Confronting Prejudice

I do not often encounter homophobia.  In fact, in the 34 plus years I’ve been out of the closet, I can count the number of times I’ve had homophobic behavior directed at me personally on one hand.  I put this down to three reasons:  I can “pass” for straight and am fairly bulky in size, so few overt homophobes see me as prey and if they do would think twice about attacking me.  I’ve been out to my family, friends, and coworkers and they have the good sense and discretion not to say anything inappropriate – even if they may think it.  Not least, I believe society in general has moved forward and most people know it’s not in good taste to make negative comments about any minority group – at least in a public setting. 

Today was an exception.

I was at my local Honda dealership having maintenance done on my HR-V.  I spent most of my time in the waiting area catching up on last night’s Mr. Robot.  After that was over, I removed my earbuds and browsed Facebook while the news played on a nearby screen.  A story about the recent Hallmark controversy aired.  And the three women who’d been chattering away had a new subject to gripe about, with remarks like “They put this stuff on TV like it’s normal”, “it’s not right”, and the like.  I sat in my chair, pretending to look at my phone while doing a slow burn – if they looked at me, they would have noticed my cheeks turning red, because I could feel it. 

I stood up, sauntered over to the other side of the waiting area, and had a seat behind a barrier where we couldn’t see each other.  I texted my husband about the incident.  Then I went back to playing on my phone. 

A few minutes later, the service employee told me my car was ready.  As I was walking by the three women, I said in a voice probably audible in the next suburb “I’ll be right there, I just have to text my HUSBAND and ask him to start dinner” casting them a reproachful look.  They looked my way and it was clear I got my message through.

Prejudice of all kinds is everywhere.  We’ve seen it in recent photos from the Army-Navy football game.  We hear unrelenting bile about the disabled, Latinos, and Muslims coming from the mouth of President Trump.  We see it in campaigns driven by phony groups like One Million Moms (which is actually the work of one person and has only 1,200 followers on Twitter).  I saw it in South Euclid over the past two years perpetrated by the bigots opposed to the anti-discrimination ordinance.  Whatever one thinks of racism versus religious prejudice versus homophobia – there is no justification for either and they are all wrong.  The United States does not prosecute for thought crimes.  But if you have such bigoted thoughts, you should have the good sense to confine them to your own home.  That’s the most practical way for society to function as smoothly as possible.  Freedom needn’t equal anarchy. 

When we encounter prejudice of any kind - whether it’s online, in the media, or in our everyday lives – we must confront it.    

Raymond Lewenthal - Complete RCA & Columbia Recordings

Sony has released their complete RCA and Columbia recordings by pianist Raymond Lewenthal - including two discs of previously unreleased material.  Click here to read why I think it's THE most important piano boxed set of 2019.  

Robert Casadesus - Complete Columbia Album Collection

Sony Classical has reissued their complete recordings with pianist Robert Casadesus, along with those of his wife Gaby and their son Jean, in a 65CD set.  Click here to read my review. 

South Euclid 2019 Election Endorsements

Turnout in off-year elections tends to be low.  But South Euclid voters have some important choices to make.  Here are my endorsements for 2019.

For mayor: Georgine Welo

Shirley Smith, a former state legislator, is running to replace Georgine Welo, who is seeking her fifth term as mayor.  Several weeks ago, I received a mailer from Smith.  It's the single most dishonest piece of local campaign literature I've ever seen.

Smith, a 10-year resident who I have never seen at a city council meeting, seems to blame Mayor Welo for the decline in South Euclid's population. The population here peaked in 1970 at 29,579. By the time Mayor Welo was elected, it was between 23,537 and 22,295. The rate of population decline in South Euclid has slowed since 2010 - partly thanks to the Cutters Creek development which Mayor Welo favored. It's also worth mentioning that all of Cleveland's inner-ring suburbs have declining populations - including Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights which have both lost more population by percentage.  Smith, perhaps deliberately, fails to understand that South Euclid is essentially "built out" with very little potential to attract more population.

