Wagner, Berg, and Mozart at Severance

[Instrumental music] is the most romantic of all the arts – one might almost say, the only genuinely romantic one – for its sole subject is the infinite….[It] discloses to man an unknown realm, a world in which he leaves behind all definite feelings to surrender himself to an inexpressible longing.  

E. T. A. Hoffmann

 

Tonight was our last Cleveland Orchestra concert of the regular season.  There is one more concert to be presented tomorrow – a repeat performance of Mozart’s The Magic Flute, which we heard last week.  The sets were still standing, pushed a bit toward the back – but the orchestra appeared to be packed a bit more tightly than usual, despite the use of the stage extension.  Tonight’s program featured music from the 18^th, 19^th, and 20^th Centuries –  each work separated by about three quarters of a century – but not presented chronologically. 

The concert opened with the Prelude and Liebestod from Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde, a work that stretches the limits of chromaticism.  Music director Franz Welser-Möst presented an exceptionally clear eyed view of the piece, with brisker than usual tempi and little of the lingering one usually hears.  Instead of the voluptuousness one would hear from, say Karajan, the orchestra’s characteristically bronzed tone was on display.

Soloist Leila Josefowicz then joined the orchestra for Berg’s Violin Concerto – a work which has been closely associated with The Cleveland Orchestra since Louis Krasner, who commissioned the work, recorded it with the orchestra in 1940.  Despite composing within the twelve-tone system, Berg’s work is more Romantic in nature.  Josefowicz gave a performance of poetry and searing intensity, coupled with solid technique – particularly in a challenging section where she had to bow and finger several phrases whilst simultaneously plucking high notes.  She received a sustained ovation, impressive considering the Berg is not exactly a crowd-pleaser. 

 

Josefowicz following the performance

The strings (with the exception of one double bassist) and percussion did not return following intermission as the remaining work on the program, Mozart’s Serenade in B-flat major, the so-called “Gran Partita” K.361, features the winds.  Like many people, I first heard portions of the work’s third movement, the Adagio, in the film Amadeus.  I was 17 at the time.  A year later, I was working at The Music Box, a classical record store located on Shaker Square, and the manager played a recording of while piece.  I was immediately charmed, and since then I’ve heard various recordings of varying quality.  But tonight’s performance led by Welser-Möst was both the first performance I attended and the first where I truly heard the potential of the work.  Each ornament and phrase was perfectly capped off, each movement perfectly timed.  Tempi inflections were subtle, with sly ritards at crucial points during the Theme and Variations which delivered on Mozart’s musical wit.  The famous Adagio was poetic without being ponderous, and the Finale truly swung.  An ideal performance – one which I hope will be issued as a recording in due time.

A well deserved ovation.

 We’re going to see a few concerts at Blossom and Severance over the summer, and the programs for next season look promising.  Kudos to the orchestra for another fine season of music making.