Cleveland Orchestra – Wagner Plus @ Severance Hall 2/18/10

It seems somehow comforting—more normal, perhaps—to see the stage at Severance Hall full of orchestral musicians, waiting to begin the concert. Nothing against a Mozart-sized group, but as I really like a full orchestra sound, I was not anywhere near disappointed.

Again this week, the concert was recorded for future release as a CD or DVD, and this fact seems to generate a certain sense of excitement all by itself. Furthermore, this orchestra excels not only with the huge sound of Richard Wagner, but also his softest and most delicate creations. We had some of each this week – all of it marvelous!

Based on a novel by Edward Bulwer-Lytton (he of the ‘dark and stormy night’ fame), Rienzi was a tribune of medieval Rome. The poor man tries to effect reform, but to no avail, and eventually Rome falls, taking him along with it. You may not hear exactly these details in the music, but certainly it is exciting and passionate in the telling. Music Director Franz Welser-Möst clearly has this musical emotion at his fingertips, and the orchestra complied with his every wish.

Rienzi is nearly twenty years older than Tristan and Isolde, and the newer music is much more sophisticated, especially in the Prelude and Liebestod from the latter. This musical segment combines the beginning and close-to-the-ending Love-Death into a seamless entity. (Sometimes, the soprano Isolde sings her lament to this latter part, but this performance was all orchestra.) The intense performance featured soulful cellos, dreamy winds, an English horn expresses longing and is answered by the basses. Clarinet, horn and harp continued the tale, always describing the unrequited love of the two main characters, especially in the use of Wagner’s famed ‘Tristan’ chord. You would have required the use of something very sharp indeed to cut through the resultant tension.

The first half of the program concluded with Preludes to the opera Lohengrin; the third act was first, followed by the Act I music. They are entirely different in nature. III is festive and declamatory, replete with a marvelous brass choir and the famous bridal march, which, in the opera doesn’t lead to a happy ending. The opening prelude, however, is vastly different in style, being very soft and quiet-natured. Lohengrin tells of the search for the Holy Grail, and thus has a somewhat spiritual aspect to it, tempered by the struggle between earthly love and the transcendent variety.

Soprano Measha Brueggergosman (with her gorgeous posture, traditional bare feet and wonderful jewelry) once again demonstrated her command of the Wesendonck-Lieder, composed about the same time as Tristan. Mathilde Wesendonck was Wagner’s next-door neighbor, and promixity accomplished what it frequently does. Mathilde wrote impassioned love poems to the composer, who set five of them to equally passionate and glorious music.

Ms. Brueggergosman sings with sensitivity and intelligence as well as emotion. Her voice can easily soar over the orchestra when necessary, but it is so special and effective when she brings them down to her sound level. Im treibhaus was especially poignant with the viola solos and Wagner-style harmonics.

Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg is Wagner’s only comedic effort, resulting in generally happier and brighter music, exemplified by the Prelude to Act I. The opera is primarily a singing contest, set in a time when most of the instruments were brass or percussion. Hardly surprising then, that this music is mostly brass and majestic. I mean, you can certainly be festive and march to violins and flutes, but not so easily as brass.

Wagner’s greatest hit was his Ring of the Nibelungs—the four opera cycle that tells of the golden ring lost in the Rhine. Who gets it and keeps it, wins. Die Walküre is the second of the four, and probably the most popular. Many people know The Ride of the Valkyries from the Bugs Bunny cartoon, when nine helmeted lady bunnies fly through the air on horseback, brandishing their spears and singing all the while! It is wonderfully graphic music to be sure, and we should never forget the true story here – this is women going to war! Look out!

Next up for the orchestra is the second of staged and costumed Mozart operas, this one is Così fan Tutte. Conducted by Music Director Franz Welser-Möst, performance dates are March 2, 4, 6, and 8; all performances begin at 7 pm. 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.