Smith wants greater “diversity” in housing.  What exactly does that mean?  South Euclid is already known for its ethnically diverse population – a good thing, in my opinion.  Most residents are homeowners which, I believe, is what the vast majority of people here want.  After a decades long increase in rental properties, the numbers have recently started to reverse and now more are buying rather than renting.  This is in part due to stabilization programs put in place by City Council and championed by Mayor Welo and housing manager Sally Martin.  How does Smith define diverse housing?  Apartments?  Multi-unit homes?  Public housing?  A senior living facility?  Several years ago, a proposal was floated for a senior living facility on the former Lowden school property (one of the very few parcels available for a development of that scale).  Residents were vocally opposed – and they would likely be even more opposed to subsidized public housing. Aside from the occasional empty lot, where only a single home could fit, South Euclid is built out.  Any new housing development would come at the sacrifice of existing dwellings – which would require eminent domain.

Speaking of housing, Smith says she wants to create a “Landlord accountability ordinance”.  I’m all for that.  But South Euclid already has some of the most stringent landlord and vacant property ordinances in the county.  What would her proposed ordinance do that’s not already being done?

Speaking of diversity, Smith says she wants to promote South Euclid as a diverse, tolerant community.  Where was Shirley Smith when Mayor Welo and City Council were facing strident opposition over the new comprehensive non-discrimination ordinance which was proposed in 2017 and passed in 2018? I was part of that effort, and we sure could have used her help.

Smith takes Welo to task for the city’s 2007 decision to invest in rebuilding Cedar Center North: My parents moved to South Euclid in 1971 when I was four years old. I remember Cedar Center North from that time and by the time I was house hunting in the area back in 2006-2007, I was appalled at the deterioration. Mayor Welo and Council took the initiative and bought the faded strip in 2007 with a plan for a new, greener shopping area. Then the Great Recession hit. Despite necessary changes, CCN was rebuilt and is unquestionably superior in every respect to what was there before – and every parcel eventually sold. The primary complaint I hear about CCN is the lack of parking, which is actually an indicator of how useful CCN has become to the community and how well it complements Cedar Center South. CCN was an investment in our community, just like renovating one’s own house – it cost money and the city is paying that money back on schedule.  Mayor Welo certainly deserves no blame for failing to predict a housing crash and Recession that very few saw coming.  If she did deserve the blame for the way things unfolded at CCN, the time to do so was the 2011 or 2015 elections.  Nor does Mayor Welo deserve blame for Governor Kasich’s decision to stiff cities and inner ring suburbs by slashing the aid to cities fund which had been in use since the 1930s – an odious decision that Governor DeWine has perpetuated.  I would also add that the rebuilding of CCN has spurred new development further east on Cedar Road – including a new dental facility and branch of Chase bank.

Under Mayor Welo’s leadership, South Euclid has seen over $100 million in private investment, including the aforementioned Cutters Creek, Oakwood Commons, the rebuilt shopping center at Mayfield and Green, and the Glastic expansion.  These have helped to shore up our tax base and are part of the reason that South Euclid maintains a strong credit rating.  This has had the fringe benefit of improving storefront occupancy throughout the city – although much remains to be done.  Mayor Welo and her team are continuing to push forward with an ambitious proposed redevelopment of the entire May-Green district which would vastly improve quality of life for those who live here.

Nobody likes paying taxes, especially when the rates increase. In the wake of the housing crisis, the Great Recession, and Governor Kasich’s decision (perpetuated by Governor DeWine) to slash state aid to cities, South Euclid was faced with a revenue shortfall which threatened our bond rating.  Earlier this year, City Council unanimously voted to remove the income tax credit for residents who work outside South Euclid – which is most of us who have jobs including my spouse and me.  I can guarantee you, not one member of Council relished having to make that vote.  Property tax rates were increased via several voter approved levies including a safety levy which is dedicated to our Police, Fire and EMS – but it’s important to remember about 66% of property taxes still go to the South Euclid-Lyndhurst school district. It’s important to note that South Euclid is hardly the only city to raise taxes in one form or another, and the few that have not yet done so are likely to soon.

