Picking the
best concerts of 2010 in Cincinnati is about as difficult as spelling Eyjafjallajökull ( EY-ya-fyat-lah-YOH-kuht). Nevertheless, in the spirit of the season . .
. .
If there were a theme for 2010, it might be “now what?” for more than once, events transpired to alter the musical landscape.
The
Icelandic volcano wasn’t the first seismic happening. That was the announcement in January that Paavo
Järvi would not renew his contract as Cincinnati Symphony music director when
it expires at the end of the 2010-2011 season.
Many would like to see him continue his work here, but with four
orchestras to shepherd, the field has obviously become too crowded for him,
even with his enormous talent and enthusiasm.
Eyjafjallajökull
did, however, bring a candidate to succeed Järvi, Canadian born Julian Kuerti, who
filled in for him in April, when the volcano’s ash cloud grounded flights from
most of Europe. Kuerti was immediately
re-engaged to lead a CSO concert in July at Greenacres Arts Center in Indian
Hill.
Another seeming casualty was Cincinnati Opera’s “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg,” to have been led by Cincinnati native James Levine, along with the Opera’s 90th anniversary gala concert, both in June. In the wake of Levine’s cancellation (for health reasons), seven cast members, including all of the leads, withdrew for one reason or another. What to do? Leave it to Opera artistic director Evans Mirageas, who might be surnamed Mira-culous for assembling a cast headed by bass-baritone James Johnson as Hans Sachs that left nothing to be desired. Levine’s assistant at the Metropolitan Opera, John Keenan, conducted.
There were
more difficulties for the Opera when tenor Antonello Palombi fell ill on
opening night of Verdi’s “Otello” in July and had to soldier through the
score.
After that, things began to look
up. Järvi opened the CSO season with
soprano Kathleen Battle September 30.
Male soprano Michael Maniaci, a native Cincinnatian and like Battle, a graduate
of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, made a splendid
Cincinnati recital debut in October. Ensembles
from CCM performed Claudio Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1630 with a constellation of
early music experts in November to mark the 400th anniversary of the
path-breaking work. And the Kentucky
Symphony Orchestra, led by music director James R. Cassidy, presented a
multi-media Veterans Day concert in November that honored our country with its
great feeling and breadth.
Here are what one observer would select as the best in classical music in Cincinnati in 2010, with special attention to new music and a footnote on Eyjafjallajökull:
“Carmina
Burana,” performed by the CSO and May Festival Chorus, led by Järvi Jan. 16 at
Music Hall. Vivid and delightfully racy, with a quartet
of splendid soloists and a chorus energized by Järvi, Carl Orff’s ever-popular
work deserved every plaudit it received.
Järvi with pianist Radu Lupu
and the CSO Feb. 12 at Music Hall, repeated Feb. 15 in Carnegie Hall in New York (Bartok, Piano Concerto No. 3, Ravel, "Mother Goose" Suite; Webern, Fuga Ricercar from Bach's "Musical Offering"; Witold Lutoslawski, Concerto for Orchestra). Perfection and more.
One of
the classiest concerts of the season was Jarvi’s Dec. 17 return with
Bartok’s Divertimento, Benjamin Britten’s “Simple Symphony, Stravinsky’s
“Pulcinella” Suite and guest artist Hilary Hahn in Mozart’s Violin Concerto No.
5 (“Turkish”). Hahn and the CSO were phenomenal. In the spirit of the season, she performed her encore (Bach) in a Santa hat.
Mark Gibson
|
The
Swedish Radio Choir
in its Cincinnati debut Feb. 24 at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral. It was jaw-dropping to hear this 32-member a
capella choir pick notes out of the air and form sounds rarely heard on this
side of the Atlantic. On the program
were works by Hugo Alfven, Ned Rorem, Gustav Mahler, J.S. Bach, Sven Sandstrom,
Anders Hillborg and Frank Martin.
“Of Mice
and Men.” Carlisle Floyd’s touching opera about a
gentle giant and the friend who watched over him was a triumph for the CCM
opera department May 15 in Corbett Auditorium.
Directed by Nicholas Muni and conducted by Mark Gibson, it also took
home top honors for CCM in the annual National Opera Association competition for
2010.
Wagner’s “Die
Meistersinger,” June
23 at Music Hall. This was not only a “save”
for Cincinnati Opera, but quite simply, one of its finest productions in years. A long-planned “Meistersinger” update, to be
set in Cincinnati’s historic Over-the-Rhine, had to be scrapped earlier in the
year for budgetary reasons, but it was replaced by a gorgeous one by Günther Schneider-Siemssen from Düsseldorf Opera, acquired at a bargain
price. That, plus a vibrant new cast, the
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Keenan in the pit marked a welcome return to Wagner
by Cincinnati Opera.
“Seven
Last Words from the Cross” by James MacMillan, Vocal Arts Ensemble and
Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra led by VAE music director Donald Nally, May 2 at Summit Country Day School.
MacMillan’s blistering score and new
music advocate Nally’s leadership made all within earshot sit up and take
notice.
