May I ask you, please...?

Music Director Franz Welser-Möst repeats this phrase at least 30-40 times during a rehearsal of the Cleveland Orchestra during a short stint in Cleveland, between tours. This particular week in October, the concert would feature a new work (Chor by Jörg Widmann) and the German Requiem of Johannes Brahms. The conductor was as meticulous in his attention to the new work—replete with spikey dissonances and micro-tones—as he was in the Brahms, although there were no soloists or chorus for this particular rehearsal.

Especially during the Widmann, it was very much stop-and-go, sometimes repeating the same few notes over and over and over again, until it was exactly the way he wanted it to sound. There might be discussion between one or more of the players and the conductor, but each time he raised his baton to begin again, he would say ‘May I ask you, please?’ and then give the starting point. (At letter A or measure 16 or whatever it might be.) The composer and both assistant conductors were also seated in the auditorium as well, comparing the notes on the printed page to those wafting through the air at Severance Hall.

The intensity was palpable; the desire to get it more than right, to make it perfect. The conductor’s steel-gray mop of curls bounces wildly as he shakes his head for emphasis or agreement or just tilts it slightly to listen more closely. Although this is serious work, the observer never gets the impression that it’s a dictatorship, but rather—a team effort to be the best possible representative of the music being performed. On occasion, during a lull in the music, before or after a few words of instruction or question, there is laughter, in which the conductor participates heartily. He is by nature a very witty person, even if at times, he hides it well. Or tries to, but frequently, the twinkle in his eye betrays him.

The Cleveland Orchestra travels. A lot. Generally, Music Director Franz Welser-Möst travels with them, at least for the longer European trips, especially when opera plays a part. But for conductors in these days of jet planes here and there (both private and commercial) it’s all too easy to be a week here or a few days there. Wherever there is this week. Does he ever wake up and wonder where he is on this new day?

“Oh, yes!” he responds with a chuckle and a shake of his head. “But not so much any more. In the early 1990s, I travelled much more than now, because I was doing more guest conducting. But now, not so much, and usually I’m in one of three places.” Barely fifteen minutes after the end of the rehearsal, he’s still unwinding in his backstage studio. He takes a quick sip of water. “My wife is from Lichtenstein, so for twenty years now, we have lived there. Of course, I am Austrian, so in Linz is my home, but that is not so far from Vienna, which is a second home. But also, I consider Cleveland to be home, too, because I spend oh, one-third of the year here. So I have three homes now, primarily, in Lichtenstein, Austria and Cleveland.”

Of course, beginning later this year, he’ll spend slightly more time in Vienna, where he will become the General Music Director of the Vienna State Opera, which includes the Vienna Philharmonic, although he will not be the orchestra’s main conductor. His most recent opera job was with Zurich Opera, with which he still works closely in the three Mozart operas to be seen in Cleveland. In March, 2009, it was Le Nozze di Figaro; in March of this year, Così Fan Tutte; in 2011 it will be Don Giovanni.

He’s not certain yet about bringing Vienna productions to Cleveland. With a smile, he says, “Opera is very difficult, when it is staged. It has to be matched to whatever stage it will appear, and the Severance Hall stage is not exactly meant for opera. So, with these limits, we do what we can. The stage director and the set designer and the lighting designer, maybe, come here to see our stage and then compare it – space-wise – to the other stages on which the production will appear. This means we are limited in some ways, but not in others. It is to encourage imagination. But maybe this (Fledermaus) will happen, or maybe not. (Big grin.) It is best to work with an opera that lends itself to a minimal stage setting. We see”, he says with a nod of his head. (The Fledermaus comment was in response to a question from your reporter, whose personal operatic favorite is that opera.)

Not all patrons agree with his well-known fondness for, and advocacy of, new music. But it still has to be heard. Of course, he’s also well-known for his proficiency with not just opera, but also the big orchestral/choral works, many of which fall into the ‘war-horse’ category. Does he ever get tired of these ‘same old, same old? . . .‘

“No.” He was emphatic, but pleasantly so. “There’s a reason they’re called ‘war-horses’. They’re good! Of course, that does not mean you want to do them every week. After this tour with the Beethoven Five, we will not play it again for a while, and that’s okay. My predecessor here did the Dvorak Nine quite often, but then we didn’t do it for a while, and I thought, ‘We’ll do it when we do Rusalka, and it will give the orchestra a different sense of it. And we did and it did. It made a great pairing.” (The orchestra performed the semi-staged Rusalka here in Cleveland in 2008, and then were in the pit for highly-acclaimed performances later that year in Salzburg.)

He doesn’t play musical favorites. “No, I strive for a balance of each: orchestra, chorus, opera, new, old. You know, throughout musical history, scholars have always said the most beautiful instrument is the human voice. Every instrument should be like the voice. The orchestra should have a singing quality about it.” This aspect of the Cleveland Orchestra is mentioned, particularly, in almost every review of a tour concert.