Speaking of schools, Shirley Smith says she wants to improve our system and make it more diverse.  If there’s one thing to be said for SE-L schools, they are plenty diverse – not just in terms of ethnicity, but across the spectrum.  I was heartened when, before a performance at Brush, I walked the hallways of my old alma mater and saw a poster for the school’s Gay-Straight Alliance. If only this had existed when I was a student there!  But here’s the main problem with Smith’s statement: Neither the mayor nor council have any say regarding the school district – not on curricula, nor truant policy, nor budgeting.  Nor does the mayor get to draw the borders for the school district, which is what Smith has proposed doing despite two court cases that state it’s beyond her purview.  It’s called separation of powers, and if Smith doesn’t grasp that concept, I submit that she is not qualified to be South Euclid’s executive.

Perhaps the biggest falsehood Shirley Smith throws around revolves the South Euclid court.  Smith depicts this as a catfight between Mayor Welo and Judge Gayle Williams-Byers.  In fact, this Judge has wrought havoc with the courts since she was elected.  The Mayor, Council (including Mayor Welo’s opponent in the 2015 election), Police Department and other services are unanimous that Williams-Byers’ tenure has been marked by reckless budgeting, overstaffing, underperformance, agenda pushing, and publicly funded questionable travel to national and international destinations. Her case clearance rate is so low that it beggars the question: What exactly is all the money the judge is demanding needed for?

Shirley Smith, who has a sketchy history regarding her residency and resigned from the Ohio legislature to collect medical benefits, is not interested in South Euclid for the long haul.  She’s interested in her own short-term gain.  Is it any wonder that the Plain Dealer/Sun Messenger and Cleveland Stonewall Democrats have endorsed Mayor Welo?

Mayor Welo has seen South Euclid through the housing crisis and great recession and wants to continue the work of renewing our city.  She put her political career on the line by supporting broad non-discrimination ordinances which include LGBT people.  I am supporting her reelection.

For City Council – at large:

Four people are running for three at-large Council seats.  Incumbents Marty Gelfand and Justin Tisdale, and newcomers Susan Hardy and Curtis Orr. Beyond her website, I know nothing about Hardy although she seems to have good intentions.  In 2017, Orr ran and lost against Sara Continenza to succeed Ed Icove as Ward 3 Councilor.  Orr didn’t even bother to show up for the candidates’ forum back then and has done little during this cycle except circulate flyers and post lawn signs.  He has no platform and no ideas. 

Gelfand, a Navy Veteran, has a long history of service to the Greater Cleveland area in general and South Euclid in particular.  He was a vocal advocate of the non-discrimination ordinance that was passed last year, and among the first to oppose an overly broad religious exemption that was supported by ex-councilman Ed Icove.  Gelfand is the only council candidate endorsed by the Cleveland Stonewall Democrats.  Tisdale was appointed to replace Jason Russel who stepped down last year and has shown himself to be a capable city councilor. 

We endorse Marty Gelfand and Justin Tisdale.

Issue 66 - Yes

Issue 66 will renew the property tax levy that was enacted in 2013.  The levy is not a tax increase, is dedicated to South Euclid’s police, fire, and EMT, and we urge its renewal.   South Euclid’s safety forces, and in particular the police department, have a reputation for balancing the needs of law enforcement with simple human compassion.  I have never felt unsafe when walking my dog in my Bluestone neighborhood – even at night.  Our safety forces deserve our support.

Despite the challenges we’ve faced over the last decade, South Euclid is unquestionably a better place to live than it was when I moved back here in 2008. Our housing stock is in better shape, with many homes that were left unusable in the shadow of the foreclosure crisis now removed – and many of the remaining homes renovated. The new Cedar Center North is attractive and useful. Oakwood Commons is still a work in progress, but even half-finished it’s an income generator for the city. The May-Green district is more walkable with more storefronts occupied than any time in recent memory and a renovated shopping plaza. Ambitious plans for May-Green will, if followed through, yield an even better downtown district.  With all the progress we’ve made, why would we ever want to reverse course?

