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Cleveland Orchestra @ Severance Hall 2/26 Two gorgeous and beloved Beethoven works conducted by the iconic Kurt Masur turned Thursday evening at Severance Hall into -- let me search for a metaphor -- chocolate, champagne, whatever one's favorite indulgence might be. Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 1 with its dancelike rhythms (especially the waltz, a then-new dance, seems wrapped in the second movement) was a regular toe-tapper as played by soloist Louis Lortie.

Lortie’s playing seemed transparent (in the best sense), persuasively in the spirit of the piano as the heart of a compelling orchestra-piano team. Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 sounded fresh in the hands (literally, because Masur doesn't use a baton) of the master conductor and the galloping urgency (perhaps the most memorable part of the film Immortal Beloved) proved as thrilling as ever. The program’s opening selection, Janacek's Taras Bulba, exploited the subtle beauty and power of the organ to glide in and out of this colorful piece. The large and enthusiastic audience seemed happy satisfied at concert's end.

From Cool Cleveland contributor Laura Kennelly lkennellyATgmail.com
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