Mr. W-M is a firm advocate of being part of his community—whichever one in which he finds himself—and has from the beginning of his tenure here, participated in a variety of non-traditional concerts. Who can forget his first Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Concert in 2003? He danced as much on the podium as audience members did in the aisles. And they do! (If you’ve never been, you should try to attend. It’s a truly fabulous event, entirely different from subscription concerts.) He’s also conducted the July 4th spectacular on Public Square and a good many concerts at Blossom Music Center.

It’s traditional for the Music Director to conduct the opening concerts of the orchestra’s subscription season, but this year, in addition, Mr. W-M did three ‘firsts’ during just the first three weeks! First there was the Opening Night Benefit (for the Community Music Initiative), then the first Family Concert ever to be conducted by the presiding Music Director, followed by the first of this season’s new ventures, the wildly-successful Fridays@7.

“These were just a fantastic opportunity. But also, there were the school concerts.” His face lights up in delight as he recalls, “They were wonderful, thrilling. We had not done this—taken the orchestra to the schools for almost ninety (88 to be exact) years!” He sounds incredulous as he continues. “And no Music Director had gone with them since Sokoloff! (He was here from 1918-1933.) That was even more special.” In September, just prior to the opening week of concerts, the orchestra with Music Director went first to John Hay High School in University Circle, and then, the following day, to James Ford Rhodes High School on the west side. “The students also thought it extremely exciting—many of them later said ‘this has changed my life." And we have never had so many young people to concerts here at Severance Hall as in the two weeks following those concerts. The two young singers were also good.” (Note: In fact, they are performing at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Concert this weekend.)

As part of his commitment to Cleveland, he’s even 'put his money where his mouth is,' to slightly paraphrase an old, if somewhat crude saying. He instigated a substantial reduction in his salary in an attempt to help the financial life of the orchestra. (Other senior management folks—many of them musicians—followed the director’s lead. Once a musician, always a musician!)

He lives near Shaker Square, and wanders about the area on occasion. “People here do sometimes recognize me if I am out, but they’re very respectful and friendly. Nice.” (Another nod, accompanied by a big smile.) “You know, a performance without an audience is not a performance, and we need these people. So how can I be less than happy if someone comes up to me on the street and says, ‘that was a great concert last week’ or something like that?”

Several times during his tenure, he’s been interviewed during a pre-concert talk, or even provided a preview lecture. If you’ve ever heard him, you will already know he is both witty and informative, presenting valuable information in a very down-to-earth fashion, making it all easily understandable. He’s not afraid to be a bit irreverent at times, either. When asked what makes the Viennese waltz so memorable (and so different from other waltzes), he thought for a moment, then with a grin, replied, “it’s the damned afterbeat!” (Note: this reporter has heard that other US orchestras are not always regarded so highly in Vienna, when playing the music of Strauss. One very famous ensemble was actually booed!)

Of course, being Austrian, he not only understands that afterbeat, but grew up with music in his very soul. “At age 14, I knew I would be a musician. I thought I would be a violinist, but there was an accident, and after that, conducting appealed to me. So, I changed slightly the direction. But if that couldn’t be, then I think maybe philosophy or even theology.” He becomes thoughtful for a moment, then continues, smiling and nodding his head in agreement with himself. “Someday maybe, when I am a certain age, I will do less conducting and more studying. And these two things will be very important.”

With his engaging smile and mop of curls, perhaps orchestra management might confer with management of the Cavs with the goal of issuing a bobble-head Franz? (Much like that of Anderson Varejao, for instance.) I’ll bet Mr. W-M would happily add it to his collection of other mementos. I know I would!

Mr. Welser-Möst is here this weekend for a full slate of concerts: Thu 1/14 and Sat 1/16 evening subscription concerts feature violinist Leila Josefowicz as guest artist. There is also a Fri 1/15 morning concert as well as Sun 1/17 evening’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Concert. Mon 1/18 is the Community Open House - Day of Music, featuring a concert by the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra, conducted by James Feddeck. There is no admission fee for these Monday events. For complete details, visit the website: http://www.clevelandorchestra.com or call the ticket office at 216.231.1111.

From Cool Cleveland contributor Kelly Ferjutz, who writes: My most recently published book is Ardenwycke Unveiled (e-book and trade paper). Cerridwen has another contemporary romance from me, But Not For Love, currently available only as an e-book, but perhaps will be in print next year. I hope to soon get around to completing some of the 30+ incomplete books in my computer!

By the way, Cerridwen has also accepted two of my short stories in their Scintillating Samples (complimentary reads) area: Song of the Swan and Unexpected Comfort. I love photography as well, as you can see here. Occasionally I teach writing workshops and sometimes do editing or ghostwriting on a free-lance basis. But over and above everything else, there's always been the writing. I can't imagine my life without it.