Vladimir Horowitz - The 1985 Studio Recordings on LP

To commemorate the 30th anniversary of Vladimir Horowitz's death, Deutsche Grammophon has been reissuing his recordings on LP - a format that's been making something of a comeback.  Click here to read my review of The 1985 Studio Recordings - which quite possibly came closer to capturing Horowitz's unique sound than any other recording.    

The Last Romantic on LP

Deutsche Grammophon is commemorating the 30th anniversary of Vladimir Horowitz's death by reissuing his recordings in the LP format, which is making something of a comeback.  Here is my review of Horowitz's first DG recording, The Last Romantic.

My review of "Horowitz plays Mozart" on LP

With the popular resurgence of the LP format, the record labels have been reissuing some of their previous best sellers.  Here's my review of "Horowitz plays Mozart", the pianist's only recording of a Mozart concerto. 

My review of Horowitz: The Poet

With the resurgence of the LP's popularity, music labels have been reissuing some of their back catalogue in the old format.  Here's my review for  Deutsche Grammophone's release "Horowitz the Poet", comprised of two recordings not released (one of them specifically rejected) during the pianist's lifetime. 

Trump's hurricane sized corruption

Vladimir Horowitz - the Great Comeback

Sony has issued a 15CD set including Horowitz's rehearsals for his 1965 return and Spring 1966 Carnegie Hall concerts, the concerts themselves, two studio sessions, and an interview.  Click here to read my review. 

My review of Space: 1999

My latest review, of the 1970s science fiction show Space: 1999 has been published.  In retrospect, the show was not that great, but the presentation here is first rate.  Click here to read my review. 

A New Kitchen for an Old House

Even before we purchased our home eleven years ago, Daniel and I knew the kitchen would eventually have to be renovated.  It lacked a dishwasher.  The refrigerator, while functional, was small – fitting the latest Costco purchases into the freezer was a challenge in space utilization.  Then there were the counters: one was laminated wood; the other a weird plastic-like laminate in an indescribable color.  Over the years, we made small changes.  We added a dishwasher in 2013, and replaced the range in 2016.  Time and experience allowed us to determine exactly what the kitchen needed to be brought up to its potential – within the limitations that our 1942 house would allow.  First, space needed to be allocated more efficiently as expansion was not an option.  As it was, the kitchen lacked a logical flow.  The food preparation area was on the opposite side from the stove – not optimal for getting food from place to place.  Previous owners had installed a bulky faux antique phone which prevented us from being able to open one of the cabinet doors.  Above the stove was a tacky looking fluorescent light fixture that wasn’t a good fit for any era. 

The food-prep station, opposite the stove. 

                                                      

Note the bulky phone and small fridge.

The stove area.

Our goals were: configure the new cabinets so a modern fridge could be installed; open up counter space so we could fit our coffee maker, toaster, and other small appliances as needed; improve the flow by placing the preparation area nearer the stove.  Plus there was the “look” we were after: as the kitchen sits between the vibrantly colored dining and family rooms, we wanted as neutral a look as possible, and quickly settled on greyscale. 

As friends had warned me about how they tend to show fingerprints, we decided against a trendy stainless-steel fridge.  Plus, as our cabinets were going to be grey, we wanted a white fridge, which would not only provide a nice contrast, but match the other appliances. 

After shopping around, we decided to go with Northeast Factory Direct for the cabinets. Their designer, Alicia Kondrich, was able to translate my ramblings into a mockup that allowed us to visualize the kitchen’s ultimate state.  The quote for the cabinets was very reasonable – far less than the cost at a standard retail outfit would be, yet with the features expected in a modern kitchen: soft close drawers and cabinets, solid wood construction. 

With the cabinets decided, the next step was countertops.  We knew we wanted granite, so Alicia referred us to Bradley Stone.  Their representative showed me a generous selection of stone, and we settled on steel grey. 