Berlin
Philharmonic Wind Quintet,
Oct. 15 in Werner Recital Hall at CCM.
Presented by Chamber Music Cincinnati, this was a rare treat for chamber
music lovers. When it comes to chamber
music for winds, this ensemble from Berlin owns the franchise. Heard were works by Mozart (originally for
clockwork organ), Franz Ignaz Danzi, Hindemith, Barber and Carl Nielsen’s Quintet,
Op. 43.
Soprano Michael
Maniaci Oct. 14 at Walnut
Hills Christian Church. Not a countertenor,
not surgically altered, but a male whose vocal chords did not grow at puberty, Maniaci
is reviving the great baroque operas written for men’s voices, now sung -- if
at all -- mostly by women. Joined by
members of Cincinnati’s Catacoustic Consort, he kept his audience spellbound
with music by Monteverdi, Peri, Caccini and Strozzi.
Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, “Freedom is Not Free,” led by J.R. Cassidy, November 13, Notre Dame Academy, Park Hills, Kentucky. A historic, multi-media survey of music associated with America’s wars, it proceeded from William Billings’ “Chester” to “America the Beautiful,” with everything plus a color guard from chapter 71 of the Vietnam Veterans of America in between. Well done, KSO.
Monteverdi,
“Vespers of 1610,” November 21, Christ Church Cathedral.
Perhaps THE concert of the year, this 400th anniversary
tribute to one of the fountainheads of Western classical music featured guest
artist Michael Leopold of Milan, Italy on theorbo (bass lute) and early music
exponents from Catacoustic Consort and CCM, performing with the CCM Philharmonia Orchestra and Chamber Choir conducted by Earl Rivers. The performance, the sound, the ambiance were glorious in the
Cathedral.
These CSO guest conductors and possible music director contenders made a fine impression:
- Dmitri Slobodeniouk, Feb. 4 in his North American debut (Tchaikovsky, Serenade for Srings; Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 4).
- Julian Kuerti, April 23 (Berlioz, “Harold in Italy” with violist Nokuthula Ngwenyama; Respighi’s “Pines of Rome”).
- John Storgårds, April 30 (Beethoven, Triple Concerto, Baiba Skride, Jan Vogler, Lauma Skride; Sibelius, Symphony No. 2).
- James Gaffigan, Oct. 18 (Beethoven, Piano Concerto No. 1 with pianist Inon Barnatan; Schubert, "Unfinished" Symphony; CSO premiere of Daniel Bernard Roumain's "Dancers, Dreams and Presidents").
In the new music category, kudos go to:
The Hamilton-Fairfield
Symphony and music director Paul Stanbery, who performed an all-Ellen Taaffe
Zwilich program March 26 at New Life Vineyard Church in Hamilton.
The Clermont
Symphony led by music director Jaime Morales for their “Hispanic Fest” program
March 19 in NKU’s Greaves Hall, including the premiere of Sonia Morales “Paisajes” for viola and orchestra and a
wealth of south of the border music.
The chamber
ensemble eighth blackbird, which performed the local premiere of Steve Reich’s
2007 Double Septet at CCM Jan. 12.
The Linton Music Series, which featured Zwilich’s 2008 Septet at First Unitarian Church Oct. 17.
The Harlem
Quartet for the local premiere of Wynton Marsalis’ String Quartet No. 1, “At
the Octoroon Balls,” Dec. 7 in Werner Hall at CCM.
The Blue
Ash Montgomery Symphony Orchestra led by music director Michael Chertock, which featured arias from American
composer Evan Mack’s upcoming opera “Angel of the Amazon” about martyr
Dorothy Stang on their Sept. 6 Labor Day concert in Blue Ash Towne Square. Local mezzo-soprano Catherine Fishlock
was the affecting soloist.
And for imagination-plus, credit concert:nova, Cincinnati’s cutting edge chamber ensemble, for some of the most diverting programs to be heard in 2010. They included:
“Carnival of the Animals” with members of Cincinnati Ballet May 23 in Cincinnati Ballet Studios on Central Parkway. Saint-Saens’ classic was interlinked with brand new takes on the suite by 15 composers (nine of them in the audience).
“The Four Seasons,” April 18 at the Cincinnati Culinary Institute, with dinner prepared during the performance by chefs of the Culinary Institute. The musical seasoning comprised Vivaldi’s classic interlinked with movements from Astor Piazzolla’s “Four Seasons of Buenos Aires” and Aaron Jay Kernis’ “Four Seasons of Futurist Cuisine.” Narrator was Naomi Lewin, former announcer for WGUC-FM in Cincinnati, now afternoon drive-time announcer for WQXR in New York. (Yes, the audience was invited to enjoy the dinner afterward.)
“Cello
Portraits,” a
delicious, all-cello concert (Bach to the Beatles) with close up photography by
portraitist/photographer Michael Nelson December 5 at the Mercantile Library downtown.
Sergei Polusmiak
|
Marco Panuccio
|
Reviews of all these concerts may be found under “Reviews” on this site.