tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36558604480316606832024-03-17T22:59:24.856-04:00Thus & SoRandom Musings on Culture, Politics, and Life.Hank Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07472406383215657881noreply@blogger.comBlogger770125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655860448031660683.post-47500484402060246912024-03-16T22:58:00.005-04:002024-03-16T22:58:55.177-04:00Mozart and Bruckner at Severance<p><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><b>It was an evening of contrasts at Severance Hall as
pianist <a href="https://garrickohlsson.com/">Garrick Ohlsson</a> strode on
stage to play Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 27 in B-flat major, K.595 with the
Cleveland Orchestra conducted by music director Franz Welser-Möst. The first surprise was the presence of
Ohlsson himself, announced just a few days ago as a substitute for Igor Levit,
who had to cancel due to illness. I’ve
seen Ohlsson in concert several times, </b><a href="https://hankdrake.blogspot.com/2019/02/haydn-and-busoni-with-gilbert-and.html"><b>including twice in Busoni’s massive
Piano Concerto</b></a><b> – the polar opposite of Mozart’s relatively
modest work. </b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><b><span style="color: black;">It was common for years to consider this, </span></b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_Concerto_No._27_(Mozart)"><b>Mozart’s last work in the genre</b></a><b><span style="color: black;">, as a
sort of valedictory – even autumnal – work, given that it was first performed
just nine months before the composer’s death in 1791.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More recent scholarship indicates that the
work was mostly written in 1788, set aside while the composer concentrated on
other projects, then hastily completed when the opportunity to perform a new
concerto arose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ohlsson’s performance
hit every musical point with grace, beauty, just the right touch of emotion,
and, well, musicality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Particularly
impressive was his treatment of ornaments and trills – each placed right where
they needed to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Welser-Möst and the
orchestra provided the ideal accompaniment, with secondary lines in perfect
proportion to primary ones – audible, but not obtrusive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ohlsson responded to the enthusiastic ovation
with an encore: Chopin’s Waltz in C-sharp minor, Op. 64, No. 2 – in a
performance replete with washes of color and inner-voices reminiscent of the
old-school of Horowitz and Cherkassky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Corbel;">A musical mentor from when I was in my 20s used to opine
that the “three Bs” of Classical music were not Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms –
but Bach, Beethoven, and Bruckner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another
acquaintance used to describe Brucker’s Symphonies as “nothing but Germanic
burping and farting.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I disagree with
both of those sentiments, though I do find some of Bruckner’s works a bit long-winded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of his Symphonies, the two most congenial to
me are the Fourth and the Seventh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
concert featured the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._4_(Bruckner)">Fourth</a> (in
the 1878-1880 version), which the orchestra will repeat near the composer’s
birthplace in Austria in September for Bruckner’s bicentennial.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Welser-Möst’s approach to Bruckner is similar
to his way with Beethoven and Brahms: tempos on the slightly brisk side, with
an emphasis on proportion between movements and sub-movements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite the repetitiveness within this
symphony (almost like proto-minimalism), things never seemed to drag.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As for the orchestra’s playing, it was simply
spectacular – particularly the brass section.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I found myself enjoying the work, but my opinion on Brucker’s oeuvre
remains much the same: skillfully orchestrated blocks of tone, inhabiting their
own sound-world – with very little actual composing or development taking place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If Brucker were a 20<sup>th</sup> Century
composer, he would have found his niche in film music. <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Corbel;">It's safe to say I heard more music in that five-minute
Chopin Waltz than in the 70 minute Bruckner symphony. </span><span style="font-family: Corbel, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p>Hank Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07472406383215657881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655860448031660683.post-64053222286293677622024-03-09T23:00:00.002-05:002024-03-09T23:00:36.937-05:00Weber, Zehavi, and Brahms at Severance<p><b><span style="font-family: Corbel, sans-serif;">Guest conductor Fabio Luisi, making his Cleveland Orchestra
debut this weekend, presided over this evening’s concert at Severance Hall,
which was rich with musical nourishment of traditional and newer varieties. </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif; mso-themecolor: text1;">The concert opened with the popular Overture to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oberon_(Weber)">Oberon</a> by Carl Maria
von Weber, one of his final compositions and easily one of the most perfect
overtures ever written. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The gorgeous, hushed
horn solo which opened the piece was a harbinger of good things to come.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the work proceeded and the slow
introduction segued into the adventurous middle section, Luisi led the
festivities with a sure hand, sans baton.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif; mso-themecolor: text1;">The novelty on the program was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oded_Zehavi">Oded Zehavi’s</a> <i>Aurora</i>,
Concerto for Piccolo and Chamber Orchestra, receiving its world premiere this
weekend – some four years after a version with piano and percussion
accompaniment was premiered at the Cleveland Institute of Music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The soloist was the orchestra’s principal piccoloist
Mark Kay Fink. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The work opens with a
slow, ethereal passage in the strings before the piccolo enters and offers
commentary which floats above the orchestra. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From there the listener experiences a variety
of tempi and dynamics, with moments of whimsy alongside darker passages. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The composer’s skillful orchestration -
including chimes, vibraphone, and wood blocks – provided additional color while
never overshadowing the soloist’s well-turned contribution. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The raucous applause Fink received upon her
initial entrance was repeated at the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The composer was present and shared in the bows. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwymbCaN2FMNdlhpp_1cV-_Ygw2JaCpYmAnw1YcL7-hNiZA09pwfsCsB2UfPSmt3bsh8KxhJpsfmn7ln_x0QV1pUK65RX8f06lA3onXkgzNVcLmg09A7FTnqTuz6uxDzGNIw3qK1lB5lQyfWn84PHqKeftKot44epPz3IpICYA8-OM5mtKVzm1xPaVHi8/s2728/Cleve%20Orch%202024%2003%2009%20applause.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1923" data-original-width="2728" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwymbCaN2FMNdlhpp_1cV-_Ygw2JaCpYmAnw1YcL7-hNiZA09pwfsCsB2UfPSmt3bsh8KxhJpsfmn7ln_x0QV1pUK65RX8f06lA3onXkgzNVcLmg09A7FTnqTuz6uxDzGNIw3qK1lB5lQyfWn84PHqKeftKot44epPz3IpICYA8-OM5mtKVzm1xPaVHi8/s320/Cleve%20Orch%202024%2003%2009%20applause.JPG" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br /><span style="color: black; font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif; mso-themecolor: text1;"><br /></span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel, sans-serif;">Following intermission, Luisi returned to lead <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._4_(Brahms)">Brahms’ Symphony
No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98</a>. This
happens to be one of my five favorite Symphonies (the others are Mozart 41,
Beethoven 7, Schubert 9, and Rachmaninoff 2).
It balances perfect musical architecture with profound emotion. Luisi approached the opening movement with unhurried,
inexorable logic which built organically to the coda’s climax. The slow movement sang with the nobility that
is the essence of Brahms’ greatest works.
The jollity of the scherzo never descended into indignity, and the trio
was unusually held back in tempo, so the return of the faster section was all
the more shocking. Doubtless to prevent
the audience from breaking into spontaneous applause, Luisi did not pause after
the scherzo and immediately launched into the final movement. As with some of Beethoven’s late works,
Brahms looked backward and resurrected an old musical form for the finale: the
passacaglia. Here Luisi was notably
flexible in tempo, holding the reins tight with some variations and surging
forward with others. But the tempi never
seemed imposed, but rather organic as the movement completed one of Brahms’
most courageous musical decisions: ending the symphony in a minor key. Throughout the entire symphony, Luisi took especial
care with balance so that each section was heard in proper proportion – and there
were orchestral details revealed in this performance which escape even the best
engineered recordings. This was a Brahms
4 to remember, and the audience knew it. </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b><b><span style="font-family: Corbel, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif; mso-themecolor: text1;">A note
on Music Criticism<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif; mso-themecolor: text1;">There are too many online music boards in our internet
age to list, even for a relatively niche genre like Classical music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A common theme is “critic bashing,” and
nearly every professional critic has been subject to it – even a
non-professional critic like me has come in for his share of bashing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I recently read a comment whining that a
well-known critic, who posts his own very entertaining videos on YouTube, was
just a “failed percussionist.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First,
how does one define “failed”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is the
person in question a failure because he does not hold a position in a paid,
professional orchestra?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So what?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are numerous performers of all kinds
who have opted to pursue a career outside the arts simply because the outside
career offers greater stability and remuneration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is that a bad thing?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my mind, it’s certainly preferable to performers
who use their connections to promote themselves despite having no business
inflicting their mediocrity on an unsuspecting audience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the record, I greatly enjoy the videos
posted by the critic in question, and I have enjoyed reading his reviews for
decades – even when I disagree with him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif; mso-themecolor: text1;">The irony is that the commenter who sparked these thoughts
appears to have no musical training whatsoever, which begs the question: who is
better equipped to be a music critic: a failed musician, or a non-musician?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif; mso-themecolor: text1;">The flip-side is that the critic in question has opined
that only the opinions of professional critics should carry any weight and has
implied that we amateurs should simply silence ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sorry, I’m not going to do that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, I write these reviews for myself, so I
have a virtual diary of concerts I’ve been to and recordings I’ve listened
to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Second, the state of music criticism
in Northeast Ohio is rather dire – our major newspaper does not have a
full-time Classical music critic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead,
it uses a “lifestyle reporter” (whatever that is) who also writes music reviews
which offer neither knowledge nor real criticism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s another critic who runs his own local
Classical music website and, while he is clearly knowledgeable about music, his
writing is often of the “rah, rah” variety.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Those who’ve read my reviews know that I am dedicated to writing the
truth and that I have no other agenda (pro or con) and that I worship no sacred
cows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus, I offer these
reviews to the public free of charge because I believe my musical thoughts
carry some validity and should be part of a historical record that is scarcely
being written.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I’ve said to a younger
friend to whom I offered advice, “You can accept it, take it under
consideration, or reject it entirely.”<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif; mso-themecolor: text1;">You’re welcome.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>Hank Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07472406383215657881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655860448031660683.post-35013518748602413802024-03-04T16:30:00.003-05:002024-03-04T16:30:00.245-05:00My review of Aaron Copland - Complete Columbia Album Collection<p><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><b>My latest review, for Sony's new Aaron Copland album collection boxed set, has been posted. As there is nothing pending release that interests me, this will be my last recording review for a while. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/review/R3GW7QZA8D7738" target="_blank">Click here to read</a>. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Corbel;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBC-vUMZUY9SETLzgfU-MYV_L6Ok83rtpzq75jOB4Y9jn0agMh2hKQjX6K_TP6okdBjIsNZ0DbtD4bppUVvQhMXDpfZlEH_NxU_cZr3D4dBfg0NpadNwZvyPPJY8l5GEzuel7JnBqBVe31l14I5I9q9s9LSN5Vwm5uxOwenBd8zahr-7BTSow3ntZQHwE/s2048/THD3%20&%20Copland%20box.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1856" data-original-width="2048" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBC-vUMZUY9SETLzgfU-MYV_L6Ok83rtpzq75jOB4Y9jn0agMh2hKQjX6K_TP6okdBjIsNZ0DbtD4bppUVvQhMXDpfZlEH_NxU_cZr3D4dBfg0NpadNwZvyPPJY8l5GEzuel7JnBqBVe31l14I5I9q9s9LSN5Vwm5uxOwenBd8zahr-7BTSow3ntZQHwE/s320/THD3%20&%20Copland%20box.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p>Hank Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07472406383215657881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655860448031660683.post-75526144770985623782024-03-02T22:59:00.000-05:002024-03-02T22:59:10.603-05:00Mälkki and Kanneh-Mason at Severance<p><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">After <a href="https://hankdrake.blogspot.com/2024/02/haydn-beethoven-with-queyras-and.html">last
week’s disappointing concert</a> at Severance, it was doubly enjoyable to hear
relatively rare classics superbly realized by guest conductor <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susanna_M%C3%A4lkki">Susanna Mälkki</a>
and, making her Cleveland Orchestra debut, pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason.</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">The concert began with Anton Webern’s orchestration of J.
S. Bach’s Ricercare from his <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Musical_Offering">Musical Offering, BWV
1079</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The original work, a six
voiced fugue based on a bleak theme by King Frederick II of Prussia, did not
specify which instrument(s) should be used.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Webern’s orchestration begins starkly and steadily builds to a magnificent
ending that could have only come from Bach’s pen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mälkki’s conducting provided the steady hand –
or perhaps I should state the steady baton – the work required. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">This was followed by the Concerto in A minor by Schumann –
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clara_Schumann">Clara Schumann</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her husband’s Concerto in the same key, written
some ten years after the wife’s piece, has always seemed a bit trite and
overplayed to me – as beautiful as some of the melodies are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This work, premiered in 1835, displays both its
own influences and provides a look into the future of the concerto genre. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The pianistic influences mainly come from
Chopin’s concertos, which were hot off the press when Clara Schumann, still a
teenager, was composing this work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
opening movement, in particular, was resplendent with finger-twisting filigree
which could easily be mistaken as coming from the Polish master.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the work also looks forward, particularly
in the duet between piano and cello in the slow movement, which presages a
similar approach by Brahms in his Second Piano Concerto – composed over four
decades later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, the three movements
are joined, as Liszt would do in his Second Piano Concerto, which premiered
five years after Schumann’s work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="https://www.isatakannehmason.com/">Kanneh-Mason</a> brought everything
that was needed to the work: formidable technique, flowing phrasing, an
unerring sense of balance - the best kind of virtuosity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mälkki and the orchestra provided the ideal
accompaniment – especially the lovely cello playing from principal cellist Mark
Kosower.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A very enthusiastic and
sustained ovation followed, and Kaneh-Mason responded with a nicely contrasting