Deconstructing the kitchen turned up some interesting things: the faux antique phone was covering a nook on the wall (there are several of these in our home, including in each bedroom); the cabinets were directly connected to the wall and most likely original to the house; behind the backsplash were the remains of the original plumbing – at one point the kitchen had a farmer’s sink.  The crew also made an alarming discovery: a hastily patched electrical fix in which a line was run over a wall to make room for another outlet, the cord attached to the wall with a nail – thus our kitchen renovation revealed an existing potential fire hazard and the reason that running the dishwasher and microwave caused the circuit breaker to trip.  Within one workday, the old cabinets had been removed and the new cabinets installed.  

The demoed kitchen…

…and discovered cubby

The next morning, a representative from Bradley stone came to do the final measure and very thoroughly went over the options and what would need to be completed before the installers came.  That evening, our new fridge was delivered and installed.

New kitchen sans countertops.

There followed two weeks in which we had limited use of our kitchen – no countertops, no sink, no use of the dishwasher.  We made do by using plastic plates and cutlery, eating easy to prepare foods, and going out to eat.  This did not help with my diet.  But once the countertops and sink were installed and the plumbing hooked back up, we now had a fully useable kitchen. 

The Bradley Stone installers.

The final phase was painting and replacement of the flooring.  Certa-Pro’s crew, who did an excellent job on our living room, hallway, and 2^nd bedroom in 2016, took care of our kitchen.  

The vinyl flooring had held up fairly well for the 30 or so years it had been there, but the base was creaky and the look was dated.  We went with Shaw Flooring through our local Costco and decided on Markarian Pine vinyl to replace it – both durable and in sync with our color scheme.  Once the installers arrived, there was yet another archaeological discovery: underneath the vinyl was a linoleum floor – probably from the 1960s.  The new floor is not merely attractive, but quiet and has a soft feel that’s welcoming to bare feet. 

The new floor.

Our now complete kitchen is a pleasure to cook in – and we’re already becoming more adventurous in our cuisine.  This was the most complex and – aside from the garage – our most expensive renovation.  It’s unlikely it will ever pay for itself in terms of overall home value.  But the cost and the disruption were entirely worth it.  We love our new kitchen.  

The completed kitchen.

Pepe Romero at Severance

For those of us who don’t care to make the trek to Blossom Music Centre, the Cleveland Orchestra’s Summers@Severance series, with short concerts at 7pm Friday’s followed by an outdoor mixer, is a blessing.  Fortuitously, Severance Hall was one of the first concert halls built with central air conditioning, much appreciated during this heat wave.

Originally, last night’s concert was supposed to feature guest conductor Pablo Heras-Casado, but he had to cancel due to illness and was replaced by Thierry Fischer.  This also resulted in a change of program, as Iberia from Debussy’s Images was replaced by La Mer, and Bizet’s Carmen Suite was added.  This had the practical effect of increasing the concert’s length, to which I certainly had no objection. 

The Carmen Suite (version No. 2) was a picture of orchestral splendor with vibrant primary colors and bracing rhythms, with the poetic phrasing in the Nocturne. 

Pepe Romero then came onstage, guitar in hand, for Joaquin Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez.  The concerto is hardly a new work, composed in 1939 (the American premiere was given in Cleveland two decades later), although it’s entirely traditional in harmony and structure.  Romero’s playing was highly distinctive, and neither time nor age (he’s 75) have dimmed his technique or enthusiasm – I never knew a guitar could be played with such variety of colors and attacks.  The performance was warmly received and Romero graced the audience with an encore, which was composed by his father. 

Fischer’s interpretation of Debussy’s La Mer was none too subtle.  Tempos were largely within the norm, but balance choices were bizarre: percussion and woodwinds were often brought to the fore, and the sheen of color one expects to hear in this work was largely absent.  There were moments of excitement, and Peter Otto’s violin solos were gorgeous, but the overall effect was of an orchestral showpiece lacking in the picturesque qualities one expects. 

Tedd Joselson - Complete RCA Recordings

Tedd Joselson recorded six albums with RCA Red Seal during the 1970s.  Sony has reissued those recordings, with an additional previously unreleased recording.  Click here to read my review.

