascetic brilliance and commitment to serious music. He was succeeded by Lorin Maazel (1972-84), Christoph von Dohnányi (1984-2002), and Franz Welser-Möst (2002-). The orchestra tours widely, has a biennial residency at the Musikverein in Vienna, and since 2007 has had a winter residence at the Carnival Center in Miami.

Artist: Cleveland Orchestra
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Worked With:

Lorin Maazel, George Szell, Pierre Boulez, Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Robert E. Page, Leon Fleisher, Christoph von Dohnányi
  • Formed: 1918, Cleveland, OH
  • Genres: Classical

Biography

Cleveland, Ohio, is a large port city on Lake Erie, founded in 1796. Despite its large population of central European immigrants, it long lacked a full-time professional orchestra and relied mostly on visiting artists. In 1915 the Musical Arts Association (MAA) was founded to facilitate such concerts, but under the guidance of Adella Prentiss Hughes changed its mission to establishing a permanent orchestra. In 1918 the Association hired Russian-American conductor Nikolai Sokoloff to bring together the new ensemble.

Its first concerts were given in Gray's Armory in downtown Cleveland. Sokoloff ambitiously planned an extensive touring schedule for the orchestra from the outset, and it visited many cities in the eastern United States and Canada, making a Carnegie Hall debut in New York in 1922. Thereafter they performed there annually, and maintained a high profile unique among orchestras of the American heartland.

In 1931, a permanent home for the orchestra was constructed thanks to a grant by John L. Severance, the MAA president, as a memorial to his wife, who had died unexpectedly. It has clear acoustic properties and a beautiful appearance, and was designed with radio broadcasts in mind. Two music directors led the orchestra through the Depression and World War II eras: Artur Rodzinsky (1933-1943) and Erich Leinsdorf (1943-1946). A historical high point in Rodzinsky¹s tenure was the first American performance of Shostakovich's opera Lady Macbeth of Mtensk, one of the fifteen fully-staged opera productions Rodzinski led with the orchestra in his decade of leadership.

The fourth music director, George Szell, (1946-1970) made the Cleveland Orchestra into one of the most admired symphony orchestras in the world. His often merciless drilling polished it into an ensemble of unsurpassed precision. Under Szell's leadership, the orchestra expanded to 105 players, and its season went from thirty weeks to year-round, including a summer season at the Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Radio station WCLV began its series of nationally broadcast Cleveland Orchestra concerts, now the longest-running such series in the USA.

Following Szell's retirement, Pierre Boulez served an interim period as "music advisor" (1970-1972). American conductor Lorin Maazel, was the orchestra's fourth music director (1972-1982), succeeded by Christoph von Dohnanyi (1982-2002--his scheduled retirement date). The sixth music director, Franz Welser-Möst, has been chosen to begin his tenure in 2002. The orchestra has maintained its admired precision while taking on a warmer sound under Maazel and Dohnanyi. ~ Joseph Stevenson, All Music Guide
Wikipedia: Cleveland Orchestra
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The Cleveland Orchestra

Background information
Origin Cleveland, Ohio
Genres Classical
Occupations Symphony orchestra
Years active 1918-present
Associated acts Cleveland Orchestra Chorus
Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra (COYO)
Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus(COYC)
Cleveland Orchestra Childrens Chorus (COCC)
Website www.clevelandorch.com
Members
Music Director
Franz Welser-Möst
Music Director Laureate
Christoph von Dohnányi
Assistant Conductors
James Feddeck
Tito Muñoz
Director of Choruses
Robert Porco
Assistant Director of Choruses
Betsy Burleigh
Former members
Founder
Nikolai Sokoloff
Notable instruments
Concert Organ
Ernest M. Skinner IV-94

The Cleveland Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Cleveland, Ohio. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five".[1] Founded in 1918, the orchestra plays most of its concerts at Severance Hall. The music director is Franz Welser-Möst.