encore, Gershwin’s Prelude No. 1.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEQQ0pJpU3LqwMo5GKPPJ4FkKZWwJ8jt_XkQgCjyPtiPG7dErZ4WZ1uQUuN37ageQNhD69UmU4rZaG2ntgH1lOTr9BbKsLw9frwdQOPiWpHXHo_EDLpnarMB_igPGIodOaBOaSkvKQupxWHvIVlLOk1X0N9OZjG5vwi_B9A0RIR1wUq-Io6Rff7yu9PMM/s4032/IMG_E8208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2602" data-original-width="4032" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEQQ0pJpU3LqwMo5GKPPJ4FkKZWwJ8jt_XkQgCjyPtiPG7dErZ4WZ1uQUuN37ageQNhD69UmU4rZaG2ntgH1lOTr9BbKsLw9frwdQOPiWpHXHo_EDLpnarMB_igPGIodOaBOaSkvKQupxWHvIVlLOk1X0N9OZjG5vwi_B9A0RIR1wUq-Io6Rff7yu9PMM/s320/IMG_E8208.JPG" width="320" /></a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">Kanneh-Mason following the concerto</span></b></div><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><br /></span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">Following intermission, Mälkki returned to conduct
Hindemith’s Symphony: Mathis der Maler, composed from material the Hindemith
was putting together for an opera of the same name which premiered in 1938 –
four years after the Symphony.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The work
was composed under trying circumstances, as the composer, living in Germany,
was being harassed by the Nazis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He emigrated
to Switzerland in 1938 and to the United States two years later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The music, inspired by the painter Matthias
Grünewald’s struggle for artistic freedom in 16<sup>th</sup> Century Germany,
is in three movements, each in turn based on a painting by Grünewald: Angelic
Concert, Entombment, and The Temptation of Saint Anthony.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What struck me about the music, which I’ve
only heard infrequently, was that there was nothing in it to offend anyone in
his right mind musically.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mälkki brought
to the performance everything that was missing from last week’s concert:
broadness of conception, splendor of tone, a wide dynamic range, a sense of
balance and pacing that were just so “right.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There was spontaneous applause after the opening movement, and numerous
curtain calls after the finale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More
important, the audience was the quietest I’ve witnessed since the return to
concertizing after the COVID lockdown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif6h-tyz1Y1HyYkXfBY1tcuVyrbHD3i_lA_FANND1YZEgnBmZAEL1NVBotNiiYZnQpf0EytdSTM8I44auuQ-_ZTCGZd-gp1NLFdp_-EzVfcLLVV5fw1J2luyMZHobVwMNQxlTvec1m1GMvwohVc1hWgi_XdYO6mXmTzuFKAkl4jasiF42tzMSfBm21ykY/s2096/Grunewald_Isenheim1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1574" data-original-width="2096" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif6h-tyz1Y1HyYkXfBY1tcuVyrbHD3i_lA_FANND1YZEgnBmZAEL1NVBotNiiYZnQpf0EytdSTM8I44auuQ-_ZTCGZd-gp1NLFdp_-EzVfcLLVV5fw1J2luyMZHobVwMNQxlTvec1m1GMvwohVc1hWgi_XdYO6mXmTzuFKAkl4jasiF42tzMSfBm21ykY/s320/Grunewald_Isenheim1.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiti6aQoasVIx5mu0mJnoY2I-GctiHhX4CsqZWOn0intMtKOXt_eR0fXU4i6xhHBptrtAg91D2lPone1wg1JfIHUpS6LeFvBpJE3Zix1xFCSu56pP6Lj45lkTFOqCOT_kRazDkWunXTZM4gVzD83q1gb8JHT3Hqqnamv-SPYOMYEyG_kSNTjiaGMIwMsDQ/s1264/Grunewald_Isenheim2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1264" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiti6aQoasVIx5mu0mJnoY2I-GctiHhX4CsqZWOn0intMtKOXt_eR0fXU4i6xhHBptrtAg91D2lPone1wg1JfIHUpS6LeFvBpJE3Zix1xFCSu56pP6Lj45lkTFOqCOT_kRazDkWunXTZM4gVzD83q1gb8JHT3Hqqnamv-SPYOMYEyG_kSNTjiaGMIwMsDQ/s320/Grunewald_Isenheim2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Lsz26J7rgyp4Jm7FEcN7PHHmZMmajKP7icZ-eajMkO0y4EhuowEdummOTAqVJX-Ql1Y413FW8ap6RiO53SK-zJa7MrtcuJjkG_1CXA_CgqgUgX4BTApPvh-a2htcJJoNB8Tc9ddhlCxuo_sgZcKIuFR80VKEkOYUmYkt9tKZIDgt20G3Xt76osrs02k/s1220/Matthias_Gr%C3%BCnewald_-_Isenheim_Altarpiece_(third_view)_-_WGA10758.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1220" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Lsz26J7rgyp4Jm7FEcN7PHHmZMmajKP7icZ-eajMkO0y4EhuowEdummOTAqVJX-Ql1Y413FW8ap6RiO53SK-zJa7MrtcuJjkG_1CXA_CgqgUgX4BTApPvh-a2htcJJoNB8Tc9ddhlCxuo_sgZcKIuFR80VKEkOYUmYkt9tKZIDgt20G3Xt76osrs02k/s320/Matthias_Gr%C3%BCnewald_-_Isenheim_Altarpiece_(third_view)_-_WGA10758.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Corbel;">The paintings by Grünewald</span></b></div></span></b><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><br /></span></b></p>The thread that ran through this program was, simply, oppression. Bach was virtually ordered to compose a six
voice fugue by King Frederick II; Clara Schumann had to put her composing
career aside to advocate for her husband’s works, to raise their eight
children, and become her husband’s caregiver as he lost his grip on reality;
and Hindemith had to flee Nazi persecution. </span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">Ever since music director Franz Welser-M</span></b><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">öst
announced he would not be renewing his contract in 2027, there has been much
speculation as to his successor. The
orchestra could do much worse than to give Susanna Mälkki serious
consideration.</span><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p><span style="font-family: Corbel;"> </span></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p><span style="font-family: Corbel;"> </span></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: Corbel;"> </span></o:p></p>Hank Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07472406383215657881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655860448031660683.post-81602233581013008202024-02-24T22:58:00.002-05:002024-02-25T18:49:58.703-05:00Haydn & Beethoven with Queyras and Herreweghe at Severance<p><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif">Largely
comfortable and familiar classics were on the menu at tonight’s Cleveland
Orchestra concert at Severance, featuring guest conductor <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippe_Herreweghe" target="_blank">Philippe Herreweghe</a>
and, in the Haydn, cellist <a href="https://jeanguihenqueyras.com/en/">Jean-Guihen
Queyras</a>.</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif">In 1950, Leopold
Stokowski traveled to Cleveland for his overdue debut here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> At</span> the first rehearsal, as recalled by
assistant conductor Louis Lane, a few comments from Stokowski about bowing and
attack were sufficient that, after 15 minutes, the orchestra’s sonority was transformed to sound like the Philadelphia Orchestra, circa 1936.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>74 years later, Herreweghe has managed to do
the same – in the opposite direction: I have never heard the Cleveland
Orchestra play with such inexpressivity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif">The concert
began with a rushed, dynamically constricted rendition of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egmont_(Beethoven)">Beethoven’s “Egmont”
Overture</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reduced string section
here robbed dynamic climaxes of what Beethoven certainly intended as a dramatic
effect, and the lack of string vibrato left much of the work sounding
uncharacteristically anemic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It almost seemed
as if I was listening to an overly filtered, old mono recording of the
orchestra. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Egmont was composed as
incidental music for a play by Goethe about</span></b> <b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif">Lamoral, Count of Egmont, whose rhetoric and subsequent execution helped rouse his countrymen to overthrow Spanish invaders and form an independent Netherlands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A heroic tale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But in Herreweghe’s hands, the overture was
more incidental than heroic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cello_Concerto_No._1_(Haydn)">Haydn’s Cello
Concerto in C major</a>, composed in the 1760s, then lost until its rediscovery
in 1961, proved the high point of the evening. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One could take the cellist’s technique for
granted, particularly his navigation of the finale’s rapid passagework in the
instrument’s treacherous upper range.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then there was his tone, which was lean yet full, lyrical yet not
syrupy. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Best of all, Queyras brought tasteful
expressivity and a joyous sense of communicativeness to the solo part – while always
blending with the ensemble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This performance
received the warmest applause of the evening, and Queyras responded with a
double encore: a Bach prelude preceded by a brief Ukrainian folk song – a poignant
reminder that Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine began two years ago
today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf5gzvduMbIySXL3V3vIZ7HKDfy8YTw9ENNwIpGfD7vKNHpzQXdjeRsbr6m-RE-wIQFn17jW64L1GCssOst4v3bp9AbDFgi0RtnMi2xZF8h2_pqk0RhxebR7bswbMZhsTp_dYKgcLNhddR9uOF9bDLo-_-U553FYT1FOd_6gxXCnLOhP0Y96XO5_plGus/s3530/Cleve%20Orch%202024%2002%2024.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2237" data-original-width="3530" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf5gzvduMbIySXL3V3vIZ7HKDfy8YTw9ENNwIpGfD7vKNHpzQXdjeRsbr6m-RE-wIQFn17jW64L1GCssOst4v3bp9AbDFgi0RtnMi2xZF8h2_pqk0RhxebR7bswbMZhsTp_dYKgcLNhddR9uOF9bDLo-_-U553FYT1FOd_6gxXCnLOhP0Y96XO5_plGus/s320/Cleve%20Orch%202024%2002%2024.JPG" width="320" /></a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: left;"><span face="Corbel, sans-serif">Queyras after the performance.</span></b></b></div><b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._6_(Beethoven)">Beethoven’s
Sixth Symphony</a>, was subtitled by the composer himself: "Pastoral
Symphony, or Recollections of Country Life."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is in five movements instead of the
customary four.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve loved this work
since the first time I heard it, at the age of 14.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The opening movement, depicting the “awakening
of cheerful feelings on arrival in the countryside”, was brisk – as if the
composer was in a hurry to get out of Vienna.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The second movement, titled “Scene by the brook,” fared better – the reduced
strings making it easier to hear contributions from the winds – particularly the
nightingale, quail, and cuckoo that Beethoven ingeniously wrote into the music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was
followed by the villagers’ dance, which resounded with merriment – the high
point of the performance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fourth
movement’s storm was not cataclysmic, just some rain and a few minor flashes of lightning, followed by a noncommittal song of Thanksgiving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The main floor of the hall appeared to be at
about two-thirds capacity, with a few people leaving during the final movement,
and many more not bothering to join in the applause after the Symphony’s conclusion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>Hank Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07472406383215657881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655860448031660683.post-34663192262193002012024-02-17T22:49:00.002-05:002024-02-17T22:49:19.220-05:00Ammann, Benjamin, Knussen, and Ravel at Severance<p><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">Saturday
night’s concert at Severance, featuring guest conductor and composer <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Benjamin_(composer)">George Benjamin</a>,
yielded consistently strong performances of music that varied widely in
quality. </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">The concert
began with a proverbial bang in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dieter_Ammann">Dieter Ammann’s</a> <i>glut</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is one of those pieces that takes the “everything
but the kitchen sink” approach to orchestration, with the stage crowded by every conceivable instrument, especially percussion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As for the quality of the work itself, it was
a collection of gimmicks in search of an idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There were plenty of sonorities to be heard, but little in the way of
actual composition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> My concert companion remarked that it sounded like "cartoon music on Crack."</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">The second
work was Benjamin’s own <i>Dream of the Song</i>, where the orchestra was
joined by countertenor Tim Mead and the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The work, consisting of six songs set to
texts by various authors, contains moments of searing lyricism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mead was more than up to the task of both navigating
some treacherously high notes and providing emotional heft. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAc5mgtkmQaNwsh-tqhsHfHcnae50lmGK1hfy0PTCAzA_3rjJGIUvgOY_6rO4E7hFc8qwT4n3lUG24i5CYfqpHdPOK1_msXoOiDvd6PHYZOr4kYD1Yx2-2QjEstBqo-FPcePfFIqvZVVpwR6wPlWblzn0W8hsUePVdAxK14XA3BIYYRKkIr61W70HlbLs/s3336/Cleve%20Orch%202024%2002%2017%20Mead,%20Benjamin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2026" data-original-width="3336" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAc5mgtkmQaNwsh-tqhsHfHcnae50lmGK1hfy0PTCAzA_3rjJGIUvgOY_6rO4E7hFc8qwT4n3lUG24i5CYfqpHdPOK1_msXoOiDvd6PHYZOr4kYD1Yx2-2QjEstBqo-FPcePfFIqvZVVpwR6wPlWblzn0W8hsUePVdAxK14XA3BIYYRKkIr61W70HlbLs/s320/Cleve%20Orch%202024%2002%2017%20Mead,%20Benjamin.JPG" width="320" /></a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">Counter Tim Mead and conductor George Benjamin </span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">following <i>Dream of the Song</i></span></b></div><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;"><br /></span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">Both works
on the first half of the program were local premieres.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">Following
intermission, Benjamin led the orchestra in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_Knussen">Oliver Knussen’s</a> <i>The
Way to Castle Yonder</i>, a suite of orchestral interludes from his opera <i>Higglety
Pigglety Pop!</i>. Knussen, who died in 2018, was no stranger to Cleveland, and
led the local premiere of this work in 1993.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Here, orchestral color was mixed with a sense of dramatic through-line,
and the complex orchestration served to highlight the work’s themes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">The final
work, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ma_m%C3%A8re_l%27Oye#Orchestrated_version">Ravel’s
<i>Ma mère l’oye</i></a>, was likely the main draw – although it’s far from a
classical top-40 hit like his Bolero.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
performance was resplendent with color and texture, more clarity than one
usually hears in this work – and a dash of poetry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also provided a chance for me to observe Benjamin’s
economical, unobtrusive conducting technique – not a movement was wasted, and
every gesture was for the benefit of the orchestra, not the audience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>Hank Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07472406383215657881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655860448031660683.post-65106237663156539392024-02-10T22:19:00.003-05:002024-02-10T22:19:36.889-05:00Schubert and Beethoven with Saraste at Severance<p><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">The
musicians were well behaved but the audience was not at Saturday’s performance
of The Cleveland Orchestra at Severance.
The guest conductor was <a href="https://www.jukkapekkasaraste.com/" target="_blank">Jukka-Pekka Saraste</a>, substituting for Herbert
Blomstedt. </span></b></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmYpuraVTl_A2_CJcl7Iyv_5d55M7xYtJyJaBfQeyuJqYiW1P8NbV2F0I1LS5iEzt-Inyu-ZvuF0wFyeo1jgZdNFePo8fK6g8qPgJAAEn8w1fvWkTj5JGTq6vWJj-pMRAgefcta38j0NmrDzyMK5ehfhQ4KHyMYB6FbtvRUdezMp23cA4JkpR0DhJADWc/s710/Franz_Schubert_by_Wilhelm_August_Rieder_1875_larger_version.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="710" data-original-width="583" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmYpuraVTl_A2_CJcl7Iyv_5d55M7xYtJyJaBfQeyuJqYiW1P8NbV2F0I1LS5iEzt-Inyu-ZvuF0wFyeo1jgZdNFePo8fK6g8qPgJAAEn8w1fvWkTj5JGTq6vWJj-pMRAgefcta38j0NmrDzyMK5ehfhQ4KHyMYB6FbtvRUdezMp23cA4JkpR0DhJADWc/s320/Franz_Schubert_by_Wilhelm_August_Rieder_1875_larger_version.png" width="263" /></a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">Schubert</span></b></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">The concert
opened with Schubert’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._6_(Schubert)" target="_blank">Symphony No. 6 in C major, D. 589</a> – the so-called “Little”
C major.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is to distinguish it from
the “Great” C major Symphony No. 9, which is nearly double in length as the Sixth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, I was too frequently
distracted by misbehaving audience members to fully immerse myself in the work
or the performance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In all the years I’ve
been attending concerts at Severance, I’ve never heard more coughs, more
electronic beeps, more applause between movements, nor seen more people milling
about than during the Schubert.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From
what I could hear of the performance, it was a beige if polished rendition of a
rather beige Symphony.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-clQmp-zdhNIVRIb6CE4fhV8B4-4uOfs-p6fbKUzfHoJIXM6NG5eRBhZd6eSXAnTYJ-a3X47DCo3HpUqJ6dRmPy4TWATHdapopY6utQE-uvxAdZxyDH_MiizgdwE7U-p-1z-4tC7dlVOUTwcBWFjUXEz6CJiKmrAOnaAbcWqCgZ_tDUpDKFQTk47UWCY/s1515/Beethoven_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1515" data-original-width="1276" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-clQmp-zdhNIVRIb6CE4fhV8B4-4uOfs-p6fbKUzfHoJIXM6NG5eRBhZd6eSXAnTYJ-a3X47DCo3HpUqJ6dRmPy4TWATHdapopY6utQE-uvxAdZxyDH_MiizgdwE7U-p-1z-4tC7dlVOUTwcBWFjUXEz6CJiKmrAOnaAbcWqCgZ_tDUpDKFQTk47UWCY/s320/Beethoven_3.jpg" width="270" /></a></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">Beethoven</span></b></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">The main
floor of the hall was about three-quarters full for the Schubert. During intermission more people milled in and
appeared to be at near capacity for Beethoven’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._5_(Beethoven)" target="_blank">Symphony No. 5 in C major, Op. 67</a>. Beethoven’s Fifth is, of course, a repertoire
staple which needs no introduction. It’s
fair to say that the work has been performed to death. Yet Saraste and the orchestra brought a
noteworthy sense of proportion, balance, and clarity to the work. Even the loudest passages of the outer
movements avoided any harshness of tone, and the work held the audience’s
attention sufficiently so that there were none of the distractions that marred
the Schubert. The work’s conclusion was
met with enthusiastic applause and cheers.