Faith healing, anti-vaxxers, and the real miracle: Western Medicine

I have no memory of my grandfathers. My mother's father died in 1954 at age 47 after decades of alcohol abuse. 

My mother with her father.  He was in his mid-30s and already a wrecked man.

My father's father died at age 64 when I was only 15 months old. He, along with his second wife, practiced a religious faith that eschewed the use of doctors. He allowed numerous health problems to continue unchecked until, by the time he was 60, he had part of a leg amputated. It was downhill from there. My grandfather's death, in 1968, was followed in 1971 by the death of his wife. My grandfather's mother outlived her son by four years. I have vague memories of meeting her.

My paternal grandfather, left; his wife, standing.  A few years before he died aged 64.

My father rarely discussed his religious beliefs (the few comments he made stand out in my memory because they were so rarely spoken), but he had some pointed things to say about faith healers, and I've no doubt those comments stemmed from observing his father's decline. It has occurred to me that, if my grandfather had lived as long as my father, he would have lived to see Christmas of 1990.

This is one of many reasons I am appalled by the increasing prevalence of anti-vaxxers and others who rail against Western Medicine. To be sure, I feel criticism of Big Pharma and our for-profit medical system is valid. But some of these people go overboard.

Let me share some of what Western Medicine has helped me accomplish over the past two years:

A hernia has been surgically corrected and I can use the elliptical, treadmill, take long walks, and lift 

objects without discomfort.

My sleep apnea, which was slowly killing me, has been brought under control with the use of an oral appliance.

On my doctor's advice, I joined a program at Cleveland Clinic that has helped me lose 15 pounds since January (30 more to go), without the use of drugs, surgery, or fad diets. My belt is two notches tighter, my blood pressure has dropped dramatically, and I feel better than I have in years.

I will also add, that in my 52 years, I have never suffered from Small Pox, Measles, Polio, Mumps, Rubella, or a host of other diseases that have been virtually wiped out, and I'm grateful to my parents who made sure I received my vaccinations.

My situation is hardly unique.  Of course, people live longer.  Life expectancy has more than doubled over the last 120 years, and a primary driver of that, like it or not, is the worldwide acceptance of vaccination.  Catchy hash-tags and clinging to wacky conspiracy theories and pseudoscience will do nothing to alter that fact.  But abandoning sound medical practice in the name of parental rights is not merely a danger to public health, but may eventually reverse the progress that was made in the 20th Century. 

If I live as long as my father, I will live to see Thanksgiving of 2053. Although I'm wary of the condition our nation and planet may be in by then, I intend to soldier on - with my doctor's help.

Haydn, Deutsch, and Tchaikovsky with Welser-Möst and Jacobs

Saturday night’s Cleveland Orchestra concert was a mix of the familiar, the largely unfamiliar, and the brand new.  It provided food for thought, debate, and enlightenment. 

Frank Joseph Haydn composed 104 Symphonies.  I am hardly alone among enthusiasts of Classical Music in only being familiar with about 20 – mostly from Haydn’s later period.  This concert began with the Symphony No. 34 in C minor,  the first time it was presented in the Cleveland Orchestra’s 101-year history – thus a largely unfamiliar work by a well-known composer.  The symphony features a structural innovation that was later employed in Beethoven’s “Moonlight” Sonata: the opening movement is a somber adagio, rather than the usual allegro.  One can only wonder how the audience of Haydn’s day reacted when hearing this opening.  The following movements – an Allegro, a Menuet, and Presto – created a sense of rising tension that kept the 21^st Century audience’s attention from beginning to end.  Franz Welser-Möst’s interpretation was a model of precision, transparency, and taste.   

