Details On Cleveland Orchestra's 101st Season

From The Cleveland Orchestra:As the celebrations, performances, and successes of The Cleveland Orchestra’s Centennial Season continue toward its conclusion this spring, the Orchestra has announced details of its 101st season for 2018-2019. Aspects of the celebratory spirit continues — with a 100th Birthday concert in July for the Cleveland community and Centennial Gala in September. The new season also extends the dedicated week-to-week work, creativity, and artistry required to continue being one of the world’s best orchestras year after year. In 1918, The Cleveland Orchestra was founded by impresario Adella Prentiss Hughes and the Musical Arts Association with the first concert on December 11 at Cleveland’s Grays Armory with Music Director Nikolai Sokoloff conducting. December 11, 2018 marks the 100th birthday of The Cleveland Orchestra.

Serving the ensemble’s hometown community with a season-long series of concerts at Severance Hall remains central to the Orchestra’s activities. The 2018-19 season offers a variety of programs, musical works, and styles, while continuing areas of focus for which The Cleveland Orchestra and its music director, Franz Welser-Möst, have been praised.“As we embark on our Second Century, 2018-2019 can perhaps be thought of as a season of contrasts and continuing exploration,” said André Gremillet, Executive Director. “Works by new composers, and discovering a fresh take on standard favorites. New artists, and returning friends. Continuing to share the power of music and The Cleveland Orchestra’s passion for music with our great hometown community, and our ongoing commitment to bring more music to more people.”“As The Cleveland Orchestra begins its Second Century, the dedication and incredible focus of these musicians remains unmatched,” said Music Director Franz Welser-Möst. “Each year, we are on a journey, striving for excellence and to present extraordinary musical experiences. The Centennial is just one more step forward. Every season I focus on composers and programs that extend and expand the Orchestra’s artistic quality and which, in turn, make for a rich experience for our great Cleveland audiences. In 2018-19 this musical journey, in addition to some big and well-known works such as Mahler’s Second Symphony, features several lesser-known pieces, including Prokofiev’s Symphony Nos. 1 and 3, Bartók’s Piano Concertos Nos. 2 and 3, Schubert’s Mass No. 6, and Abrahamsen’s Left Alone (for piano left hand and orchestra), among other great works.I am particularly excited by the works by Schubert and Prokofiev this coming season. They represent some of these great composer’s best music, which is too often neglected and is ready for re-discovery. Schubert’s music is a perfect fit for the elegance of this Orchestra and his Mass is a masterpiece from his last years — often considered to be as beautiful as his great late song cycle Die Winterreise or the final string quartets. We even have the opportunity to compare these directly, with the presentation at that same time in the season of Winterreise, sung by baritone Simon Keenlyside. The Schubert Mass, paired with Bartók’s Piano Concerto No. 3, presents an extraordinary musical testament of two composers’ reflections on their own mortality. The season also features musical discoveries with a deeper look at living composers. Hans Abrahamsen’s “Left, alone,” for instance, written for piano left hand and orchestra, is a great example of the kind of interesting and dynamic new music being written today. After experiencing the beauty and impact of his stunning “Let Me Tell You,” which we performed with Barbara Hannigan two seasons back, I feel compelled to program more of Abrahamsen’s work.We have a sophisticated audience in Cleveland. I always want to bring to them music that may have been neglected, especially so we can discover something new together.”Strauss’s Opera Ariadne Auf Naxos, Made-for-Cleveland Production

Franz Welser-Möst and The Cleveland Orchestra continue an ongoing commitment to present opera at Severance Hall with a made-for-Cleveland production of Richard Strauss’s Ariadne Auf Naxos which is being performed for the first time in the Orchestra’s history January 13, 17 and 19. In his years as music director, Welser-Möst has led The Cleveland Orchestra in performances of many orchestral works by Richard Strauss, as well as presentations of four other Strauss operas: Elektra (2004), Der Rosenkavalier (2007), Salome (2012), and Daphne (2015).

Commissions, Premieres and Works by Living Composers in 2018-19
The Cleveland Orchestra continues its commitment to new works to expand and extend the repertoire with the presentation of a world premiere commission and four United States premieres of works by living composers in 2018-2019: Hans Abrahamsen, Matthias Pintscher, Bernd Richard Deutsch, and Detlev Glanert. The season also features ten works performed for the first time by The Cleveland Orchestra, four of which are by living composers.World Premiere by Jeffrey Rathbun
The 2018-19 season features a world premiere of a Cleveland Orchestra commission, Pantheon, by Cleveland Orchestra assistant principal oboist, Jeffrey Rathbun (September 20 and 22). The Orchestra has performed orchestral works by Rathbun on three occasions as well as one chamber music composition: Daredevil (1995), Three Psalms of Jerusalem (1998), Motions for Cellos (2000), and a chamber music performance of Three Diversions for Two Oboes (2013).

“When The Cleveland Orchestra announced the 100th Anniversary Celebration, I was excited for both the musicians and the entire organization, and knew that the recognition of this greatest of Orchestras would be very meaningful for all of our fans and supporters as well,” said Jeffrey Rathbun. “I wanted to contribute to this anniversary in some way, so I proposed writing a composition. Having been a member of the Orchestra for 28 out of its 100 years, I am familiar with my distinguished colleagues’ abilities, and a composer could never ask for a better ensemble to write for. My concept is to feature the sections that make up the Orchestra, both in individual solos, highlighting by section and combinations of sections. While the composer is the creator of a musical work, it is the distinguished musicians on stage that bring it to life - the illustrious performers being, in essence, a Pantheon of the highest artistic quality.”

Cleveland Orchestra Premieres
The 2018-19 season features ten works performed for the first time by The Cleveland Orchestra, four of which are by living composers: Kabeláč’s Mystery of Time with conductor Jakub Hrůša (November 15, 17 and 18); John Adams’s Scherazade.2 (for violin and orchestra) conducted by Adams (November 29, 30 and December 1); works by Strauss: a made-for-Cleveland production of his opera Ariadne Auf Naxos (January 13, 17, and 19), as well as Symphony for Winds: Fröhliche Werkstatt (January 18), and Haydn’s Symphony No. 34 (March 14, 15, 16, and 17), all led by Franz Welser-Möst; Jennifer Higdon’s blue cathedral with conductor Stéphane Denève (April 25, 26 and 27); James MacMillan’s Piano Concerto No. 3 (“The Mysteries of Light”) with conductor Stéphane Denève (April 25 and 27); Martinů’s Concerto for Two Pianos with conductor Semyon Bychkov (May 9, 10 and 11); Eötvös’s Seven (for violin and orchestra) with conductor François-Xavier Roth (February 28 and March 2); andGinastera’s Cello Concert No. 2 with Gustavo Gimeno (October 18, 19 and 20).The Cleveland Orchestra 100th Anniversary Gala
On September 29, Franz Welser-Möst and pianist Lang Lang perform a special 100thAnniversary Gala concert. The program features Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 24, works by Richard and Johann Strauss and Ravel’s La Valse [The Waltz.] Lang Lang first performed with The Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom Music Festival in 2000 and at Severance Hall in 2002. The Cleveland Orchestra’s annual gala supports the Orchestra’s education and community programs which share the value and joy of music with people throughout Northeast Ohio.

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