</span><span style="font-family: Corbel, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>Hank Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07472406383215657881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655860448031660683.post-44494015213767769462024-02-02T07:28:00.005-05:002024-02-02T07:28:41.808-05:00Eugene Ormandy's stereo Philadelphia recordings - 1958-1963<p><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><b>Sony has reissued Eugene Ormandy's stereo Columbia Masterworks recordings made from 1958-1963. This is the third of a projected five (at least) Ormandy boxes to be released. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/review/R15YZ4NS43Q8DM" target="_blank">Click here to read my review.</a> </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Corbel;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLYbyXiNHYsjd_bRXqEXm10gce0n0Hv43xlxu06PhP1_pKQNPUDuD5BDgwkrWxxuqbPD4BBn5JTMjc-h1E-099kp256dK9krwjuwShyM6yLMRXHABWdE0GXPukKeSVBTdddJZMxKvIPZ5WJ_KlS066oCIbozg71SU92Bf_zyA5EzlTE-UPwhH8HCeeG0w/s3000/EO%20PO%20Col%20Stereo%2058-63.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLYbyXiNHYsjd_bRXqEXm10gce0n0Hv43xlxu06PhP1_pKQNPUDuD5BDgwkrWxxuqbPD4BBn5JTMjc-h1E-099kp256dK9krwjuwShyM6yLMRXHABWdE0GXPukKeSVBTdddJZMxKvIPZ5WJ_KlS066oCIbozg71SU92Bf_zyA5EzlTE-UPwhH8HCeeG0w/s320/EO%20PO%20Col%20Stereo%2058-63.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p>Hank Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07472406383215657881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655860448031660683.post-2745145734534387552023-12-31T08:04:00.014-05:002023-12-31T13:26:02.646-05:002023 in review<p><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif">2023 was an
active year which included adventures, challenges, and triumphs.</span></b></p><p><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif">I continued with my quest for fitness and, although I still have a bit of a belly, my weight is at its lowest level since the late 1990s and my waist is six inches smaller than in 2020. I've also become a bit more muscular although I have no desire to become overly pumped. </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif">Since 2020,
my life has been increasingly centered at home, as I’ve been a remote worker
since then.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Daniel and I celebrated 17
years as a couple and 15 years in our South Euclid home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What we’ve learned in the last decade and a
half is that the work on our 83-year-old house never ends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This year we had new storm windows installed –
the previous ones were probably about 50 years old and rattled whenever a large
truck or music blasting car drove by.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Our primary reason for replacing the storm windows was for better
protection from the extremes of hot and cold one encounters in our region. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will take several more months before we can
gauge the impact on our utility bills, but the reduction in street noise was
immediately noticeable and most welcome. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc6BmAqL6FMs-NLB6ggz1GAtKHJkVHjSAV7OXYgfmiKq7HBmWui0Nhl2uP7w3EPGcOuibzSndTCBlPSGhsw1kizylPfmiTo8o0ew44q-inidhkb4rNuh2DIHuA2e0VCZei2F8qrFp1VqGRnWit7PsIWuuoGYTxLXMoyOKHQxHUyYTez69Wygv6LcnmVfE/s4032/IMG_4985.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc6BmAqL6FMs-NLB6ggz1GAtKHJkVHjSAV7OXYgfmiKq7HBmWui0Nhl2uP7w3EPGcOuibzSndTCBlPSGhsw1kizylPfmiTo8o0ew44q-inidhkb4rNuh2DIHuA2e0VCZei2F8qrFp1VqGRnWit7PsIWuuoGYTxLXMoyOKHQxHUyYTez69Wygv6LcnmVfE/s320/IMG_4985.JPG" width="240" /></a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">A new storm window being installed.</span></b></div><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif"><div><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif"><br /></span></b></div>The storm
windows held up well against the massive storm that struck in August, which
left us <a href="https://hankdrake.blogspot.com/2023/08/86-hours-without-electricity.html">without
electricity for 86 hours</a>. </span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif">No review
of 2023 in Northeast Ohio is complete without <a href="https://hankdrake.blogspot.com/2023/11/ohios-terrible-politicians-cant-keep-it.html">the
state’s voters resounding endorsement of Issues 1 and 2</a>, which guaranteed
reproductive rights and allowed recreational cannabis, respectively.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although Issue 1 is a constitutional
amendment, Issue 2 was a ballot issue and state Republicans have been trying to
restrict its impact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will be
interesting to see how Ohio voters react to political interference in 2024.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif">Sadly, 2023
also saw the resurgence of the odious Donald Trump, to which I can only
respond: Have the American people forgotten the non-stop issuance of virtual
diarrhea during the four years he was in the White House?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have they forgotten how badly he mishandled
COVID?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How the economy suffered?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How the Federal deficit exploded?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How he enabled and even encouraged the most
flagrant racism and even insurrection?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How many times must people hit their own heads with a hammer before they
realize that they’d feel better if they stopped?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure, the last two years have had a few
challenges, mostly due to the emergence from the COVID crisis and the revival
of our supply lines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The biggest
challenge was inflation, which slowed throughout 2023.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The economy is strong, unemployment is low,
and the Fed has indicated they are about to start cutting interest rates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Life is not perfect, but it’s arguably
better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even the problems at our
Southern border are largely because America is the land of hope and opportunity –
and it would be even better if right-wing obstructionists would just get out of
the way. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif">Cleveland’s
Classical music scene has now fully recovered from COVID, and in some ways is
even stronger than before 2020.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Cleveland Orchestra continued with its savvy programming approach which
included plenty of newer and unfamiliar older music alongside Classical
favorites.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went to too many concerts
to go into detail here, but a highlight included <a href="https://hankdrake.blogspot.com/2023/04/eastman-marsalis-and-dvorak-at-severance.html">Michael
Sachs playing Wynton Marsalis’ new Concerto for Trumpet</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif">Local
business developments included the <a href="https://hankdrake.blogspot.com/2023/09/farewell-richmond-mall.html">long
overdue demolition of the Richmond Mall</a>, to be replaced by Belle Oaks, a mixed-use
development.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif">Danny and I
traveled to <a href="https://hankdrake.blogspot.com/2023/02/four-days-in-palm-springs.html">Palm
Springs</a> in the winter and <a href="https://hankdrake.blogspot.com/2023/10/a-trip-to-new-mexico.html">New
Mexico</a> in the autumn, along with quick trips to <a href="https://hankdrake.blogspot.com/2023/05/two-days-in-saugatuck-douglas-michigan.html">Saugatuck</a>
in the spring and New England over Labor Day weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The New Mexico trip was in part to scope out a
potential winter home for when we retire, but the more I travel, the more I feel
centered in Cleveland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Life is so
affordable here; everything we need – high culture, sports, cuisine, medical
care – is within easy access; even the winters are becoming easier to manage. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixaZ0dKeLcH97uh03AtaN07vqBToOP11BgSlpjzSyti2Z281yuTgnGQIW7JJPF0DklVbL3NW5I4tzkNA19ylzsZ33kyxFPEAZF7I272-zMJZZhC_QUrbf9MPfkZ9OM7f577RK9bKXJQlukiYnJtHkAc78ucAzG_g4pSzqTSdQEevQcvo8VnHpNiAJe6k8/s4032/IMG_6095.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixaZ0dKeLcH97uh03AtaN07vqBToOP11BgSlpjzSyti2Z281yuTgnGQIW7JJPF0DklVbL3NW5I4tzkNA19ylzsZ33kyxFPEAZF7I272-zMJZZhC_QUrbf9MPfkZ9OM7f577RK9bKXJQlukiYnJtHkAc78ucAzG_g4pSzqTSdQEevQcvo8VnHpNiAJe6k8/s320/IMG_6095.JPG" width="320" /></a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">Enjoying Maple Creemees in Vermont</span></b></div><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif"><p class="MsoNormal"><b>I also made
four solo trips: <a href="https://hankdrake.blogspot.com/2023/03/one-week-in-london.html">one trip
to London</a> which was, to be honest, not very enjoyable; and three trips to see
family members from which I brought home happy memories.</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlpzydP5KBRjEvoSW_gHejYFTLSJqo7CALvms6o8i2fxrJwW1zZreVMFnaH0kHzQ-vBNP1tQQNjsOuCEZQUuSC0LejfN4Cb1FhJQVp9IPhWElHCkyndLHmFyfkkLe7cSDqWyTIFsIVxAIumhPFcHPNyq75XLsJGd48stv1XZbQQLIUe-VRuApflhPY5YQ/s2048/IMG_7138.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1153" data-original-width="2048" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlpzydP5KBRjEvoSW_gHejYFTLSJqo7CALvms6o8i2fxrJwW1zZreVMFnaH0kHzQ-vBNP1tQQNjsOuCEZQUuSC0LejfN4Cb1FhJQVp9IPhWElHCkyndLHmFyfkkLe7cSDqWyTIFsIVxAIumhPFcHPNyq75XLsJGd48stv1XZbQQLIUe-VRuApflhPY5YQ/s320/IMG_7138.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In Florida with my niece and her son</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOMMZBjgua2BQQzThFlKIlGj9yO4lmsZX0XNrHAmiJh1tZ_bjbTBjlh-B2jkXJ718HvPNJUQUSsoIKT7UZY8XPiU7t-CWssoCY_6c-9DBnAYON6OSC1GOiHT1c2YXeYFrkLakRJ6GkaoODFzx6T09iYkHS7JTaRxV2wLrg5kweaMx7uSFsby5c5li1j2A/s3138/IMG_E1700.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2523" data-original-width="3138" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOMMZBjgua2BQQzThFlKIlGj9yO4lmsZX0XNrHAmiJh1tZ_bjbTBjlh-B2jkXJ718HvPNJUQUSsoIKT7UZY8XPiU7t-CWssoCY_6c-9DBnAYON6OSC1GOiHT1c2YXeYFrkLakRJ6GkaoODFzx6T09iYkHS7JTaRxV2wLrg5kweaMx7uSFsby5c5li1j2A/s320/IMG_E1700.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">With my sister and her husband.</div><b><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p>This year
also saw the continued evolution of a meaningful relationship with someone who
had been in the periphery of my life until about two years ago. We had some ups and downs in 2023, but the
year ended on a high note and my friendship with this person has had a profound
impact on my life </b></span></b><b>–</b><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif"><b> and I hope it has a positive impact on this person’s
life.</b><p></p></span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif">On to 2024!<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxHiEMoPG78EefqmzhH6mdEMNe3uL76l3AK5r7GFiCjlEUdwd1xnKAdXOM4BpI187DD-Ih9DEpeYGebqZbq_g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></b></div><b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif"><br /></span></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><b><br /><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif"><br /></span></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif"><br /></span></b></p>Hank Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07472406383215657881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655860448031660683.post-6007888708551911582023-12-28T16:30:00.002-05:002023-12-28T16:30:00.145-05:00My review of Cleveland Quartet - the Complete RCA Album Collection<p><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><b> Amazon has published my latest review, of the Cleveland Quartet's complete RCA recordings - which includes a very fine performance of Beethoven's complete String Quartets. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/review/R1EH5R0NBH1F33" target="_blank">Click here to read it</a>. </b></span></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwGxCKOEeyEyYs6seAZDoQfhBU2nvhylHa4cezEySPyjCYCIiPqefJ2XSyKHRB-3j_UjtJzHoUM1jyempqnGTH-vorscQc2wZPfTml23ODPFltpUP8ruvou0tfeinKQ0_Nn3gve9SUAKiKMT73LlBisR-X-RN9itUN331c6EffflhUUTCbJRvlkP0vMxo/s2362/CQ%20Comp%20RCA%20album%20coll.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2360" data-original-width="2362" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwGxCKOEeyEyYs6seAZDoQfhBU2nvhylHa4cezEySPyjCYCIiPqefJ2XSyKHRB-3j_UjtJzHoUM1jyempqnGTH-vorscQc2wZPfTml23ODPFltpUP8ruvou0tfeinKQ0_Nn3gve9SUAKiKMT73LlBisR-X-RN9itUN331c6EffflhUUTCbJRvlkP0vMxo/s320/CQ%20Comp%20RCA%20album%20coll.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Hank Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07472406383215657881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655860448031660683.post-28079355029544906162023-12-11T05:00:00.001-05:002023-12-11T05:00:00.137-05:00My review of Artur Rodziński's Cleveland Orchestra recordings<p><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><b>My review of <span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px;">Artur Rodziński & The Cleveland Orchestra - </span><span style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">The Complete Columbia Album Collection has been published. The 13CD set provides much musical food for thought for those interested in the history of The Cleveland Orchestra. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/review/R1VHFXMBI501T1/" target="_blank">Click here to read the complete review</a>.</span></span></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><b><span style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><b><span style="color: #0f1111;"></span></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><b><span style="color: #0f1111;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCpVstlpNMkCRcD4uZnT4JBrfP0W_WhFuILPvPNxV9cj6GUw1rWbz9hQrFNB0ZF3C6wKbF3NZVUaLC6TZ4U5rjGwx9U4Gc7sajujdChy73D-Cug9pxSvaBi3HK2GD2kqUvHJscHlO98lNzDfiWPHbCmLbjthXheWjtRwRVelytW_Wxu96YDoasC13lm64/s1240/AR%20CO%20rodzinski_cover.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1240" data-original-width="1240" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCpVstlpNMkCRcD4uZnT4JBrfP0W_WhFuILPvPNxV9cj6GUw1rWbz9hQrFNB0ZF3C6wKbF3NZVUaLC6TZ4U5rjGwx9U4Gc7sajujdChy73D-Cug9pxSvaBi3HK2GD2kqUvHJscHlO98lNzDfiWPHbCmLbjthXheWjtRwRVelytW_Wxu96YDoasC13lm64/s320/AR%20CO%20rodzinski_cover.png" width="320" /></a></span></b></span></div><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><b><span style="color: #0f1111;"><br /><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></b></span><p></p>Hank Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07472406383215657881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655860448031660683.post-46965387169134499412023-12-09T23:13:00.008-05:002023-12-10T07:05:32.463-05:00Anderson, Martinů, and Tchaikovsky at Severance<p><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif">This weekend’s
Cleveland Orchestra concerts at Severance Hall combined a US premiere, a local
premiere, and a repertoire favorite for a most satisfying program. The guest conductor was Semyon Bychkov.</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif">The US
Premiere was the Symphony No. 2, titled “Prague Panoramas,” by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Anderson">British composer Julian
Anderson</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The work was not so much
inspired by the city itself, which the composer didn’t visit until after the symphony
was completed, but by a series of panoramic photographs taken by Josef
Sudek.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The photos are of remarkable
clarity, and so is Anderson’s comprehensive orchestration, which featured
extensive percussion including a tuned Thai gong, ocean drum, vibraphone, marimba,
and numerous types of bells – the latter a poignant reminder that during their <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prague#Second_World_War">occupation of
Prague</a>, the Nazis stripped the city of every bell they could find and sent
them to Germany to be melted down for ammunition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The work is more a series of textures and sonorities
than a development of themes, and the composer’s approach is too cosmopolitan
to confine the work’s inspiration to one city or nation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It bears further hearing, particularly the
central movement in which a desolate sensuality pervaded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bychkov, who premiered the symphony in London
last year, led an assured, polished performance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I've never seen Bychkov conduct before; it was a pleasure to observe how he conducted the orchestra and not the audience. </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLRM7Q94QlOJS_JSBWjGtW2FQf3KmQj7gaSpn2bhyNRpIPK0uG666l1KUhlDaB1_dTmjPzxlIYinLO6Cpww73ZFQGq4I3PZkQdXmXy9i6xtyT6zsCJmskAcEvWN5ExkzHa7xXw6__pSgkTApIJZZgBMmEiFZoV7rbrBVU_Gf5bSkpMrsfyyAS6sp5X5_w/s1000/Josef-Sudek-Charles-Bridge-1960.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="1000" height="102" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLRM7Q94QlOJS_JSBWjGtW2FQf3KmQj7gaSpn2bhyNRpIPK0uG666l1KUhlDaB1_dTmjPzxlIYinLO6Cpww73ZFQGq4I3PZkQdXmXy9i6xtyT6zsCJmskAcEvWN5ExkzHa7xXw6__pSgkTApIJZZgBMmEiFZoV7rbrBVU_Gf5bSkpMrsfyyAS6sp5X5_w/s320/Josef-Sudek-Charles-Bridge-1960.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Josef Sudek's panorama of Prague's Charles Bridge.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgynWiMSrtagn5H1EwWZAAupLXRTFb3mLoYz65OTpIr2TZDrEiFI2lORNrYEbBsOyxGXpgkmXPGVwYly1ZEafEaXYpNrtpRxMY23uHiQzPhvu5kIzpuowknT0FKbaotkPyfN-2U2p98xVX9igOOXoehYAigrBN9gGWRhrB1SwES1x3Ts0JszwArid511ek/s4032/Cleve%20Orch%202023%2012%2009%20a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgynWiMSrtagn5H1EwWZAAupLXRTFb3mLoYz65OTpIr2TZDrEiFI2lORNrYEbBsOyxGXpgkmXPGVwYly1ZEafEaXYpNrtpRxMY23uHiQzPhvu5kIzpuowknT0FKbaotkPyfN-2U2p98xVX9igOOXoehYAigrBN9gGWRhrB1SwES1x3Ts0JszwArid511ek/s320/Cleve%20Orch%202023%2012%2009%20a.JPG" width="320" /></a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>The Severance stage, </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>showing the extensive orchestration for Anderson's Symphony.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif">Following
