Cleveland Orchestra @ Severance Hall 11/6 Franz Welser-Most returned home this week for one series of concerts before heading back to Europe for the rest of the year. He'll be back in January, however. For this concert he spans two centuries of music with a spiritual connection: The Sept haïkaï of Olivier Messiaen from 1962 and the "Great" C Minor Mass, K 427 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, written in 1782-83. Two such opposite works can hardly be imagined, however, both were well-done in convincing performances.

The Sept haïkaï —esquisses Japonaises, are miniatures, reminiscent of the poetic structure for which they’re named, and while some of them describe a specific place encountered by the composer during a visit to Japan, they also include many references to birdsong. A small orchestra with busy percussion is joined by a solo pianist, the orchestra’s Joella Jones. (Messiaen’s wife was also a noted pianist, and this visit to Japan wmight have been their honeymoon.)

The short pieces range from exotic to shimmery and impressionistic, to frenzied segments to near cacophony. In some, you hear the rain falling, or birds calling to each other, perhaps from one cage to another. Ms. Jones was excellent throughout, playing with great intensity and feeling. The busy percussionists all received well-deserved special recognition, as well.

A quartet of well-matched soloists joined the orchestra and Cleveland Orchestra Chorus for the longer Mass by Mozart. Soprano Malin Hartelius was perhaps a bit more equal than the others, but then, she had more to do, as well. Mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard’s voice blended beautifully with Ms. Hartelius in their duets, and when joined by tenor Rufus Müller in the Quonium, it was purely gorgeous. Baritone Christopher Feigum had little to do, but when needed, he was there, in good voice, as well.

Ms. Hartelius’s first solo, the Christe eleison was a model of serenity until very near the end when it was accompanied by a country-and-western cell phone in the balcony. If it is true as suggested that Mozart composed the soprano solos in the Mass for his wife, Constanze, she must have been a formidable talent in her own right. Ms. Hartelius easily handled the fearful leaps and trills and high notes, as though they were nothing special at all. Except, they were!

The four trombones were kept busy with their melodious portions, and the chorus was nothing short of tremendous. On several occasions the singers went from mighty to a whisper with merely a flick of the conductor’s finger, an awesome display of fine control.

One portion of the Credo allowed Ms. Hartelius to join with flute, oboe and bassoon in an interesting quartet, as tunefully elegant as anything you’d ever hear. For this work Ms. Jones performed on the organ, rather than piano.

The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus was excellently prepared by its conductors, Robert Porco and Betsy Burleigh.

This weekend is the not-to-be missed return of guest conductor Herbert Blomstedt, for two classics that rank in anyone’s top ten: The Double Concerto of Johannes Brahms and Symphony No. 3 ‘Eroica’ by Beethoven. Soloists for the Brahms are the orchestra’s own William Preucil and Desmond Hoebig. Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, with an additional performance on Sunday afternoon. For tickets or additional information, visit the website http://www.clevelandorchestra.com or call 231-1111.

From Cool Cleveland contributor Kelly Ferjutz artswriterATroadrunner.com
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