Sat 7/6
Last Saturday we lucked out with a perfect evening to enjoy the aptly named Blossom Music Center’s flowers, birdsong, picnics and — oh yes — classical music at The Cleveland Orchestra’s season-opening performance. Led by conductor Brett Mitchell, it featured banjo maestro Béla Fleck.
Three dance pieces from Leonard Bernstein’s On the Town (1944) opened the concert: “Lonely Town, “The Great Lover,” and “Times Square” (aka “New York, New York”). Although Bernstein’s West Side Story (1975) was yet to come, the orchestra’s performance conveyed hints of the romance and vigor that would later characterize the iconic musical Broadway hit.
The Bernstein work set us up for George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. Those who were expecting the well-known vibes of Gershwin’s Rhapsody, traditionally featuring the piano, might have been surprised. But most already expected Fleck’s “translation” for banjo. As he tackled the solo passages, Fleck’s mastery of the banjo — his ability to wring chords out of twangy strings, and his virtuosic skill — was evident.
The contrast between the orchestra’s nuanced and smooth notes made it seem (to these ears) as if two completely different pieces were forced into a shotgun wedding (does anyone even know what that is anymore?) While I think I’ll stay on Team Piano, I did join those around me in a standing ovation afterward. I wonder if the others standing were also hoping (as I was) that we’d encourage him to play an encore. We did. And it was delightful, witty, full of popular allusions (a few notes from Beverly Hillbillies, for example), and fun.
Fleck’s a true master, but his work seems even more appealing when he’s riffing casually with a few friends. I remember his 2012 concert at Severance Hall where he premiered an orchestral work, but the highlight of the evening came later when he entertained everyone in the lobby playing with a small group.
After intermission the orchestra played Samuel Barber’s Overture to The School for Scandal. Nope, not about today’s scandals, but inspired by 18th-century playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s 1777 saucy play. The program closed with William Grant Still’s Symphony No.1 (1931). The four movements of Still’s work explored Black life in America: “Afro-American,” “Sorrow,” “Humor,” and “Aspiration.” The orchestra captured the work’s spirit as expressed through gospel, blues, and jazz.
Three video screens next to and above the podium enhanced the experience for everyone, even those sitting on the lawn. The screens were expertly managed by a team that knew which instruments would be featured when. Bravo to improved technology (and technicians) for bringing the musicians in focus.
Bottom Line: Sure sign summer has come at last? The Cleveland Orchestra is once again making beautiful music in its spacious countryside setting near Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Worth the trip.
[Written by Laura Kennelly]
Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44223