intermission, conductor and orchestra were joined by duo pianists Katia and
Marielle Labèque – the latter of whom is Bychkov’s wife – for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohuslav_Martin%C5%AF" target="_blank">Martinů’s</a> Concerto
for Two Pianos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The work is dissimilar
to other works in the genre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of
contrasting passagework, the opening movement features the pianists doubling
each other – a considerable challenge in coordination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The central movement begins with some
arresting runs on the pianos before settling into a narcoleptic spell – the sense
of disorientation is enhanced by the fact that much of the piano part is
written without bar lines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The finale
has an upbeat appeal, and the performance elicited an enthusiastic audience
response. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The pianists offered an encore:
a new rag-like work by Phillip Glass.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ZDNZkIC71RavJZ_0TsMjgsQ5RThmUxIRPA5hgxqibgGQy0WL7VZL54OD3U6o1vSRHpFj0qPmFAjrCpcOX2vJ8FBvMfj0f0yiEa7EecL02hPZ1oQdCzBsNa-LB8IBszVDji3E_fgWw46qRckLq8y4y2M5a1NpTI0HhIMIJaUr72q9aROmI5bfDxYa9ls/s3310/IMG_7211.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1986" data-original-width="3310" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ZDNZkIC71RavJZ_0TsMjgsQ5RThmUxIRPA5hgxqibgGQy0WL7VZL54OD3U6o1vSRHpFj0qPmFAjrCpcOX2vJ8FBvMfj0f0yiEa7EecL02hPZ1oQdCzBsNa-LB8IBszVDji3E_fgWw46qRckLq8y4y2M5a1NpTI0HhIMIJaUr72q9aROmI5bfDxYa9ls/s320/IMG_7211.JPG" width="320" /></a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><b style="text-align: left;"><span face="Corbel, sans-serif">The Labèque sisters following the concerto.</span></b></b></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif">What struck
this listener most about Bychkov’s rendition of Tchaikovsky’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romeo_and_Juliet_(Tchaikovsky)">Romeo and
Juliet Overture Fantasy</a> was its musicality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The conductor paid unusual attention to the lower levels of dynamics at
the beginning – the little crescendos and decrescendos that bring music to
life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was doubly effective as the fortissimos
further into the piece seemed truly shocking. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Juliet’s theme was given an expansive, yet
non-schmaltzy treatment. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tchaikovsky revised
the work over a decade’s time until he was satisfied with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a rare pleasure to hear the work
played not as a well-worn warhorse, but as music worthy of respect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></p>Hank Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07472406383215657881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655860448031660683.post-19604528850993327842023-11-30T16:34:00.002-05:002023-11-30T16:34:00.136-05:00My review of Rudolf Serkin, The Lost Tapes<p><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><b>My review of Deutsche Grammophon's new issue, a previously unpublished recording of Rudolf Serkin playing Beethoven's Waldstein and Appassionata Sonatas, has been posted. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/review/R336G0LA2209WZ/" target="_blank">Click here</a> to read it. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Corbel;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvjlHJUfjVz4TllExH3c94Q9b0MehjDD30SMcbvowqix9aZZGEGdwSO_oyGUucv9zmjISO7Dr1WarnoI4pHhez-fDW6gQboqUaoyjicMxfRbgPhifHgBTpL_zSs5mBUAIgxUADI-Z-jJ5UdbleAPgMrhEpfwpBSL9YKnokWr3NyOVIsOhBo4WM6XW7KXs/s1500/RS%20LvB%20Opp.%2053%20&%2057%20DG.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvjlHJUfjVz4TllExH3c94Q9b0MehjDD30SMcbvowqix9aZZGEGdwSO_oyGUucv9zmjISO7Dr1WarnoI4pHhez-fDW6gQboqUaoyjicMxfRbgPhifHgBTpL_zSs5mBUAIgxUADI-Z-jJ5UdbleAPgMrhEpfwpBSL9YKnokWr3NyOVIsOhBo4WM6XW7KXs/s320/RS%20LvB%20Opp.%2053%20&%2057%20DG.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p>Hank Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07472406383215657881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655860448031660683.post-23698904262331124742023-11-25T23:02:00.002-05:002023-11-25T23:02:31.084-05:00Willful Dvořák and stunning Tchaikovsky with Inkinen and Hadelich at Severance<p><b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">S</span><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Corbel;">aturday
evening’s concert at Severance featured guest conductor Pietari Inkinen making
his Cleveland Orchestra debut, along with returning violinist <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustin_Hadelich">Augustin Hadelich</a>. </span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Corbel;">The concert
opened with Dvořák’s <i>Othello</i> Overture, Op. 93.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not one of the composer’s well-known
works, despite the familiar subject matter of Shakespeare’s play. Composed in 1892,
it wasn’t performed in Cleveland until a century later – a noteworthy omission
for an orchestra that has long championed the unfamiliar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The chief problem is an overabundance of
ideas, intended to depict specific scenarios within the plot, which are
presented but not developed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was left
with no desire to investigate this music more fully.<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violin_Concerto_(Tchaikovsky)">Tchaikovsky’s
Violin Concerto</a>, Op. 35 is, of course, another matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a work which combines Tchaikovsky’s
knack for memorable tunes, great passion, a dramatic through-line, secure
architecture, and idiomatic writing which tests the limits of instrument and
instrumentalist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The composer was
assisted by his probable lover Iosif Kotek, a gifted violinist who advised the
composer on aspects of the violin part.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He was the initial dedicatee of the work until Tchaikovsky, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Closeted">cautious about his personal
reputation</a>, switched the dedication to Leopold Auer – who was initially
uninterested in the piece.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eduard
Hanslick’s notoriously hostile review, in which he ranted that the music “stinks
to the ear” and that “the violin was not played but beaten black and blue” has
gone down as one of the most wrong-headed musical criticisms of all time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Soloist Hadelich is no stranger to
Cleveland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="https://hankdrake.blogspot.com/2017/08/blossom-and-baseball.html">He
turned in a memorable performance of Dvořák’s Violin Concerto six years ago</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hadelich has everything needed for
Tchaikovsky: an immaculately superlative technique, a vocal – almost throaty –
tone, plenty of temperament, and the inherent taste to know just how much to
stretch a melody or push the dynamics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All
these gifts were put into the service of musical virtuosity and a bona-fide
masterpiece – no doubt the finest of Tchaikovsky’s four concertos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hadelich was ably assisted by Inkinen and the
orchestra, but one felt this was mostly the soloist’s conception.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A rousing ovation followed, and Hadelich
gifted the audience with an encore – the name of the work was not announced, but
it sounded like it was composed by Fritz Kreisler.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Corbel;"></span></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbiCAbbjE9qlVVO_2nxbSGvkGMCa9-eAtC4TfInm5byFSSlw7WV4kKouK-7iSXquUgdbF8hzvdrEySR44FHC6oovOUx6cZZsGqFh-jgJ45OjTmFQdSTfr-V444_4LeXDwiUq1wJZi2TSebylYePJh2HKgpKNm_wbDwi-mLKqgZKNmG4lY7nHcwEdhfuBA/s556/Iosif%20Kotek%20with%20Tchaikovsky%201877.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="556" data-original-width="439" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbiCAbbjE9qlVVO_2nxbSGvkGMCa9-eAtC4TfInm5byFSSlw7WV4kKouK-7iSXquUgdbF8hzvdrEySR44FHC6oovOUx6cZZsGqFh-jgJ45OjTmFQdSTfr-V444_4LeXDwiUq1wJZi2TSebylYePJh2HKgpKNm_wbDwi-mLKqgZKNmG4lY7nHcwEdhfuBA/s320/Iosif%20Kotek%20with%20Tchaikovsky%201877.jpg" width="253" /></a></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">Iosif Kotek with Tchaikovsky in 1877.</span></b></div><b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><br /></span></span></b></p>Following
intermission, Inkinen returned to lead the orchestra in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._8_(Dvo%C5%99%C3%A1k)">Dvořák’s
Symphony No. 8 in G major</a>, Op. 88 – and this performance was problematic
indeed. First was the issue of tempo
relationships. The opening movement was
overdriven so the merriment of the music sounded hard driven – as if the music
was on cocaine. The second movement adagio
dragged, while the allegretto was missing the Mendelssohnian lightness inherent
in the writing. The finale featured a
general pulling apart of the structure so that the final accelerando was anti-climactic. Further, there was little of the transparency
and attention to balance one is accustomed to hearing from this orchestra. I was far from the only person to feel this
way. An unusually large number of
patrons left after the second and third movements.</span></span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Corbel;">Still, the
concert was worth attending for the Tchaikovsky. </span><span style="font-family: Corbel, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p>Hank Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07472406383215657881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655860448031660683.post-48883178771503792132023-11-08T07:10:00.002-05:002023-11-08T07:55:54.818-05:00Ohio’s terrible politicians can’t keep it from moving forward<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">Yesterday, Ohio’s voters handed a decisive victory to
those who believe that individual humans should have the right to control their
own bodies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">Both Issue 1 (guaranteeing reproductive rights) and Issue 2 (legalizing Cannabis) passed with 57% voting in the
affirmative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Doubtless most who voted “Yes”
on Issue 1 voted the same on Issue 2; and there were some who split their
vote.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the issues both passed by a
substantial margin, in the face of <a href="https://hankdrake.blogspot.com/2023/10/2023-election-endorsements.html" target="_blank">misleading claims from the opposition</a> that
bordered on hysteria.</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">The anti-Issue 1 group even resorted to illegal tactics,
including placing their signs on polling center property, as shown in this
video I captured Tuesday morning.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwOpDZ-TnoBL7TBa7VcIuxTEfMBVwXLnPjSAoZ3FRSDy1q0uALfEcSLtZPEScg4ye3mwRoyt7kmAQcj7xJJMA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></b></div><b><br /><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><br /></span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">Ohio Republicans from Governor Mike DeWine to Secretary
of State Frank LaRose (likely a candidate for Senate next year) to scandal-beleaguered
Lake County commissioner John Plecnik beat the drums against these issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They lost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJDdR8Vgyv4H4TO63VTzwL9HS1tjgG0GOcdxuO1A2RkboCEJYMFhPILEmdOK9lw0YVJkyneQJRHjzZ6pD4XWUFXctIcspTdjYTqMuAxdre7uDczpPYYqHltAj1UvpDdZcYz1Wcw6XCfh0tvdZjG7JpY_olXd9xGUaUowJ-CcP4588zqNdtXVFmxfGsfJg/s1179/IMG_6888.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="971" data-original-width="1179" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJDdR8Vgyv4H4TO63VTzwL9HS1tjgG0GOcdxuO1A2RkboCEJYMFhPILEmdOK9lw0YVJkyneQJRHjzZ6pD4XWUFXctIcspTdjYTqMuAxdre7uDczpPYYqHltAj1UvpDdZcYz1Wcw6XCfh0tvdZjG7JpY_olXd9xGUaUowJ-CcP4588zqNdtXVFmxfGsfJg/s320/IMG_6888.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><br /></span></b><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">Ohio’s Democratic and unaffiliated voters must now band
together to free Ohio from the iron-grip Republicans have inflicted upon our
state.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>DeWine is term-limited out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We must not allow LaRose to defeat Senator
Sherrod Brown in November.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>LaRose would
try to implement the same policies nationally as he was trying to do in
Ohio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">We can celebrate our victory for now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the fight is not over, and it never will be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></b></p>Hank Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07472406383215657881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655860448031660683.post-22051246252107989112023-10-21T12:41:00.000-04:002023-10-21T12:41:57.841-04:00A Trip to New Mexico<p><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">Daniel and
I have prioritized our travel to explore places we’ve never been before. Our latest trip was to </span></b><a href="https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/New_Mexico"><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">New Mexico</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">,
which neither of us had ever visited. Friends
have been telling me about Santa Fe for years.
I originally planned to visit in the summer of 2021, but the Delta
variant reared its ugly head and I decided to forego that trip. We finally got around to visiting New Mexico
this month, partly for leisure, partly to investigate a possible winter home.</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">If flying,
the most efficient way to get into New Mexico is to fly to Albuquerque
(ABQ).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Santa Fe has an airport, but it’s
very small and we found if we were to fly there, the price would have been higher,
and our layover would have gone on forever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, we flew into ABQ via Denver.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Upon landing in Denver, we had to wait 20 minutes before our gate was
ready, then had to rush to the other terminal for our connection – only to
discover that that flight was also delayed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No worries, we arrived at <a href="https://www.abqsunport.com/">ABQ’s
charmingly westernized airport</a> only slightly late, got our rental car, and
enjoyed a leisurely drive to Santa Fe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">By the time
we got into Santa Fe, we were hungry, so we headed to </span></b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Fe_Plaza"><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">Santa Fe Plaza</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">, near the </span></b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_the_Governors"><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">Palace of the Governors</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;"> and parked our rental.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We selected </span></b><a href="https://www.coyotecafe.com/cantina"><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">Coyote
Cantina</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">, where
I enjoyed some fine drinks, and I sampled my first ever </span></b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frito_pie"><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">Frito Pie</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Delicious!<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRBs9S12eDzv3iJ_rgvZE7A30aaHQxsHDFUaOhsZ79gAAU-8Ne41U5JKWTX4gBqqC0ERF99QgRGmVBH8TvI_StUPTY6X-fsS05b7r0h_2_wCYJ9YvNmCokW8Sa5g2znj2S91VAfMzY6cxvbguZmruG_ePb8PYqOSPmQpsBbXWxmB7DKQ9L6a8TbduuANQ/s2429/IMG_E6592.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2316" data-original-width="2429" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRBs9S12eDzv3iJ_rgvZE7A30aaHQxsHDFUaOhsZ79gAAU-8Ne41U5JKWTX4gBqqC0ERF99QgRGmVBH8TvI_StUPTY6X-fsS05b7r0h_2_wCYJ9YvNmCokW8Sa5g2znj2S91VAfMzY6cxvbguZmruG_ePb8PYqOSPmQpsBbXWxmB7DKQ9L6a8TbduuANQ/s320/IMG_E6592.JPG" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD_EzwS7-reJXXpt3dBP0FZiKk32_g3AAZT6zHzxVdrfUcSK43ZadSMkmvf67TQTu-aY-pyxZ0b9VexYl9ZMkrlk7k5kCIAQY1lkcmHeuUsdGm6es_rrNZjDR0Mk55KVX8zebqO2VBomvhwY-Wp9u28A-d4Eqj0NNt8XguDQLxZQszYHwEHJd2e_5-X0w/s3319/IMG_E6593.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3023" data-original-width="3319" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD_EzwS7-reJXXpt3dBP0FZiKk32_g3AAZT6zHzxVdrfUcSK43ZadSMkmvf67TQTu-aY-pyxZ0b9VexYl9ZMkrlk7k5kCIAQY1lkcmHeuUsdGm6es_rrNZjDR0Mk55KVX8zebqO2VBomvhwY-Wp9u28A-d4Eqj0NNt8XguDQLxZQszYHwEHJd2e_5-X0w/s320/IMG_E6593.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Corbel;">A Frito Pie</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc0-uxy2fPic1zmMnzMz_bxCcyD3BmPhrZEW4e9U2v6hZCM8t6FNU4zVBuBrzFYibbJaZIoQDOq_D0ZqruYC9S6hdK0XKF-BrgeD4XUhEW5_iXyAhrr8uNHlxtw59WytmqgbRYCGLikzwxeBlVkYTA-cQqzHa8kWWsmMxWNowAlRUtTOfEejWT4hm52zI/s2250/IMG_E6594.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="2170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc0-uxy2fPic1zmMnzMz_bxCcyD3BmPhrZEW4e9U2v6hZCM8t6FNU4zVBuBrzFYibbJaZIoQDOq_D0ZqruYC9S6hdK0XKF-BrgeD4XUhEW5_iXyAhrr8uNHlxtw59WytmqgbRYCGLikzwxeBlVkYTA-cQqzHa8kWWsmMxWNowAlRUtTOfEejWT4hm52zI/s320/IMG_E6594.JPG" width="309" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Corbel;">Dan in a hare-ey situation.</span></div></b><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></p>We started
Friday with a hike at </span></b><a href="file:///C:/Users/hank_/OneDrive/Desktop/Cerrillos%20Mountain%20State%20Park"><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">Cerrillos Hills State Park</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">.
Exercise was necessary, because we ate so much during our trip that we
ran the risk of sabotaging our diets.
