Schubert and Beethoven with Saraste at Severance

The musicians were well behaved but the audience was not at Saturday’s performance of The Cleveland Orchestra at Severance.  The guest conductor was Jukka-Pekka Saraste, substituting for Herbert Blomstedt. 

Schubert

The concert opened with Schubert’s Symphony No. 6 in C major, D. 589 – the so-called “Little” C major.  This is to distinguish it from the “Great” C major Symphony No. 9, which is nearly double in length as the Sixth.  Unfortunately, I was too frequently distracted by misbehaving audience members to fully immerse myself in the work or the performance.  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.  From what I could hear of the performance, it was a beige if polished rendition of a rather beige Symphony. 

Beethoven

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 Symphony No. 5 in C major, Op. 67.  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.