The totally unfamiliar work was Bernd Richard Deutsch’s Okeanos – a concerto for organ and orchestra being given its American premiere.  By “a concerto for organ and orchestra”, I mean just about every instrument available – including strings, four flutes, three clarinets, three bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, celeste, harp, a full range of percussion (snare dump, bongos, rute, temple blocks, woodblock, claves, wind machine, triangle, wind chimes, bell tree, crotales, bells, crash cymbals, 12 plate bells, gong, Chinese opera gong, nipple gong, tam-tam, xylophone, anvil, vibraphone, glockenspiel), and of course the organ.  Everything but the veritable kitchen sink.  During the pre-concert talk, the composer spoke of how he was inspired by the Adriatic Sea – and the work's four movements – Water, Air, Earth, and Fire – all refer to elements of nature.  Whatever the programmatic implications, the work’s multiple layers of tonality and orchestration – almost waves in themselves, held the audience’s attention.  Interestingly, the composer stated that while the work was not “tonal”, in the melodic sense, there was often a reference tone.  The question of tonality vs. atonality got me to thinking whether this was the appropriate term for whether music uses a traditional melodic/harmonic scheme.  Any sound one hears, from a bird’s song, to an orchestra, to fingernails on a chalkboard is, by definition, a “tone” – thus all music is tonal.  When one is referring to “atonal” music, one generally means music that does not adhere to a traditional (in Western Music) triadic melodic/harmonic scheme – i.e., based on major and minor thirds.  During the 19^th Century, that triadic scheme became increasingly chromatic – most notably in Wagner’s music.  Scriabin expanded that scheme using fourths – altering triadic music to quartal.  Schoenberg, whose early works expanded on Wagner’s chromaticism, eventually shattered the triadic paradigm altogether.  But his music was still tonal, as it consisted of tones.  And so does the music of Elliot Carter, Pierre Boulez, and Deutsch.    

As for the performance, soloist Paul Jacobs was every bit as brilliant as he was during his appearance here in 2017.  The work’s many technical hurdles, including complex footwork, lightning-fast registration changes, finger-twisting passages, glissandi, and dynamic shifts were handled with an unshowy aplomb that belied their difficulties.  Welser-Möst and the orchestra delivered a collaboration that made one feel as if they’d known the concerto all their lives.  One familiar with concerts in Cleveland may take the technical polish of our orchestra for granted, but it’s wise to remember it’s the result of constant dedication and hard work.  In the words of Lebron James, “nothing is given, everything is earned.”

Following intermission was a dive into the familiar: Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony.  But here, there was something unfamiliar: Welser-Möst’s interpretation which has already earned criticism from one critic.  Here one of Tchaikovsky’s most well-known works was scrubbed free of the sickly sentimentality to which the Russian composer is all too often subjected.  The noble melody of the andante, which has the distinction of sounding bereaved despite being in a major key, was imparted with a dignity which belies the reputation Tchaikovsky had during the late-2oth Century as a “weak”, “feminine” composer.  (Of course, the conflation of weak and feminine in Tchaikovsky is simply a combination of misogyny and homophobia that one would expect from music scholars who are, as a rule, conservative and unimaginative.)  One interesting note: a few days before the concert, the orchestra published a video of the Tchaikovsky’s rehearsal.  I was struck by the manner in which Welser-Möst’s conducting in rehearsal matches that in performance.  He apparently feels no need to put on a choreographic display for the audience’s entertainment.  The sincerity, both in Welser-Möst’s interpretation and his manner of presenting it, was appreciated by the audience and this listener.   

Beethoven & Mendelssohn with Blomstedt at Severance

Herbert Blomstedt returned to Severance Hall to conduct the Cleveland Orchestra this weekend.  Everything that was missing from the previous weekend’s concerts under Harry Bicket (which I did not bother to review), was gloriously present.  The program neatly paired two works focused on nature: Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony and Mendelssohn’s Scottish Symphony.

Beethoven in the country. 