Then we headed to </span></b><a href="https://meowwolf.com/visit/santa-fe"><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">Meow
Wolf</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">, a sort of
combination art gallery and funhouse, which was the highlight of our trip. This is the kind of place that can be enjoyed
by people of all ages and persuasions.</span></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha0y-M9rbl_-lfLJfDc-vgDovgM1ZbwzirUVyGWqwSAceiba9x3uuOC8wGvAxzTjC2j-YAGFe8ZXrDkAQJ6swjX8t2VUmmyQVBNjq5_HDWGAhz7sM_Nrhoojbszlx8wKQUnzq8NLYPoZCAgwmATnwgCjEjJNAjemhOmtDQGG7qOANX3sEPvJTYILOCq5E/s4032/LWMT9659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha0y-M9rbl_-lfLJfDc-vgDovgM1ZbwzirUVyGWqwSAceiba9x3uuOC8wGvAxzTjC2j-YAGFe8ZXrDkAQJ6swjX8t2VUmmyQVBNjq5_HDWGAhz7sM_Nrhoojbszlx8wKQUnzq8NLYPoZCAgwmATnwgCjEjJNAjemhOmtDQGG7qOANX3sEPvJTYILOCq5E/s320/LWMT9659.JPG" width="240" /></a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">Outside Meow Wolf</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz3U-z_2ZofVARrSmiSxA0b8UORypM8aNo7zCcuLO2ryb2TGb3MAGtg_XgUeWwaGNXdJOa3VQ-_T-KIA95bQ6bdHZQDqbgr2ke9LmGXdp3GcgBp0V0Sjc1-pgKR3l4-CVuD-J30jezKp5_QvCGaBGi911U25gkTqSVK0TYbhVB-zYlKowX58bObScdLzY/s4032/IMG_6616.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz3U-z_2ZofVARrSmiSxA0b8UORypM8aNo7zCcuLO2ryb2TGb3MAGtg_XgUeWwaGNXdJOa3VQ-_T-KIA95bQ6bdHZQDqbgr2ke9LmGXdp3GcgBp0V0Sjc1-pgKR3l4-CVuD-J30jezKp5_QvCGaBGi911U25gkTqSVK0TYbhVB-zYlKowX58bObScdLzY/s320/IMG_6616.JPG" width="240" /></a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">Dan in the cotton candy room</span></b></div><b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPwzGoY-P3TE0PNNK8RfWEXLP-yVML_H3XHy8-M8d_BZSjkP8e7vzzHkruKrwEEUzP_wV1lrErv6XsxH7aEe3SZWULEbXcBBurbK-4Uj8UZyUnrI6zc7snsSQ22wjqqJP9qhGxV53qmhts5etqJ-yKFB4NtS8cSiAUeQ-bjPHok7lvDzNrpA8TfVTulkA/s2381/IMG_E6626.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2381" data-original-width="2132" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPwzGoY-P3TE0PNNK8RfWEXLP-yVML_H3XHy8-M8d_BZSjkP8e7vzzHkruKrwEEUzP_wV1lrErv6XsxH7aEe3SZWULEbXcBBurbK-4Uj8UZyUnrI6zc7snsSQ22wjqqJP9qhGxV53qmhts5etqJ-yKFB4NtS8cSiAUeQ-bjPHok7lvDzNrpA8TfVTulkA/s320/IMG_E6626.JPG" width="287" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></b><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">We were
unaware an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_eclipse_of_October_14,_2023">annular
eclipse</a> was going to occur during our trip, so we neglected to bring solar
viewing glasses and, despite looking at numerous places, were unable to find
any. We went to an empty parking lot Saturday
morning and enjoyed it as best we could without harming our eyes.</span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">That
evening, we took a break from our sightseeing to take in the new Exorcist
film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was totally unmemorable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">Sunday morning,
we packed up and headed to Albuquerque for the last two days of our trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of taking I-25, we took </span></b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Mexico_State_Road_14"><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">state route 14</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This proved to be interesting as it took us through the tiny town of </span></b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madrid,_New_Mexico"><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">Madrid</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">, once a mining town, later a filming
location for </span></b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_Hogs"><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">Wild Hogs</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">, now mostly an artists’ colony.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Continuing our journey south, we took a
detour and drove to the top of Sandia Crest, then back down again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the time we got into Albuquerque, our
appetite needed to be satisfied and we stopped at the </span></b><a href="https://66diner.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">66
diner</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The experience was more notable for its vintage
Route 66 décor than for the ordinary Chicken Fried Steak I ate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDZocHFoN5EmRaD9VmCe0Oes98Q8LFxZN_u1grK09Jc1xZAAM13PLpTNLygIoDNGe2x81mcUtU7Qrxqt1act98rXdrTZBZdTKLznPua61vi4k_-TKar0drW_hcH288UoNWC-EY9NEl-a_CGYDDgWGN7urHdUX5BeCrbOIl_X6eSSiD9_xhN-nTHn-zohg/s4032/IMG_6670.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDZocHFoN5EmRaD9VmCe0Oes98Q8LFxZN_u1grK09Jc1xZAAM13PLpTNLygIoDNGe2x81mcUtU7Qrxqt1act98rXdrTZBZdTKLznPua61vi4k_-TKar0drW_hcH288UoNWC-EY9NEl-a_CGYDDgWGN7urHdUX5BeCrbOIl_X6eSSiD9_xhN-nTHn-zohg/s320/IMG_6670.JPG" width="320" /></a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>On our way to ABQ from Santa Fe</b></div><b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgneJzQW2qoT3HmJdte_Z7iaWoheQ-0gpgKjTLzOiwk5AkwTLOdlnMQMNG_nwjCdQPqu8ii12QlBr-ga-1n6RcJKv6Ul85fvaEDZp-dclLbu3skq6OG0SGyrVqkJJ6EPACQd_9J1Jkdo4CP7dDWOxb-uO0UFLJlVV8ptjr-QwaEkGdrnr5rhg9GrhIHLPo/s4032/IMG_E6680.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2800" data-original-width="4032" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgneJzQW2qoT3HmJdte_Z7iaWoheQ-0gpgKjTLzOiwk5AkwTLOdlnMQMNG_nwjCdQPqu8ii12QlBr-ga-1n6RcJKv6Ul85fvaEDZp-dclLbu3skq6OG0SGyrVqkJJ6EPACQd_9J1Jkdo4CP7dDWOxb-uO0UFLJlVV8ptjr-QwaEkGdrnr5rhg9GrhIHLPo/s320/IMG_E6680.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Comfort food</div><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">Albuquerque
is quite a bit larger than Santa Fe – its population is greater than municipal
Cleveland, yet it retains a small-town feel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>With the roads largely laid out in a grid pattern, it’s easy to
navigate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Just about every road we
encountered in New Mexico was far superior to Ohio’s counterparts.) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><a href="https://www.albuquerqueoldtown.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">Old
Town</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;"> was quite
crowded on Sunday, with vendors and activities aplenty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet we found most were selling the same
things as in Santa Fe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMYFT842vqA02T6tGvIPct4Suxe3gbRy65viRj96uwmMEd8VVScq51wj40sMCl8IJ9He1NrWtTQRnuOrW_JXp705aI_O9jI5hDRkd9iAQByiK-MOp1etHufD-rIcPoP1sNDhy8_lCNuCFUTDQivWlzkCnl_jgeZ_wx8-XhwmRZzLas_9DLU19zHt-hxCI/s4032/IMG_6687.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMYFT842vqA02T6tGvIPct4Suxe3gbRy65viRj96uwmMEd8VVScq51wj40sMCl8IJ9He1NrWtTQRnuOrW_JXp705aI_O9jI5hDRkd9iAQByiK-MOp1etHufD-rIcPoP1sNDhy8_lCNuCFUTDQivWlzkCnl_jgeZ_wx8-XhwmRZzLas_9DLU19zHt-hxCI/s320/IMG_6687.JPG" width="240" /></a></b></div><b><br /><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">Monday was
our last full day in New Mexico.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dan had
been wanting to try blue corn pancakes, so we headed to the </span></b><a href="https://www.rangecafe.com/menus/"><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">Range
café</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;"> for an
early breakfast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although I’ve been on a
low-carbohydrate diet since 2021 (and have lost almost 40 pounds), I tried the
pancakes and greatly enjoyed them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
then headed to the </span></b><a href="https://sandiapeak.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">Sandia Peak Tramway</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;"> for a ride to the top – some 10,679 feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, our ears popped on the way up and on the
way down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, due to a minor
injury I wasn’t able undertake a hike to the Kiwanis cabin, built by the
Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Still, the vistas from the peak made it one of the highlights of our
trip. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgriBYI7OFWaKiyXvrYVK2Xtr5vYqEM6pVhybjOw6zAxiLblH6V7rU1w3J55qWnjUbnN6bTQKRZ_4jbiC617KZM3DU2B6cRVE6AQepiPbzwON2xaG4uH7hDjCh6cPjh84Z3RSK6s2vQu4ejSECmb5TujmUDrYx7SsNcm8DuD6MrrDbjMA6UTq3yFnbdGls/s7498/IMG_6708.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3916" data-original-width="7498" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgriBYI7OFWaKiyXvrYVK2Xtr5vYqEM6pVhybjOw6zAxiLblH6V7rU1w3J55qWnjUbnN6bTQKRZ_4jbiC617KZM3DU2B6cRVE6AQepiPbzwON2xaG4uH7hDjCh6cPjh84Z3RSK6s2vQu4ejSECmb5TujmUDrYx7SsNcm8DuD6MrrDbjMA6UTq3yFnbdGls/s320/IMG_6708.JPG" width="320" /></a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">View of ABQ from Sandia Peak</span></b></div><b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0xW7gHh4phs8flqsE0tPu3x_9xV8rI5d3hN8OP_5lQhGqJUALHYEvazOHUPgVoQMIYcOW1SeelQF-Vzxa1ZMLp_a2ARMatEZig9OEgc-8FxZJahk_g2O5vt8QXpJzSif3Zr3kz3bqOHu07CjeiccAoWhHkmVAsJpdAYRjRHZfO_eX-ncCWw4EGblUDI4/s4032/IMG_6724.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0xW7gHh4phs8flqsE0tPu3x_9xV8rI5d3hN8OP_5lQhGqJUALHYEvazOHUPgVoQMIYcOW1SeelQF-Vzxa1ZMLp_a2ARMatEZig9OEgc-8FxZJahk_g2O5vt8QXpJzSif3Zr3kz3bqOHu07CjeiccAoWhHkmVAsJpdAYRjRHZfO_eX-ncCWw4EGblUDI4/s320/IMG_6724.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;"><br /></span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">We flew
home Tuesday, connecting at George Bush Intercontinental Airport – a fine, well-run
airport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During our brief connection, I
had the need to use the restroom and walked in to hear <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvXVlfE4bVY&list=OLAK5uy_k_VppVfW7AagzgOTNFM0B1eIMiJkTW9qs&index=68">Beethoven’s
last string quartet</a> on the overhead speakers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One wonders what the Master would think to
have his music playing in such a place. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>Hank Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07472406383215657881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655860448031660683.post-90047994683673890782023-10-08T06:43:00.000-04:002023-10-08T06:43:00.149-04:00Mozart, Staud, and Tchaikovsky at Severance<p><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">Daniel and
I headed to Severance last night for our first concert of the Cleveland
Orchestra season. Conductor Franz
Welser-Möst and guest soloist Christoph Sietzen provided a program that combined
the somewhat familiar with the brand new. </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">The news
that Welser-Möst will be receiving follow up treatment after the recent removal
of a cancerous tumor has been on my mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But there was no sign of ill health in either his appearance or his conducting
last night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The opening work, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._29_(Mozart)">Mozart’s Symphony
No. 29 in A major, K. 201</a> was given a lithe, elegantly propulsive
performance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As is customary with Welser-Möst,
tempi leaned toward the brisk side, particularly in the second movement
Andante, which went at a pace more closely resembling an Allegretto.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But no one would quibble with the superb
balance and transparency that conductor and orchestra brought to the piece.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">Following a
longer than usual stage change, guest percussionist <a href="https://christophsietzen.com/en/biography/">Christoph Sietzen</a> took his
place for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Maria_Staud">Staud’s</a>
Whereas the reality trembles, receiving its world premiere performances this
weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The work calls for a supplement
of percussion instruments large enough that the stage extension had to be
employed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The percussion included, among
other accoutrements, a Chinese opera gong, cowbells, bongos, woodblocks, crotales,
thunder sheets, along with an oil barrel provided by Broadway Scrap Metals and
Terracotta pots courtesy of Petitti Garden Center.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In essence the piece is a concerto for
percussion and orchestra, which concerns itself more with texture and
instrumental effect than thematic development.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sietzen worked up quite the sweat as he navigated from instrument to
instrument.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As this was a world
premiere, I have nothing to compare this performance with, except to state that
soloist, conductor, and orchestra were totally committed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite the work’s relative modernity and
atonality, the audience responded with an extended ovation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sietzen gifted the audience with an encore –
a short, contemplative piece composed by a friend of his.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxWc8diJ3LnoT-P_4_pDGq49fWe2IUiKUhqhP1KqRHJo-igLsfHaZg_5fvbgtFq0c3p2QgiTQRuAuC60OolCA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Before and after the Staud work.</b></div><b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">Following
intermission, Welser-Möst and the orchestra returned for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._2_(Tchaikovsky)">Tchaikovsky’s
Symphony No. 2 in C minor, Op. 17</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For over a century, the work has been titled (courtesy of a music critic
contemporary of the composer’s) the “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Russia">Little Russian</a>,” owing
to Tchaikovsky’s use of three Ukrainian folk songs as thematic material. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some Western orchestras have now retitled the
work “Ukrainian” in a justifiable response to Vladimir Putin’s barbaric
invasion of Ukraine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Truth be told I
resist the use of all nick-names in musical compositions unless given by the
composer himself: thus the “Heroic” Polonaise and “Revolutionary” Etude of Chopin
are titles I don’t use, but the “Pathetique” Sonata of Beethoven is one I do.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether titled or not, the Second Symphony is
an engaging work where the composer’s mature style begins to emerge – although it
must be pointed out the symphony was revised seven years after its premiere in
1873.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As with <a href="https://hankdrake.blogspot.com/2023/04/eastman-marsalis-and-dvorak-at-severance.html">the
performance of Dvořák’s New World Symphony last April</a>, Welser-Möst avoided
the temptation to lay on the work’s folk themes in favor of musical
architecture – and his approach worked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
coda, with a superbly controlled accelerating crescendo, was particularly
effective.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Corbel",sans-serif;">The
conductor will be taking some time off for his cancer treatment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We wish him a speedy recovery with a minimum
of discomfort, followed hopefully by a return to the podium.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>Hank Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07472406383215657881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655860448031660683.post-41630395590440255842023-10-06T20:27:00.001-04:002023-10-06T20:27:00.139-04:002023 Election Endorsements<p><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">November 7,
2023, will mark an off-year election in Ohio.
Turnout tends to be low in this type of election, so each vote is
especially important. Vote by mail and
early in person voting starts on October 11. </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">Issue 1: Reproductive
rights – YES<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><b>Officially
titled "The Right to Reproductive Freedom with Protections for Health and
Safety," this proposed Constitutional Amendment is listed on the ballot as
Issue 1, having been certified </b><a href="http://hankdrake.blogspot.com/2023/08/why-i-still-have-hope-for-ohio.html"><b>despite
the efforts of Ohio’s Secretary of State Frank LaRose and other extremist
Republicans and pro-birth activists</b></a><b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The centerpiece of this issue is allowing women to control their own
bodies, including the right to have an abortion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><b>These same
activists, having failed in their attempt to raise the bar for passage to a nearly
impossible level, are kicking up quite the fuss over this proposed amendment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are claiming that passage will lead to a
rash of partial birth abortions and underage people obtaining gender
reassignment surgery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To use a polite
term from another era: Poppycock!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even <a href="https://www.cleveland.com/open/2023/10/yost-takes-unusual-step-of-issuing-legal-analyses-of-abortion-marijuana-issues-on-november-ballot.html">Ohio’s
Republican Attorney General, Dave Yost</a>, has pointed out that there is
nothing in the text of the amendment that even references gender reassignment
or transgender people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b><a href="https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/getattachment/cf27c10f-b153-4731-ae9e-e3555a326ed9/The-Right-to-Reproductive-Freedom-with-Protections-for-Health-and-Safety.aspx"><b>Read
the complete text for yourself here</b></a><b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Besides, is there an epidemic of young people in Ohio, or anywhere,
seeking gender reassignment?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How would
those wanting such a change even pay for it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I don’t imagine the hourly wages at McDonald’s or wherever young people
work would be sufficient.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As for partial
birth abortions, the proposed amendment guarantees the right to an abortion
during the time the fetus is determined to not yet be viable, as decided by the
woman’s physician – unless that physician determines that continuing the
pregnancy poses a danger to the woman’s life or health. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Less than .2% of abortions nationally have
involved intact dilation and extraction and have generally been performed following
a miscarriage.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">I’m a gay
man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The chances I would get a woman
pregnant are, well, basically zero.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
when it comes to allowing women to control their bodies, I stand with the vast
majority of women.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also believe that,
as former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop did, the only way to lower the number
of abortions is to lower the number of unwanted pregnancies – which means
better access to contraception.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not
coincidentally, this is also something pro-birth extremists are trying to
curtail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ultimately, whether or not to
terminate a pregnancy is a decision best left to the individual woman in
consultation with her physician.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do
Ohioans and Americans in general want to align themselves with countries like
Yemen, Myanmar, Pakistan, or Nicaragua – or would we rather stand with Ireland,
Germany, the United Kingdom, or the United States before Roe v. Wade was
repealed?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><b><u>I
strongly favor passage of Ohio Issue 1</u></b><b>.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p><span style="font-family: Corbel;"> </span></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">Issue 2: Recreational
Cannabis – YES<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">In 1975,
the Ohio legislature passed, and Governor James Rhodes signed a bill
decriminalizing cannabis – making Ohio the sixth state to do so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><b>In 2016, the
Ohio legislature passed and Governor John Kasich signed a bill allowing Medical
use for Cannabis to treat </b><a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2016/06/14/here-are-the-conditions-that-qualify-for-medical.html"><b>21
health conditions</b></a><b>, and setting up rather byzantine regulations for
creating Cannabis dispensaries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also
severely restricted licensing for cultivation of medical cannabis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By 2021, only 20 cultivators had been
licensed and 125,000 patients approved for medical cannabis. <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">The
Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol initiative, to be listed on the ballot as Issue
2, will legalize recreational cannabis within Ohio, subject to the following:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b>Legalize
the possession of up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis and 15 grams of concentrate for
adults 21 years of age and older.<o:p></o:p></b></span></li><li><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b>Allow
the cultivation of six plants for personal use, with a maximum of 12 plants per
home by adults 21 and older.<o:p></o:p></b></span></li><li><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b>Allow
the sale of cannabis at licensed dispensaries, with a 10 percent sales tax
imposed.<o:p></o:p></b></span></li><li><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b>Divide
tax revenue between social equity and jobs programs (36 percent), localities
that allow dispensaries to operate (36 percent), education and substance abuse
programs (25 percent), and administrative costs (3 percent).<o:p></o:p></b></span></li><li><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b>Allow
landlords and business owners to prohibit use of cannabis within their
property.<o:p></o:p></b></span></li></ul><!--[if !supportLists]--><p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">Legalizing
recreational cannabis does not equate to approval of same. It’s simply an acknowledgement that people
use cannabis, just as they smoke tobacco and drink alcohol. Use of these is a decision best left to the
individual, and regulations should be consistent: just as one is not allowed to
smoke tobacco in public buildings or airplanes, cannabis use should take place
where others will not be impacted by second-hand smoke. Just as one must be over 21 to legally drink, cannabis
should be similarly restricted. The
proposed issue makes provisions for all these matters. As a homeowner, I will continue exercise the
right to ask visitors to step outside if they want to smoke tobacco or
cannabis. Who is going to be harmed by
passage of this issue? Drug traffickers
who profit over the semi-illegality of cannabis in Ohio. </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><b><u>I favor
passage of Ohio Issue 2</u></b><b>.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p><span style="font-family: Corbel;"></span></o:p></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXlHjr-t0xMDjNjchxCNrJ-tu2LXPPh2NnyQv-XmT2L5NttE53nrz7yMBBNsVLO9O3p_RtFbxQiuHWpMIFG9IdjaQPPgZletI1jvXQM0K_IfaD0jvGtK7rNjB_2_PG68DzX3LZLXkwXqNPxOt2zRWLBho1GlmWNNI1X8ZIypNlEF2-9SsTg2q5JA5beXE/s2048/Yes%20on%201%20&%202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1177" data-original-width="2048" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXlHjr-t0xMDjNjchxCNrJ-tu2LXPPh2NnyQv-XmT2L5NttE53nrz7yMBBNsVLO9O3p_RtFbxQiuHWpMIFG9IdjaQPPgZletI1jvXQM0K_IfaD0jvGtK7rNjB_2_PG68DzX3LZLXkwXqNPxOt2zRWLBho1GlmWNNI1X8ZIypNlEF2-9SsTg2q5JA5beXE/s320/Yes%20on%201%20&%202.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><br /> </span></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><br /></span></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="font-family: Corbel;">Issue 5 –
Cuyahoga Community College tax levy<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">I have
stated elsewhere that I am in support of free community college for all who
seek it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While this property tax levy
does not reach that goal, it helps keep the costs of a college education under
control for the modest cost of an additional $14 per year for every $100,000 of
taxable home value.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a bargain which
only the sociopathic would oppose. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p><span style="font-family: Corbel;"> </span></o:p></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2gsOmUzxxVB1_eCIuN4c2Op403bV-rU9TeOnq-2SPG8sQ6JGhZ_p0NnoR9mJ5U_P95BBr8YNEuuiwADYUXSRuy8SFK7owe4l9hVKLRHNRwlKzlJRbQAOUddxW-rpaeiDE4fwYopAMV9Sz7QDz-8QWXL_wRQALLu5daE3D_PD9M54YVt4vtDWLFSeJtXg/s1440/IMG-6469.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="1440" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2gsOmUzxxVB1_eCIuN4c2Op403bV-rU9TeOnq-2SPG8sQ6JGhZ_p0NnoR9mJ5U_P95BBr8YNEuuiwADYUXSRuy8SFK7owe4l9hVKLRHNRwlKzlJRbQAOUddxW-rpaeiDE4fwYopAMV9Sz7QDz-8QWXL_wRQALLu5daE3D_PD9M54YVt4vtDWLFSeJtXg/s320/IMG-6469.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><br /></span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="font-family: Corbel;"><u>South
Euclid Mayor</u></b><b style="font-family: Corbel;">:
Georgine Welo is running unopposed for her sixth term as mayor. Just in case someone tries to mount a
write-in campaign, let us review her accomplishments. Welo became mayor in 2004. During the decades before she took office,
none of the previous administrations tried to stop the local slide in
population, quality of life, or local amenities that began in the 1980s. Here are just a few of the developments which
have taken place since Welo became mayor:</b></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b>Complete
replacement of </b><a href="https://devilledevelopments.com/building/cedar-center-north/"><b>Cedar
Center North</b></a><b> shopping center.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b>Construction
of </b><a href="https://oakwood-commons.com/"><b>Oakwood Commons</b></a><b> shopping
center. <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b>Partial
replacement of the May-Green shopping center.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b>Creation
of the </b><a href="https://cityofsoutheuclid.com/foodtruckpark/"><b>Food Truck Park</b></a><b>.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b>Cutters
Creek housing development.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b>Removal
of several troubled houses on Greenvale Road; additionally, multiple decaying,
unoccupied homes were torn down during and after the Great Recession – many since
replaced by new homes.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b>Creation
of several pocket parks.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b>Multiple
infrastructure improvements on Green Road and South Belvoir Boulevard, with
smaller improvements on side streets. <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">For the
first time in recent memory, nearly every store front in South Euclid is
occupied.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Further, home values are up,
and South Euclid is now a sellers’ market.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There was a house Dan and I considered buying several years ago, and in
retrospect I wish I had because it is now out of our reach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">Mayor Welo
wants to continue to build on these successes, and deserves to continue in the job.