Contents

History

The orchestra was founded in 1918 by Adella Prentiss Hughes, with Nikolai Sokoloff as its principal conductor. From early in its existence, it toured throughout the eastern United States, made radio broadcasts, and recorded many albums. Subsequent principal conductors, with the title of Music Director, were Artur Rodziński (1933-1943), Erich Leinsdorf (1943-1944), George Szell (1946-1970), Pierre Boulez (Musical Advisor 1970-1972), Lorin Maazel (1972-1982), and Christoph von Dohnányi (1984-2002). Franz Welser-Möst has been Music Director since 2002 and is contracted to remain through the 2017-2018 season.[2] [3]

George Szell's long reign as Music Director is largely responsible for the orchestra's rise to eminence. He reformed the orchestra in the 1950s, firing a dozen musicians in the process with a dozen more leaving of their own volition.[4] Szell is also credited with giving the orchestra its distinct, European sound.[4] He pushed an ambitious recording schedule with the orchestra, bringing its music to millions worldwide. Szell's influence has continued, even decades after his death.

Cleveland is the smallest city amongst the traditional "Big Five" orchestras; the others are based in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago. However, musicians in Cleveland are often treated as local celebrities, and, much like sports heroes elsewhere, fans seek autographs after performances and greet musicians on the street. Clevelanders are proud that their city boasts an orchestra rated on par with or above those in much larger cities.[5][4] In the 1960s fans were known to "have airport rallies when the orchestra comes home from tour [and] chant, 'We're the best! We're the best!' and carry placards reading Bravo!'" [4]

In addition to a vast catalog of recordings created with the ensemble's music directors, the orchestra has made many recordings with guest conductors Vladimir Ashkenazy, Oliver Knussen, Kurt Sanderling, Yoel Levi, Riccardo Chailly, Michael Tilson Thomas, and Louis Lane (the orchestra's longtime Associate Conductor).

Locations

Severance Hall

Severance Hall is the Cleveland Orchestra's home. It was built for the orchestra in 1931. The orchestra performs the majority of its concerts at Severance and also uses the hall for rehearsals and to house their administrative offices.

During the summer months, the orchestra presents their annual Blossom Festival at the Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Until 2005, the Blossom Festival had its own music director. The last person to serve in that capacity was Jahja Ling. After he stepped down from that position, the orchestra eliminated the post, and now has current music director Franz Welser-Möst in charge of the classical music concerts at the Blossom Festival.[6]

The orchestra also has long-term performing relationships in Lucerne, Vienna, New York City, and Miami, and has conducted multi-concert tours on the West Coast off and on since the 1960s.[7]

Music directors

See also

References

  1. ^ Michael Walsh (1983-04-25). "Which U.S. Orchestras are Best?". Time. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,923579,00.html. Retrieved 2008-03-26. 
  2. ^ Donald Rosenberg and Zachary Lewis (2008-06-06). "Cleveland Orchestra extends Welser-Most's contract until 2018, plans staged operas". Cleveland Plain Dealer. http://www.cleveland.com/arts/index.ssf/2008/06/cleveland_orchestra_extends_we.html. Retrieved 2008-06-07. 
  3. ^ James R. Oestreich (2008-06-07). "Cleveland Orchestra Extends Music Director’s Contract". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/07/arts/music/07cond.html. Retrieved 2008-06-07. 
  4. ^ a b c d "The Glorious Instrument". Time. 22 February 1963. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,828034,00.html. Retrieved 2007-07-15. 
  5. ^ Michael Walsh (1994-01-01). "The Finest Orchestra? (Surprise!) Cleveland". Time. http://www.time.com/time/archive/preview/0,10987,979946,00.html. Retrieved 2007-07-15. 
  6. ^ Valerie Scher (2005-09-04). "Ling bids farewell to fest: 'It is time for me to move on'". The San Diego Union-Tribune. http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050904/news_1a04scher.html. Retrieved 2007-07-15. 
  7. ^ "The Cleveland Orchestra and Miami Performing Arts Center announce 10-year agreement for annual residency appearances". Press release. 2005-05-09. http://www.clevelandorchestra.com/html/PressRoom/pressreleases.asp?ID=100. Retrieved 2007-07-15. 

Further reading

  • Rosenberg, Donald (2000). The Cleveland Orchestra Story. Cleveland: Gray & Company. ISBN 1886228248. 

External links

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v • d • e
Cleveland Orchestra Music Directors

Nikolai Sokoloff (1918) · Artur Rodziński (1933) · Erich Leinsdorf (1943) · George Szell (1946) · Pierre Boulez (1970) · Lorin Maazel (1972) · Christoph von Dohnányi (1984) · Franz Welser-Möst (2002)

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Music Encyclopedia. The Concise Grove Dictionary of Music. Copyright © 1994 by Oxford University Press, Inc.. All rights reserved.  Read more
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