Mahler x 2 with The Cleveland Orchestra @ Severance Hall 2/11/09


Having been raised on classical—or concert—music, it has been a constant companion to and passion in my life. Some composers I like more than others, and some performers I anticipate with great delight. Others I can easily take or leave alone. I’m seldom simply ambiguous.

I love the music of Gustav Mahler—there’s not a note of his that I don’t think is perfect for wherever it finds itself. Since the first time I recall seeing Pierre Boulez conduct, I’ve made it a point to be there for as many of his performances as possible. (We share the same birthday—month and day, but not year—so how could I not be enchanted by the man?) I first heard Christian Gerhaher in Ireland in 2007 at a chamber music festival where his recital of Mahler Lied was sheer perfection! (I’ll happily send you the link if you’d like to see my opinion of that performance.) And, of course, I truly appreciate the Cleveland Orchestra whatever or wherever they play. I confess to total ignorance regarding mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kozena.

All that said, why did last week’s concert featuring all of the above leave me unsettled and uncertain? I was truly bowled over by the artistry of Ms. Kozena: the quality of her voice and the way she utilizes it was nothing short of marvelous. Without knowing the words, one could easily discern the meaning of what she was singing just by her expression and tonal quality. This was her debut here, and I’d certainly be in favor of hearing her again.

The music itself—the Adagio from the unfinished Symphony No. 10 and 12 pieces of the song cycle Des Knaben Wunderhorn—seemed almost too regimented or too controlled for Mahler. It was certainly well played – some of the wind solos were terrific, especially that of principal trumpet Michael Sachs in the Adagio. His primary task was to emit a high-pitched scream and remarkably, he could change the entire timbre of the note during it’s rather long duration. Amazing.

Mr. Gerhaher’s performance was baffling to me, as I could barely hear him most of the time. Perhaps part of this difficulty was caused by his dependence on the music in front of him: a great deal of the time he was singing to the music stand rather than out to the audience. In those selections where he was required to be martial or belligerent, he raised his voice sufficiently well enough to be clearly heard—even in the balcony. At one point, the orchestra was very subdued, and in that selection, the true beauty of his voice was readily apparent and very audible.

To me, Mahler’s music has always been passionate, at times almost overwhelming. There have been performances that left me in tears from the emotion so clearly depicted in his work. At times, it’s almost exuberant and sprawling, from very loud to very soft—vulgar even. (The first symphony.) This one just did not ring my bell. Perhaps I anticipated too much and built such high expectations that nothing could have matched them.

This week, it’s all Wagner, all the time. Franz Welser-Most returns to conduct Thursday and Saturday evenings at 8, with soprano Measha Brueggergosman as soloist. There is also a Fridays@7 Concert, which of course, begins at 7 in a slightly shorter version, and post-concert music in the Grand Foyer. 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.