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p><span style="font-family: Corbel;"> </span></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="font-family: Corbel;">South
Euclid-Lyndhurst School Board<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">There are
four candidates running for the two open seats on the South Euclid-Lyndhurst
School Board.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I endorse Cathy
Covarrubias for one of the two open seats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p><span style="font-family: Corbel;"> </span></o:p></b></p>Hank Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07472406383215657881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655860448031660683.post-54985372540250780242023-09-19T07:00:00.004-04:002023-11-27T10:21:00.231-05:00Farewell, Richmond Mall<p><b><span style="color: #1d2228;"><span style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Corbel;">Like many locals I have numerous memories of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richmond_Town_Square">Richmond Mall</a>.</span></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><span style="color: #1d2228;"><span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">The first was from not long after my family moved
to the area in the early 1970s. My father and I went to Woolworth, which was
near the center of the mall. I wanted to explore the toy area. My dad consented
but warned me to stay there while he went to get whatever he was looking for. Soon
I became bored and wandered Woolworth looking for my dad. Failing to see him
there, I stepped outside the store and saw him, with his back to me, talking
with someone else. I walked over to him and grabbed his hand. He turned around
and asked me “How can I help you, little boy?” It was NOT my dad. I screamed
bloody murder. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My dad, who had been
looking for me, heard my scream and retrieved me.</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; outline: none; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; outline: none; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Despite my misadventure, I made regular trips to
the mall, with my</span> parents or sister at first, and later on my own with
my high school friends. Richmond Mall seemed to have everything. A small second
level near the mall’s center included a magic shop which I found
fascinating. I saw <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Kong_(1976_film)">King Kong</a> at the
theater there - the mural outside the theater was more memorable than the
movie. My grandmother and I frequently dined at a fancy restaurant there. I
bought my first suit at Diamond’s men’s store. Shortly before graduating high
school, I got a job at the Waldenbooks there.</span></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih8FRQICJ1H94htosZkTMp76V_tSRY_ZwB3bsDFSf1rsqdCMnD-vo21R5r3h86Lw2I3TVZTilr01dt5ejKs-XCzk6bJEzu5NghSUQlWWzJiXELMJji4tftfv5uXSx2mEVIRWvYKrwZQeie0LAiKV5ei0NRCpsZHiFT3fA_PHHx_GAj_EIHJuFuT0_8CuQ/s771/richmond%20mall%20center%20fountain.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="771" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih8FRQICJ1H94htosZkTMp76V_tSRY_ZwB3bsDFSf1rsqdCMnD-vo21R5r3h86Lw2I3TVZTilr01dt5ejKs-XCzk6bJEzu5NghSUQlWWzJiXELMJji4tftfv5uXSx2mEVIRWvYKrwZQeie0LAiKV5ei0NRCpsZHiFT3fA_PHHx_GAj_EIHJuFuT0_8CuQ/s320/richmond%20mall%20center%20fountain.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><i>The central fountain at Richmond Mall</i></span></b></div><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><span style="color: #1d2228;"><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; outline: none; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /></span>
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; outline: none; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Until I was about ten, there were two local malls:
Severance Center and Richmond Mall. They were separate and distinct entities
with different stores, restaurants, and cinemas. Initially, Severance was the
more upscale of the two, boasting Higbee’s and Halle’s as anchors, while Richmond
Mall had Sears and JCPenney.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Severance
was my mother’s mall of choice, Richmond Mall was my father’s preference.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><span style="background: white;"></span></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzUsknNvesRqS2ul4IlsctnhW7cGBRFcMcJ-_Y8hrDWRgDXOC9NRPP856hTdgSRZ8LYQHqlgGl97fZyTvg5GdJGgF0n2C4fWDPI_Eio6KloRb9VqXJUn9tgB2N_dApfD7pdYrAxaRlVuHuRW61WliK3vmHCY3CkGzepdEP0zBWsRn7MCWkoDpiGVTWfQI/s769/Halle's%20Geranium%20Room.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="621" data-original-width="769" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzUsknNvesRqS2ul4IlsctnhW7cGBRFcMcJ-_Y8hrDWRgDXOC9NRPP856hTdgSRZ8LYQHqlgGl97fZyTvg5GdJGgF0n2C4fWDPI_Eio6KloRb9VqXJUn9tgB2N_dApfD7pdYrAxaRlVuHuRW61WliK3vmHCY3CkGzepdEP0zBWsRn7MCWkoDpiGVTWfQI/s320/Halle's%20Geranium%20Room.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><i>The Geranium room at Halle's</i></span></b></div><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><span style="background: white; color: #1d2228;">From Severance I re</span><span style="background: white; color: #1d2228;">member Halle’s,
which had a restaurant called the Geranium Room where my mother would buy me
lunch as a reward for not misbehaving as she did her clothes shopping. There
was also a small deli near the mall’s center, where my mom would get us sandwiches, and we would sit near
the fountain and watch the water show as we enjoyed our food. When I was ten, I
saw Star Wars three times at one of the two theaters at Severance. After
graduating from high school, I worked at The Music Box - a classical and jazz
record store recently relocated from Shaker Square. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I left Cleveland shortly thereafter. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Returning in the mid-1990s, I was struck by
the deterioration both at Severance and Richmond Mall.</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv7_yh-RodurLXfFxm73eUg9b53OOj2NdZICTyYMFuTLOaNwTdCYMJYh1_BIy4lBk5Avn5XfaTXkTydJswuRSL7UxY2dJE-yfLaSrpWtZ7s7rP8c6VYup8mtOlW6dbPsro4cl3fp6PQ77ly4Vzw9HpulbhRAkcOYOZ-KqIW4MavDaf9wYMcsHtMIel-kg/s786/richmond%20mall%20west%20entrance.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="688" data-original-width="786" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv7_yh-RodurLXfFxm73eUg9b53OOj2NdZICTyYMFuTLOaNwTdCYMJYh1_BIy4lBk5Avn5XfaTXkTydJswuRSL7UxY2dJE-yfLaSrpWtZ7s7rP8c6VYup8mtOlW6dbPsro4cl3fp6PQ77ly4Vzw9HpulbhRAkcOYOZ-KqIW4MavDaf9wYMcsHtMIel-kg/s320/richmond%20mall%20west%20entrance.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><i>The west entrance to Richmond Mall. </i></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><i>This striking architectural feature was removed </i></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><i>when Macy's was added as a third anchor in the 1990s.</i></span></b></div><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><span style="background: white; color: #1d2228;"><br /></span></span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="background: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: Corbel;">Richmond Mall underwent a major
remodel in the late 1990s, being rebranded as Richmond Town Square.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the traffic never returned to the levels
it enjoyed during its heyday of the 1960s and 70s and the stores became
increasingly generic. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mall rents were
simply too high for the independent retailers that were there before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once the Barnes & Noble there closed, I
had little reason to goto Richmond Mall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> B&N became a </span>Planet Fitness which Daniel went to until a new branch opened at Cedar Center. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="background: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: Corbel;">Shortly before the turn of the millennium,
Severance was essentially turned inside out and reopened as Severance Town
Center, with entirely new stores: Borders, Home Depot, Walmart, a grocery
store, a Bally’s gym. Again, generic
stuff you could find anywhere else. Borders
died during the Great Recession and the Bally’s location became another
gym. Walmart moved to Oakwood Commons in
2013. Severance Town Center suffers from
low occupancy, with some of the outlying buildings, including the former IHOP,
shuttered. Somehow, it continues to limp
along despite poorly maintained and nearly empty parking areas.</span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">A certain type of person will blame the demise of
Richmond Mall as the result of “urban” culture ruining the shopping experience.
Others will blame online shopping. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I won’t
wallow in nostalgia for an era that was not objectively “better.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both Richmond and Severance both started</span>
going downhill after <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randall_Park_Mall">Randall
Park Mall</a> (claimed to be the world’s largest shopping mall when opened, now
torn down and replaced by an Amazon warehouse) and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beachwood_Place">Beachwood Place</a>
opened. By the 1980s, I noticed the carpeting along Richmond Mall’s long
corridors was looking frayed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was,
obviously, long before online shopping became an option.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Truth be told, there are only so many
shopping centers that can be supported in an area with a declining population.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="background: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: Corbel;">This begs the question: should older,
out of date shopping centers like Severance and Richmond Mall be somehow protected
when newer and arguably better shopping centers like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legacy_Village">Legacy Village</a> and <a href="https://www.discoverpinecrest.com/">Pinecrest</a> are serving the area’s
consumers?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe not. <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><span style="background: white; color: #1d2228;">As Terence Mann (played by James Earl
Jones) said in Field of Dreams:</span> “America has rolled by like an army of
steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is what is happening near the northeast corner
of Richmond and Wilson Mills Roads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
new development, <a href="https://belleoaksrichmond.com/">Belle Oaks</a>, is
arguably the best use for this parcel of land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After years of delays, I look forward to seeing the finished
product.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #1d2228; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Corbel, sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">*Photos courtesy Cleveland Historical
Society and Cleveland Memory</span></span><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>Hank Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07472406383215657881noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655860448031660683.post-26312096274927093782023-08-30T16:30:00.011-04:002023-08-31T10:59:47.883-04:0086 hours without electricity<p><b style="font-family: Corbel;">In August
of 2003, while working as a piano store manager, I saw the lights dim for about
30 seconds, then flicker, finally failing entirely, unaware that I was
experiencing the first moments of </b><a href="http://hankdrake.blogspot.com/2003/08/blackout-of-2003.html" style="font-family: Corbel;"><b>a blackout that covered much of the
northeastern United States and parts of Canada</b></a><b style="font-family: Corbel;">.