The scores for both Symphonies were present on the conductor’s podium.  But Blomstedt, now a sprightly 91, never opened either of them and conducted both works from memory and without baton.  The opening movement of Beethoven’s Pastoral featured brisk tempi that never sounded rushed, with each passage growing organically into the next – a portrait of a Beethoven who was eager to return to his beloved countryside.  The scene by the brook was a beautiful study in subtle dynamics and transparent texturing, with the woodwind birdcalls were beautifully proportioned rather than garishly highlighted.  The gathering of country folk featured a dance that was colorful in its rusticity, contrasted by a storm that never sacrificed balance in favor of volume.  The symphony concluded with a Shepherd’s Song that was more than beautifully conveyed – it was heartfelt.  On a personal note, after a difficult few days, my soul felt refreshed and cleansed.    

The program for Mendelssohn’s Scottish Symphony is less explicit and more implied than Beethoven’s.  After the work’s Andante introduction, Blomstedt launched into the agitated movement proper, emphasizing the work’s conflict.  The second movement, which is reminiscent of a Scottish folk dance, moved along lithely with various sections tossing the primary theme back and forth - which Blomstedt made sure never got lost in the action.  Despite being labeled as an Adagio, the symphony really has no slow movement - with plucking strings ensuring a sense of motion.  This proceeded directly into the sturm & drang of the finale which, apologies to Otto Klemperer, featured a coda that was just fine as written. 

Leonard Pennario - Complete RCA Album Collection

Sony Classical has recently reissued pianist Leonard Pennario's complete recordings for RCA Red Seal.  Click here to read my review. 

Haydn and Busoni with Gilbert and Ohlsson at Severance

Last night’s concert at Severance Hall was, for me at least, the concert of the season thus far.  It featured both the familiar and the exotic, with a guest conductor and pianist who’ve validated their credentials at Severance time and again.  Daniel was working, so I brought my co-worker Michael for his first visit to Severance Hall.

The familiar began when guest conductor Alan Gilbert took to the stage to lead Haydn’s Symphony No. 100 in G major.  Working with a reduced string section, Gilbert kept the music moving and the textures lithe, particularly in the work’s second movement: an allegretto which some conductors tend to drag.  Never rushing, Gilbert left room for moments of whimsy and demonstrations of Haydn’s earthy humor.   

The title page of Busoni’s Concerto

Thirty years ago, while living in Boston, I heard Garrick Ohlsson play Busoni’s monumental Piano Concerto with the Cleveland Orchestra under Cristoph von Dohnányi at that city’s Symphony Hall.  To say that my 21-year-old self was astonished by both composition and performance would be stating the bare minimum.  Naturally, I bought Ohlsson’s recording of the work, made around the same time with the same collaborators at Masonic Auditorium for the Telarc label – and it has been my go-to recording of the piece (there aren’t that many) ever since.

When comparing performances 30 years apart (and not having a recording of the earlier event) one is relying on a memory of a memory.  Now 51, I’ve come to accept my memory is not as reliable as it once was.  So I will contrast last night’s performance with the recording, which I listened to again a few weeks ago.  The overall conception is similar, with no drastic changes in overall tempo.  The differences mainly lay in the greater discipline with which the pianist employed rhetorical devices.  At the same time, Ohlsson played with greater freedom, a broader tonal palette, and more use of inner voices in the work’s quieter moments – with no loss of virtuosity in the Concerto’s more extroverted sections.  Ohlsson, a big bear of a man who looks younger than his 70 years, is one of the most natural of pianists active today and a pleasure to watch as well as hear.  He always seems entirely at ease at the keyboard, even while hurling octaves, chords, and keyboard leaps in every direction.  The only hint of strain was when he momentarily pulled out a handkerchief to deal with some perspiration.  Ohlsson, unlike many of his colleagues, is content to play the piano (he used the Hamburg Steinway) and not the audience.  (What a pity this concert wasn’t given the video treatment Lang Lang’s recent appearance here received.)  Gilbert kept the work’s sprawling orchestration under magnificent control while still pushing things to the limits – particularly in the mad tarantella of the fourth movement, which was a textbook accelerando.   This was a performance to refresh the memory and re-astonish at the same time – and pianist, conductor, and chorus director Lisa Wong (yes, the work includes a chorus), were brought out for numerous curtain calls.   

A well-deserved ovation