Cleveland Chamber Symphony @ Baldwin-Wallace College 10/5 Imaginative programming (and execution) remains the rule with the gallant Cleveland Chamber Symphony. Conductor Steven Smith and the ensemble opened with Compline by Christopher Rouse, a piece he wrote while living in Rome. If the plucked strings (with outstanding harp work here and throughout the afternoon by Julia Jamieson) sounded like more like mosquitoes than church chant, the occasional woodwind blats sounded more like the Eternal City's ubiquitous Vespas (was Rouse punning?). Other works included Libby Larsen's sprightly Tatterdemalion and William Bolcom's Orphee-Serenade, an assemblage of short musical ideas in six parts. The concert honored the late Cleveland composer Donald Erb and featured two of his works. While The Devil's Quickstep, which wasn't that devilish, it was a charming blend of sound and color. Erb's Souvenir, on the other hand, began in what might have been an evil darkness (a baby cried out when the lights went out), and ended with a delirious black-lighted riot of glo-in-the-dark ping-pong balls, balloons, silly string, and lights coming at the audience. What was played? Can't say, my mind was following the bouncing balls and my hands were busy brushing away (surprisingly easy to do) silly string that cascaded down off the balcony. When the lights went up, there were smiles and plenty of applause for these extraordinarily generous musicians.

From Cool Cleveland contributor Laura Kennelly lkennellyATgmail.com

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