The area on the west side of Cleveland where I was living and working
saw its power restored within 24 hours. Many others experienced a far longer period
without electricity.</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">Almost
exactly 20 years later, just after midnight on Friday, August 25, 2023, I was
awakened by a howling noise outside our home in South Euclid, Ohio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Noticing my electricity was out, I looked out
my bedroom window and saw branches on the two large oak trees on our front lawn
bending with the wind in a manner I did not know was possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unaware that tornado warnings had been issued
locally, I took no special precautions, but went back to bed, confident that
power would be restored in short order.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">When I awoke
again shortly before 5:00am, I looked out my window again and saw
darkness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Grabbing a flashlight and
stepping outdoors, I spotted our recycling bin upended on my neighbor’s
property.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I gathered the scattered
recyclables, returned them to the bin, then returned the bin to its proper
resting place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Branches of varying sizes
were scattered throughout the property.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I heard a work crew nearby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Following the sounds, I saw they were dealing with a fallen tree one
block over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Walking back to my own
street, I saw a tree leaning on a power line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3o6ejl00LNSO3Dai2uG36ETLUEQfMqRQ-Ak2rX4wm9j4I2U8wmzESYZ5S8HtIx-K8z9I1Mmcx6Yk_Q1D9qACw1b7mjJ0-MSnwJZUwy7Ls47hiRLAmtkbcSeE4e0ytK3FMG2beIG26AtaSxooMLByKUphD2xJfLIr4WDG1S7IjcDP2dCnzwmX8wj4kviY/s4032/IMG_5923.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3o6ejl00LNSO3Dai2uG36ETLUEQfMqRQ-Ak2rX4wm9j4I2U8wmzESYZ5S8HtIx-K8z9I1Mmcx6Yk_Q1D9qACw1b7mjJ0-MSnwJZUwy7Ls47hiRLAmtkbcSeE4e0ytK3FMG2beIG26AtaSxooMLByKUphD2xJfLIr4WDG1S7IjcDP2dCnzwmX8wj4kviY/s320/IMG_5923.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><br /></span></b></p>Clearly,
this was no ordinary storm. The Cleveland area received a record number of
tornado warnings within a short space of time – with several touching down and
one causing <a href="https://www.cleveland.com/news/2023/08/a-devastating-loss-tornado-touches-down-in-cleveland-thousands-impacted-in-northeast-ohio.html" target="_blank">extensive damage in Cleveland’s Midtown district</a>. Our area is used to winter challenges, summer
heat, and seasonal thunderstorms – multiple tornadoes, not so much. As I wrote in an email to a young relative: <i>Some
people will just say “Oh, the climate has always been this way.” But I am more and more inclined to believe
that Mother Earth is pissed-off at us humans, and I don’t blame her. Beyond a doubt, we are the primary cause of
climate change. Tornado warnings were
almost unknown in our area – but we’ve had several in the last 10 years, last
night’s caused a lot of damage, and the number of severe storms has increased
exponentially.</i></span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">After Dan
left for his job, I headed to my employer’s campus to work (I’ve been largely
working from home since the early days of COVID).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As information came in about the extent of
the storm and blackouts, I decided to book a hotel for Friday night. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I was hopeful, as the total number of
customers lacking power had gone from over 224,000 without power at 8:00am to
160,000 by 4:00pm. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After work and before
heading to the hotel, Dan & I spent about an hour cleaning up the
yard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately, there was no damage
to the house – including to our new storm windows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few days before, a major rainstorm
confirmed that our street’s newly refurbished water runoff inlets were
functioning well, with none of the flooding on our street we’d become
accustomed to after even small rainfalls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">After
awakening in our hotel room Saturday morning, Dan & I headed back home to
see power was not restored, largely as I expected given that I was following
the outages listed on First Energy’s website.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I took advantage of the relative quiet on our street to make some piano
recordings – fortunately, my old Mason & Hamlin upright does not require
electricity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1B6aWvmvxPGjbE1kHu76AJICdG7TLMsNOaPp7_6AfHxS8WxNV-NBQUFSYnIFHJW0k-zi5dWTT8cLTrC6iqXOHHLQWgUW-2NPZlhCwsUvUdNo-s3n--dGfhTI7Bn91jI-KRhKnZY8Fmp2sOWRaBcijtoSyhy6MXD1ArM9PMgpWgW_aRsaYh1lEFPT_xRk/s3077/Piano%20during%20blackout%202023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3077" data-original-width="2424" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1B6aWvmvxPGjbE1kHu76AJICdG7TLMsNOaPp7_6AfHxS8WxNV-NBQUFSYnIFHJW0k-zi5dWTT8cLTrC6iqXOHHLQWgUW-2NPZlhCwsUvUdNo-s3n--dGfhTI7Bn91jI-KRhKnZY8Fmp2sOWRaBcijtoSyhy6MXD1ArM9PMgpWgW_aRsaYh1lEFPT_xRk/s320/Piano%20during%20blackout%202023.jpg" width="252" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">Piano by candlelight</span></b></div><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><br /></span></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">We spent the rest of the
weekend seeking out places to go where we could pass the time in relative
comfort: walking in some parks, dining at restaurants, seeing a film – while
<a href="https://outages.firstenergycorp.com/oh.html" target="_blank">periodically checking to see if power was restored</a>. While driving around, we saw the damage in Midtown.</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr79rkkczHEL-GJd4TsOarZyssZZxVwUEAzKkE238ThDstw9vGm7-NQQLC36lnDLunuOSELb7gipu7XlSpRyq139l6Ncfcjh7LNzvFhU9Q31mnZ9hjiw6s-ZS8mhHZDg6sTACZ_4ocacAufBgM0J9ukwDzIMp17-4FJedvxJtNEeUeVDGV6aC8B-6D-JA/s3032/IMG_3640.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3032" data-original-width="2987" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr79rkkczHEL-GJd4TsOarZyssZZxVwUEAzKkE238ThDstw9vGm7-NQQLC36lnDLunuOSELb7gipu7XlSpRyq139l6Ncfcjh7LNzvFhU9Q31mnZ9hjiw6s-ZS8mhHZDg6sTACZ_4ocacAufBgM0J9ukwDzIMp17-4FJedvxJtNEeUeVDGV6aC8B-6D-JA/s320/IMG_3640.jpg" width="315" /></a></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">Damage at the Dunham Tavern Museum</span></b></div><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"> <o:p></o:p></span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">I also perused
social media, posting information where useful, and observing posts and
comments from various people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A long-held
belief of mine was confirmed: An appallingly high percentage of people have no
idea how the world around them works.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
saw posts blaming the mayor of my municipality and those of other
municipalities for everything from the time they were without power to the
presence of flooding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In our area, the <a href="https://www.neorsd.org/">Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District</a> is
responsible for maintaining the sewers; if your street floods, contact
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If your local creek floods, well, that’s
what creeks do when it rains, and if you made the decision to live next to a
creek, that’s on you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If your power hasn’t
been restored yet, the mayor has no control over that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For what it’s worth, I will comment that the
South Euclid services department was at work clearing branches as soon as the
weather had cleared; further, the city advised that people could come to city
hall if they needed to charge their devices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">I have no
complaints about the line workers from First Energy who worked long hours to
get power back online – to say nothing of the many workers who came from
outside of Ohio to help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They worked
their butts off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The problem, as it often
is, stems with poor management, from the CEO on down – which puts profit over
providing a service which people rely on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They did not prepare, and their communications were poor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, I signed up to their automated
system so I could be informed when my power was restored.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Within a few hours, I received multiple
communications giving conflicting information.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>First, I received a text that power would be restored by 2:00pm Monday;
a half hour later, another text stated the power would be restored by 8:00pm
Wednesday – followed by an automated phone call stating the same; 40 minutes
later a further text stated that power would be restored by 4:00pm Monday,
followed by another text 20 minutes later that power had been restored.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It had been out for 86 hours. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPRwF48pEoscwsWgcN16lo_GvjRnGqZUShMzz6nI0uXDVw98SdA3PdQdVbjTs-8fWSLjp9JTohl0pMgZj1J5ZY9ePN808caB3S5dXsY3_hDtN2rY0knT574xmRn-rRwRXE-MHheBNGGS86svn55A6UQ-f45L6eGZqw-0-iywuUPVMXuJFYmEoWV7ySkWs/s1068/IMG_E5978%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="928" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPRwF48pEoscwsWgcN16lo_GvjRnGqZUShMzz6nI0uXDVw98SdA3PdQdVbjTs-8fWSLjp9JTohl0pMgZj1J5ZY9ePN808caB3S5dXsY3_hDtN2rY0knT574xmRn-rRwRXE-MHheBNGGS86svn55A6UQ-f45L6eGZqw-0-iywuUPVMXuJFYmEoWV7ySkWs/s320/IMG_E5978%20-%20Copy.JPG" width="278" /></a></b></div><b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Corbel;">Make up your mind.</span></div></b><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><br /></span></b></p>Here are
some lessons learned from the past week’s experience:</span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">Northeast
Ohio’s tree canopy needs to be better managed, especially in more densely
populated communities. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our tree canopy
is a wonderful thing – relatives and friends who have moved out of state have
told me how much they miss it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The two
oak trees on my property, which I spend plenty of money to keep trimmed,
provide enough shade to keep my electric bills at a reasonable level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But in communities such as South Euclid,
trees should not be permitted to grow without a plan for management –
especially those trees which are near homes or power
structures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The repair of our localized
loss of power was delayed because a large tree fell onto an unoccupied house,
taking down several power lines and a transformer with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5xdd62UjkjdWmQD7Nv_j_RLG_7LY7MFJhm-7LK7wwR5v_UoP0waTPGncRB7Jq7QpXFL2TmG1I-VEq66tJYBMzx3zd94KOsx9kzpOJM8MexlvygsZ2c40tJf8S-fMC3Ru-vUWhbusqDUQRveZEnJpYRXeNP34d_0rKY9X38kVoG0Zs3POBXc47zn9n6vU/s4032/IMG_5973.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5xdd62UjkjdWmQD7Nv_j_RLG_7LY7MFJhm-7LK7wwR5v_UoP0waTPGncRB7Jq7QpXFL2TmG1I-VEq66tJYBMzx3zd94KOsx9kzpOJM8MexlvygsZ2c40tJf8S-fMC3Ru-vUWhbusqDUQRveZEnJpYRXeNP34d_0rKY9X38kVoG0Zs3POBXc47zn9n6vU/s320/IMG_5973.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">Tree damage at a nearby house</span></b></div><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">The other
item is something I’ve believed for years: The United States should embark on
program to upgrade, modernize, and protect our energy grid from hazards
including weather events and hacking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Wherever possible, utility lines should be moved underground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A colleague of mine did not lose power,
largely because her community is newer and their power lines are
underground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those of us who live in
older communities, and who pay the same for electricity, should enjoy the same reliability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The nationwide migration of utilities
underground would be a massive undertaking, but no more than the building of
the Interstate Highway system or the infrastructure created during the New
Deal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would require cooperative
efforts from Federal, State, and Local governments along with utility
providers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The biggest obstacle is the
lack of leadership in both parties to lower the hammer and make it happen – because
an effort of this magnitude would require at least partial public funding,
which would require a tax increase on the wealthy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, a project such as this, which would have
the added benefit of greatly improving aesthetics in our neighborhoods and
commercial districts, will likely not happen in my lifetime.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">As I said
in the email to my young relative: Our climate is changing. We’re not going to be able to conserve our
way out of the climate crisis. We need
to be prepared.</span><span face="Corbel, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>Hank Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07472406383215657881noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655860448031660683.post-18249731265388111712023-08-09T06:13:00.002-04:002023-08-09T12:57:09.690-04:00Why I still have hope for Ohio<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><b>As I had </b><a href="http://hankdrake.blogspot.com/2023/07/vote-no-on-ohio-issue-1.html"><b>hoped and advocated for</b></a><b>, Ohio’s Issue 1 was defeated at the
polls. In the end, the margin was more
than a landslide, it was an earthquake: <a href="https://www.cleveland.com/news/2023/08/ohio-voters-reject-state-issue-1-defeating-hurdle-for-abortion-rights-vote-in-november.html">57%
against to 43% in favor</a>. <o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Corbel;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Vl5x4mM4cnsxFUJI2kZQx0o_bIkc8bIXTNwVy7fEF9pbX8j0QLHjexTOGUHVGR0VNq4aWNfHQDWU9hPRRhI8_s2r55evP1TdkO3ZBJ36AXnltLxJvRVr_47fGjWnz0PMD6pyw-D-qgpyynNmI7IQpX8NYesiHdYG8P4DuEBFl1Uv--LJZFpesBfrHzc/s828/Ohio%20Issue%201%20results.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="795" data-original-width="828" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Vl5x4mM4cnsxFUJI2kZQx0o_bIkc8bIXTNwVy7fEF9pbX8j0QLHjexTOGUHVGR0VNq4aWNfHQDWU9hPRRhI8_s2r55evP1TdkO3ZBJ36AXnltLxJvRVr_47fGjWnz0PMD6pyw-D-qgpyynNmI7IQpX8NYesiHdYG8P4DuEBFl1Uv--LJZFpesBfrHzc/s320/Ohio%20Issue%201%20results.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">My own vote
was cast at my local polling place just after it opened at 6:30 am. Since my driveway is currently under
construction, I decided to forego the arduous task of maneuvering my car over
the lawn to get onto the road and walked to the polls. It was a beautiful morning and made for a
nice start to the day. There was a line
of people waiting outside, not as large as in Presidential or Gubernatorial
elections, but substantial enough to buoy my hopes for the Issue’s defeat.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDzBPXcTVm2aqYvXM5aJ8iyIlqeV7h94boBUgH1Nsf9gjokdKi6PDonxmy8ZrqWh0VUoC0fP4DFGI3YIRWjg5INlRrbL0z0UlX77PXK1Qa-pr5x9TIdg70OV0m7llRqZxDQ4yKr5EI30_YA_kJsKPqaBs05pxMmblvCxuyZn33NBqTCBJJ-kBB-Rs3MzA/s960/Hank%202023%2008%2008%20after%20voting.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDzBPXcTVm2aqYvXM5aJ8iyIlqeV7h94boBUgH1Nsf9gjokdKi6PDonxmy8ZrqWh0VUoC0fP4DFGI3YIRWjg5INlRrbL0z0UlX77PXK1Qa-pr5x9TIdg70OV0m7llRqZxDQ4yKr5EI30_YA_kJsKPqaBs05pxMmblvCxuyZn33NBqTCBJJ-kBB-Rs3MzA/s320/Hank%202023%2008%2008%20after%20voting.jpg" width="240" /></a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">The obligatory post-vote selfie.</span></b></div><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><br /></span></b></p>I was
recently speaking with a younger friend who, like me, despises Ohio’s politics. But he has never lived in Ohio, only visited. So, I had to explain a few nuances: Ohio is
really two states: the larger cities of Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, and
their suburbs - along with smaller cities like Toledo, Dayton, and Youngstown, which
are reliably blue; then there are the outer ring suburbs and the country, which
are reliably red. But the voters who
really hold the cards in Ohio are neither Republican nor Democrat – they are unaffiliated
and tend toward the fiscally conservative and socially moderate. Social perceptions change with time. While Ohio’s voters in 2004 were comfortable
passing a Constitutional amendment to outlaw marriage equality (subsequently
overturned by the Supreme Court), it’s doubtful they would do so today.</span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">Ohio has
long had a reputation as a swing state and a reflection of America’s politics
in general. It’s not so much a leader as
a follower – about a decade behind the national trend. During the height of the Reagan era, Ohio’s
governor and both Senators were Democrats.
Today, the state leans red, while previous red states, including
Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia, have become purple and even lean to the
blue. Ohio’s Presidential vote matched
the electoral vote in every election after 1960 and before 2020. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">Ohio’s
Secretary of State, Frank LaRose, pushed this issue and worked to put it onto
the ballot in August – despite a recent law forbidding such one-off
elections. LaRose and fellow Republicans
did so hoping that low turnout would help their cause. In doing so, LaRose exposed his own hypocrisy
for all to see.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><span style="background: white; color: #1d2228;">"Changing the rules of a game so
you have a better chance at winning is what my daughters try to do when they
are losing Candyland. It is not what responsible leaders do when their
Agenda is failing." - Frank LaRose January 11, 2022</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<span style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: Corbel;">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="background: white; color: #1d2228;">Ohio’s Secretary of State now has egg
on his face, as does Governor Mike DeWine – who has styled himself as a
moderate-conservative, but is substantively a right-winger. DeWine is term limited and will likely retire from public life after his term expires. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="background: white; color: #1d2228;">The winners: First, the women of
Ohio, who now have a fighting chance to control their own bodies. Second, those in Ohio who support the
principle of one person, one vote.
Third, those active in Ohio politics – whether officeholders or not,
Republican, Democrat, and unaffiliated – who opposed this Issue, including
former Cuyahoga County commissioner Lee Weingart, former governors Bob Taft and
John Kasich, and two former Ohio attorneys general. Those listed here are all Republicans,
battling to pull the state party toward sanity.
Whether they will emerge victorious in the war for their party’s soul
remains to be seen – but last night they won a significant battle, and in doing
so all of Ohio’s women won.</span></b><b><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>I have no
illusions: Ohio leans Republican, despite having a Democratic Senator in
Sherrod Brown – who is up for reelection next year with LaRose trying for the
Republican nomination to oppose him. But
the redness of Ohio is exaggerated by gerrymandering, which has continued
despite numerous court rulings and citizen initiatives. The defeat of Issue 1 is a good step in preventing
Ohio’s redness from becoming all but permanent.
<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>The work
continues. A proposed Constitutional
amendment protecting women’s health choices will be on the ballot in November –
now eligible for passage with a simple majority. Another amendment, not yet approved for the
ballot as signatures are being authenticated, would have <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legality_of_cannabis_by_U.S._jurisdiction">Ohio
join states including Michigan in allowing recreational cannabis</a>. More on these amendments in a future
post. </b><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p></span></span>Hank Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07472406383215657881noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655860448031660683.post-88527989602410440392023-07-19T16:30:00.012-04:002023-07-19T18:59:35.036-04:00Vote NO on Ohio Issue 1<p><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">August 8<sup>th</sup>
will mark Ohio’s most important election in recent memory. There are no federal or state candidates on
the ballot. Instead, there is only one
item: Issue 1, a proposed Constitutional Amendment <a href="https://votenoinaugust.org/facts/">which would do the following</a>:</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif">Raise the
bar for getting an amendment on the ballot from 5% of voters in the last
general election in 44 Ohio counties to 5% in all 88 counties. </span></b></li><li><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif">Eliminate
the 10-day time period to correct petition signatures deemed faulty from the
Secretary of State’s office. In other words,
signatures deemed faulty by the Secretary of State (a partisan, elected office)
will be thrown out with no opportunity for redress – forcing petitioners to
begin the entire process again. </span></b></li><li><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif">If an issue
gets on the ballot, the threshold to pass will be raised from 50% plus 1 to 60%.</span></b></li></ul><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Corbel;">In simplest
terms, Issue 1, if passed, would make future Conditional amendments a virtual
impossibility. </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">The hypocrisy
of those pushing this amendment is stunning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Extremist </span>Republicans were content with majority rule when it came to passing a Constitutional
amendment outlawing marriage equality – which was later <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obergefell_v._Hodges">overturned by the U.
