The street banners around Severance Hall shout “Celebrate” and appropriately, the first concert series of the new season was one big, happy, celebratory occasion. This is, after all, the 75th Anniversary of the opening of Severance Hall, one of the most beautiful—and acoustically splendid—concert halls in the world. A newer tradition—broadcasts of the orchestra concerts over local radio station WCLV-FM—is also having an anniversary this year, the 40th!

The music selected by Music Director Franz Welser-Möst was festive as well, leading off with the Academic Festival Overture of Johannes Brahms. Written in 1880 as a ‘thank you’ to the University of Breslau for awarding him an honorary doctoral degree, the piece abounds with enthusiasm and high spirits, much as students do.

Being not so far removed from student days himself, Mr. Welser-Möst led his musical cohorts in a brisk, lively rendition. The well-known silken strings of the orchestra were in abundant display, set off by crisp playing from the winds and horns and positively jaunty sounding bassoons. Everyone sounded in mid-season form, entirely normal for this orchestra.

The Symphony No. 2 by Charles Ives is about as American-sounding as it’s possible to be, and is definitely pleasurable for persons who think they don’t like music by Ives, based on what they’ve been told about the man and/or his music. Of course, being by Ives, there are brief periods of cacophony, but even these are easy on the ears. One can hear all sorts of brief excerpts of other music scattered throughout; the composer is very generous with providing examples of other famous tunes. Among these are “Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean”, the hymn “Bringing in the Sheaves,” Stephen Foster’s “De Camptown Races,” and more extensively, the melody now known as “America the Beautiful.”

In places, it’s craggy, as Ives’ New England country side frequently is, but in others there are beautiful melodies, lushly orchestrated. One such example was gorgeously played by violist Robert Vernon and cellist Desmond Hoebig. The final chord—surely one of the most unforgettable in all the symphonic repertoire—didn’t quite have enough of the bombastic quality it might have had. No doubt that lack will be remedied by the next performance.

In tribute to the first program played by the orchestra in Severance Hall in February 1931, the major work was the Brahms Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68. Brahms worked long and hard on his first symphony, completing it some fourteen years after having started it. It was definitely worth the wait, then—and now. Mr. Welser-Möst approached the work in a straight-forward fashion, providing a propulsive energy not often heard in this work. It was magical!

The tension and drama of the first movement are determined by the rhythmic pulse of the tympani at the very beginning. It is grandiose in scope, alerting the listener to pay attention—wonderful things are going to happen! And indeed they do. As Mr. Welser-Möst explained during the pre-concert talk, the first and fourth movements are dramatic, while the two inner ones are song-like. Thus we were privileged to hear the new principal oboist, Frank Rosenwein, in a lovely aria. The plucked strings were unbelievably soft in the third movement, and at times were almost not audible. Breath-taking!

Another lovely improbable duet led to the very fast final movement. Jonathan Sherwin’s contra-bassoon blended smoothly with the bass trombone of Thomas Klaber, a combination not often heard, as they growled around the very lowest register for each instrument. The final portion of the fourth movement is clearly marked ‘con brio’ although we don’t often hear it that way. It was very impressive, not least because everyone kept up with the speed demanded by Mr. Welser-Möst.

It certainly brought the audience to its feet—immediately! The performance proved absolutely another statement made by Mr. Welser-Möst before the concert. “If you want to lead, you need to be in front of everyone.” Seems reasonable to me.

For tickets or information about upcoming concerts, call (216) 231-1111, or visit the orchestra’s web-site: http://www.clevelandorchestra.com
From Cool Cleveland contributor Kelly Ferjutz artswriterATadelphia.net (:divend:)