S. Supreme Court</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’re also fine
with a simple majority to pass this amendment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But with the prospect of an amendment protecting women’s reproductive
rights looming, Ohio’s right wingers, funded by out of state interests, want to
raise the bar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s understandable why
the pro-Issue 1 cadre is wary of an amendment protecting choice: most Ohioans are
pro-Choice, as is the majority of Americans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Issue 1’s backers are resorting to the usual odious scaremongering: they
are claiming Issue 1’s opponents are trying to “destroy the family unit”, and they're airing
ads claiming Issue 1’s defeat will lead to forced gender reassignment of
children and “post-birth” abortions – whatever those are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> This is a classic case of the uber-religious trying to drum up hysteria to impose their values on everybody, regardless of one's religious choice. </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5UFmsj96MJXmYiLoY5jutANKRh1CfgFjESJVBxS71QWn_FnMfr_J1PGHIysYxQZlBW46nn_t9Jb0A0TR_q2pYoUTH1XLi_2hxYQX-H3DgQrEjxfPpqjIG_izmEODD7EFt8yFedYknCCct_RZvggoS8frwXvIP9wLhyB25Np9LEPDIKSAGDyBu46Qs-2M/s1007/Yes%201%20small%20govt.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="845" data-original-width="1007" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5UFmsj96MJXmYiLoY5jutANKRh1CfgFjESJVBxS71QWn_FnMfr_J1PGHIysYxQZlBW46nn_t9Jb0A0TR_q2pYoUTH1XLi_2hxYQX-H3DgQrEjxfPpqjIG_izmEODD7EFt8yFedYknCCct_RZvggoS8frwXvIP9wLhyB25Np9LEPDIKSAGDyBu46Qs-2M/s320/Yes%201%20small%20govt.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></b></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">The pro-Issue
1 people have the gall to suggest that Issue 1 is really about protecting Democracy,
while touting an amendment that violates the sacred democratic principle of “one
person, one vote.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Secretary of State
Frank LaRose, who pushed to get this amendment on the ballot, has been caught
in his own lie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-rZm7Lq7_jSgWyCmp3DfUAK4YKt1yMAnqtZvQaFjmcXs8Oc5amLUgLHFQYJyjdYv4qQymPjwP_9SWTcxG_0Vt8AD3HHsOqwPxg3PRRb_fIwUvJZbCC8HVAY2eHdlYNmOkMYcFCHpYhrx7GiiaIqLwwakJSpp5fbDAivwRX9VWKEWfRGwYxbEplGNLmiM/s1000/2%20faced%20Frank%20LaRose.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="662" data-original-width="1000" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-rZm7Lq7_jSgWyCmp3DfUAK4YKt1yMAnqtZvQaFjmcXs8Oc5amLUgLHFQYJyjdYv4qQymPjwP_9SWTcxG_0Vt8AD3HHsOqwPxg3PRRb_fIwUvJZbCC8HVAY2eHdlYNmOkMYcFCHpYhrx7GiiaIqLwwakJSpp5fbDAivwRX9VWKEWfRGwYxbEplGNLmiM/s320/2%20faced%20Frank%20LaRose.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><br /></span></b></p>The pro-Issue
1 campaign has become so odious that numerous Ohio Republicans, including former
Cuyahoga County commissioner Lee Weingart, former governors Bob Taft and John
Kasich, and two former Ohio attorneys general have come out against it. In addition, a <a href="https://votenoinaugust.org/endorsements/">broad coalition of groups</a>
from across the political spectrum oppose Issue 1.</span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">This issue
will not be decided, however, by card carrying Republicans or Democrats. It will be decided by unaffiliated voters, which
constitutes the largest voting bloc in Ohio.
It is up to them to show up and vote NO on Issue 1. </span><span face="Corbel, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6PVl4zW-fUkHwPmvS7sADyyW9COirw4SA81POcRsYwtt-0c6DLEczq3qc2wNla-mw9yURuS_H-p4kwp7PIB1PN6009q4Q_NcGJxJ30a0WHV8eTXjAltjtyT6-Q2UfJG10pj6JebIoIt-TIKwomjH3scXk6_U7qnTCxKNBdRMeNvz0HzRgtzh72AJ1OfE/s1425/cropped-NoIssue1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="895" data-original-width="1425" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6PVl4zW-fUkHwPmvS7sADyyW9COirw4SA81POcRsYwtt-0c6DLEczq3qc2wNla-mw9yURuS_H-p4kwp7PIB1PN6009q4Q_NcGJxJ30a0WHV8eTXjAltjtyT6-Q2UfJG10pj6JebIoIt-TIKwomjH3scXk6_U7qnTCxKNBdRMeNvz0HzRgtzh72AJ1OfE/s320/cropped-NoIssue1.png" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br /><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><br /></span></b><p></p>Hank Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07472406383215657881noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655860448031660683.post-9043820137693109202023-07-16T06:57:00.008-04:002023-07-16T07:04:48.006-04:00Rachmaninoff at Blossom with Kochanovsky and Lugansky<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">Daniel and I didn't follow our normal summer
concert routine yesterday. Instead of a leisurely pre-concert dinner at
Mexibachi Grill near <a href="http://clevelandorchestra.com/discover/blossom-music-center/">Blossom
Music Center</a>, we joined his family in Lorain for a lovely
birthday party before racing to Cuyahoga Falls for last night’s concert. It's fun to mix things up. Several weeks ago, as I booked tickets for
the concert, I fretted over which seats to get – forgetting the giant video
screens that now make such considerations superfluous. As the concert proceeded, Daniel and I found
ourselves looking at the screens more than the stage. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">The
Cleveland Orchestra was never considered to be a “Rachmaninoff” orchestra, in
contrast to the Philadelphia Orchestra which the composer considered to be the
world’s finest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But Sergei Rachmaninoff had
worked with the Cleveland’s first two conductors, Nikolai Sokoloff and Artur
Rodziński – and when the former was preparing to make the first-ever recording
of Rachmaninoff’s Second Symphony, the composer collaborated with Sokoloff over
cuts to the music to fit the work onto the allotted number of 78rpm discs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite dated sonics, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-wZjvHsgvA">the 1928 recording</a> holds
up very well. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">Fortunately,
recording technology and the music world have evolved so that Rachmaninoff’s
works are generally performed intact these days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The opening work on the program, his <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_Concerto_No._3_(Rachmaninoff)">Third
Concerto</a>, was performed complete – as it should be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Soloist Nikolai Lugansky, making his
Cleveland Orchestra debut, delivered a cohesive, well-nigh technically flawless
performance – “like butter,” as some would say.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Conceptually, his approach to the work was very much like the composer’s
own recording, but a tad more relaxed and, as mentioned, without any
disfiguring cuts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As with the composer
and his chosen successor, Vladimir Horowitz, Lugansky chose the faster,
quicksilver cadenza.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Conductor Stanislav
Kochanovsky, also making his Cleveland Orchestra debut, was with the soloist
for every step of the journey – urging the orchestra toward more extroverted
playing than is usually heard from them. At the work’s conclusion, they
received an immediate ovation and were recalled several times, with Lugansky
furnishing an encore: Rachmaninoff’s Prelude in C minor, Op. 23, No. 7.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><b>The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._1_(Rachmaninoff)">Symphony No.
1,</a> which followed intermission, was not as successful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The heart of the problem lay with the work
itself – it’s easily the weakest of the composer’s three Symphonies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indeed, the merciless laceration the work
received following its premiere in 1897 – with critic</b> </span><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">César Cui denouncing it as suited to a “conservatory
in Hell” and likening it to “the Ten Plagues of Egypt” – sent the composer into
a depression so severe that he suffered from a three-year writer’s block which could
only be resolved by hypnotherapy. The
work lay forgotten, its score believed to be lost until surfacing in 1945, two
years after the composer’s death. Listening
with modern ears and having heard the work numerous times in recordings, it’s
obvious it owes much to Tchaikovsky and Borodin in orchestration. The Dies Irae theme, which is referenced in numerous
of Rachmaninoff’s work, is heard constantly throughout – transformed from minor
to major – to the point of over-repetition. Kochanovsky
and the orchestra delivered a polished rendition of the work, but audience
members were seen leaving the pavilion as it proceeded. </span><span face="Corbel, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsGtt2pILYoA00_a0xqUEvTHXvbVGDtWN5hHGMomgGw7Ns5WWh_Fn64J-GL0Aeg3bPmUfLSG1mof-WNFwx6bzu3k6MqV1URjDOP_y6sZfCkoHlOjet2NkM--jUtfYNJGLw_towjPcA9zomHZ1FOPfQM0jgdTsyuYeLfD2tTqs_LPn6EvNz2WYdTms-81I/s3088/Hank%20at%20Blossom%202023%2007%2015.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsGtt2pILYoA00_a0xqUEvTHXvbVGDtWN5hHGMomgGw7Ns5WWh_Fn64J-GL0Aeg3bPmUfLSG1mof-WNFwx6bzu3k6MqV1URjDOP_y6sZfCkoHlOjet2NkM--jUtfYNJGLw_towjPcA9zomHZ1FOPfQM0jgdTsyuYeLfD2tTqs_LPn6EvNz2WYdTms-81I/s320/Hank%20at%20Blossom%202023%2007%2015.JPG" width="320" /></a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><i>Yours truly before the concert.</i></span></b></div><b><br /><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><br /></span></b><p></p>Hank Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07472406383215657881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655860448031660683.post-50754654484583544542023-07-04T07:14:00.000-04:002023-07-04T07:14:00.140-04:00Further thoughts on Independence Day<p><span style="font-family: Corbel;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH9Mohun9AovFkfiDzQ38618ThxkPBdJ1L0LhTEVX7vaOpmBsyGdZwr49_isF8VnJpcX2Y7hI_yqbkiN7izgrTG0tUO1PLzDaK6av98ZENyB8fNWVkH7h2PeeVdJlPCPRiYjEaN47h5JqLYguZ-RjRZJmNAiS6DkpRWp6DeC82YxHme0E0D4JViCGsTj0/s10930/Dunlap%20broadside%20Declaration%20of%20Independence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="10930" data-original-width="8870" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH9Mohun9AovFkfiDzQ38618ThxkPBdJ1L0LhTEVX7vaOpmBsyGdZwr49_isF8VnJpcX2Y7hI_yqbkiN7izgrTG0tUO1PLzDaK6av98ZENyB8fNWVkH7h2PeeVdJlPCPRiYjEaN47h5JqLYguZ-RjRZJmNAiS6DkpRWp6DeC82YxHme0E0D4JViCGsTj0/s320/Dunlap%20broadside%20Declaration%20of%20Independence.jpg" width="260" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><br /></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">I dislike
the modern, intellectually lazy practice of referring to Independence Day as
“the fourth of July.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I suspect it may
have originated with people having trouble spelling the word
“Independence.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whatever the root cause,
it weakens the significance of the day and ignores the fact that our nation’s
birthday was nearly July 2, not July 4, 1776.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is precisely why John Adams, in a letter to his wife Abigail,
stated: <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">“The second
day of July 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I
am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the
great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of
deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be
solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells,
bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from
this time forward forever more.”<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><b>Years ago,
I wrote a </b><a href="https://hankdrake.blogspot.com/2010/07/random-thoughts-on-independence-day.html"><b>blog post about Independence Day</b></a><b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was confined to the history of the holiday and how, over the years,
it had been militarized – when in fact our nation’s founders were not only
trying to overthrow a brutal occupying military force, but that after they were
victorious the founders were loath to even have a standing military (the reason
for the groups like the </b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minutemen"><b>Minutemen</b></a><b>
and </b><a href="https://www.seventeen.com/life/a19643402/second-amendment-gun-control-history/"><b>our Constitution’s Second Amendment</b></a><b>, which has been twisted by specious
court rulings).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">Independence
Day is therefore celebrated as the decision by a group of Caucasian males, many
of whom owned other human beings, to break ties with the nation that ruled over
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As imperfect as individual
Founders were, let us celebrate our nation’s rejection of unhealthy
encumbrances while also advocating for the independence of all human
beings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">Independence
from what?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><b>From outmoded
and oppressive cultural traditions like </b><a href="https://truthout.org/articles/arranged-marriage-is-a-us-issue/"><b>arranged marriages</b></a><b>, </b><a href="https://www.amnestyusa.org/the-horror-of-honor-killings-even-in-us/"><b>honor killings</b></a><b>, and the </b><a href="https://www.carlacorelli.com/narcissistic-abuse-recovery/homophobic-parents-and-effects-on-their-lgbtiq-child/"><b>presumption that one’s children will
grow up to be heterosexual</b></a><b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><b>From the
expectation that your </b><a href="https://globalcomment.com/why-shouldnt-we-force-religion-on-kids/"><b>child’s religious beliefs</b></a><b> will be the same as yours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">From endless
cycles of generational wealth and generational poverty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Corbel;"><b>From debt
to higher educational institutions for obtaining something which is better seen
as </b><a href="https://helpfulprofessor.com/reasons-why-college-should-be-free/"><b>an investment in our nation as a whole</b></a><b> – because an educated populace, able
to compete for the best jobs, benefits us all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">From having
to make the agonizing choice between receiving necessary health care and
putting food on the table. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">From a
sanitized version of our history that leaves us blameless for the mistakes of
our predecessors, including the treatment of Native Americans, slavery and its
aftermath, the internment of Japanese-Americans, and many other wrongs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">From the
mindless worship of historical figures who, though they should be remembered,
should not be celebrated.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">From the
sins of our parents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just as our nation
does not recognize inherited nobility, nor should children be held responsible
for the personal or financial shortcomings of their parents.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Corbel;">These
things signify true Independence. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><br /><p></p>Hank Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07472406383215657881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655860448031660683.post-37655766196671402652023-05-20T07:51:00.007-04:002023-05-20T07:59:36.477-04:00The American Dream at Severance<p><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif">As part of
its season ending series The American Dream, the Cleveland Orchestra last night
presented works by either American composers or those focused on an aspect of
American life. The concert was led by Assistant
Conductor Daniel Reith, substituting for an indisposed Franz Welser-M</span></b><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">ö</span></b><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif">st.</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif">The concert
opened with the overture to Scott Joplin’s opera </span></b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treemonisha"><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif">Treemonisha</span></b></a><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif">. That’s right, Scott Joplin, the composer best known for
his melodic (and very pianistic) rags, composed a full-scale opera in 1911. It
was never performed during his lifetime, receiving a tragically belated
premiere in 1972.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was fortunate to see
a concert performance of the work in Andover, Massachusetts during the early
1990s, and my immediate reaction was that it was worthy of more frequent
performances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having heard recordings of
it several times since then, I would amplify my statement thusly: Treemonisha
ought to be presented at least as often as George Gershwin’s Porgy and
Bess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif">The next
composer on the program, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julia_Perry">Julia
Perry</a>, has an Ohio connection: she moved to Akron with her family when she
was a child, and died there in 1979.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Short
Piece for Orchestra, however, was composed in 1952 while she was living in
Paris.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are insinuations of
Schoenberg in the stark, unsentimental harmonies, with skillful and colorful
orchestration that would do any composer proud.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Grant_Still">William Grant Still’s
Darker America</a>, composed in 1924, was more broadly phrased, and mixed the
kind of American sound that Aaron Copland would explore a decade later, with uniquely
African-American tones. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif">Reith then
led the orchestra in three selections from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Herrmann">Bernard Herrmann’s</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertigo_(soundtrack)">score to Alfred
Hitchcock’s Vertigo</a>: The Prelude, Nightmare, and Love Scene.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Herrmann’s work, in particular this score, has
been hugely influential on my own compositions – to the extent that I composed
a 20-minute set of variations on the Portrait of Carlotta theme about 25 years
ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve collected numerous recordings
of Herrmann’s scores over the decades and have no less than three of
Vertigo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet I’ve never heard Herrmann’s
score to this film performed with such exquisite balance, virtuosity,
transparency, or burnished tone as presented by Reith and the orchestra last
night. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif">I have the fortune
or misfortune of having a highly visual memory – to the extent that I never
forget the face of someone who I like or dislike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So imagine my amusement at seeing one of the ringleaders of the
opposition to <a href="http://hankdrake.blogspot.com/2018/04/south-euclids-anti-discrimination.html">South
Euclid’s LGBT+ <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>inclusive non-discrimination
ordinance</a> at Severance with, of course, a same-sex companion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, I saw several Catholic priests at
the concert, a stroke of supreme irony as one of the works presented was
Voiceless Mass, by <a href="http://spiderwebsinthesky.com/">Raven Chacon</a> –
who is of Native American ancestry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
work, premiered in 2021, is a reflection on and reaction to the forced assimilation
of Native Americans by, among others, the Catholic Church. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sparse, static dissonance of Voiceless
Mass, which often hovered near the barrier between silence and sound, brought
to mind images of a vast and empty desert.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The small ensemble (including electronic organ) was scattered around the
hall so that the conductor was facing the audience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reith’s leadership was an example of
astonishing concentration and control – earning a standing ovation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif">The evening’s
final work, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgard_Var%C3%A8se">Edgard
Varèse’s Amériques</a>, had been <a href="https://hankdrake.blogspot.com/2017/05/fleeing-tonal-center-at-severance.html">presented
by the orchestra in 2017</a>, a performance that was recorded and released on
the orchestra’s home label.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The work
depicts the chaos of life in New York circa 1920, from the vantage point of
someone who grew up in a small town in France.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Reith’s interpretation was harsher around the edges than that led by Welser-M</span></b><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">ö</span></b><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif">st
six years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet today’s world, in the
aftermath of COVID, an attempted insurrection, and Russia’s invasion of
Ukraine, is harsher than it was before, so the performance was fitting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif">It’s
doubtless reaction to the strife of the past decade that has led the Cleveland
Orchestra to recently present so many works by composers who don’t fit into the
“dead white male” category.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What they
have demonstrated is that this music is worthy of multiple hearings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope this trend continues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, there is musical life beyond the
endless repetition of Beethoven, Brahms, Bruckner, and Mahler cycles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face=""Corbel",sans-serif"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/R8ivgDuciO0" width="320" youtube-src-id="R8ivgDuciO0"></iframe></b></div><b><br /><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></b><p></p>Hank Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07472406383215657881noreply@blogger.com0