Conquering Busoni’s Piano Concerto in Cleveland

By Timothy Robson, 09 February 2019

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“a hybrid between a demonic tarantella and the soundtrack of a chase scene in a Bugs Bunny cartoon”

Reviewed at Severance Music Center: Mandel Concert Hall, Cleveland on 7 February 2019

Haydn, Symphony no. 100 in G major "Military"

Busoni, Concerto in C major for piano, orchestra and male choir, Op.39, BV 247

Garrick Ohlsson, Piano

Men of the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus

The Cleveland Orchestra

Alan Gilbert, Conductor

From a ‘classical‘ symphony to Götterdämmerung in Cleveland

Sam Jacobson, 7th May

Franz Welser-Möst leads a program reflective of the artistic threads that have defined his Cleveland tenure: Prokofiev, contemporary Austrian music and Wagner.

****1

Barbara Hannigan surveys American voices with The Cleveland Orchestra

Sam Jacobson, 14th February

Works by Crumb, Ruggles, Barber and Gershwin offer four distinct ideas of what American music can sound like in Barbara Hannigan’s explorative Cleveland Orchestra program.

***11

The Cleveland Orchestra at Carnegie Hall: symphonic extremes

Sam Jacobson, 21st January

Following a polished account of Mozart’s Jupiter Symphony, Shostakovich’s Eleventh erupted with visceral force, as Franz Welser-Möst led The Cleveland Orchestra in a performance of gripping intensity.

*****

A study in control and proportion: the Clevelanders’ Verdi Requiem

Edward Sava-Segal, 20th January

Asmik Grigorian leads a strong quartet of soloists and the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus shape the performance at Carnegie Hall.

****1

An uneven symphonic pairing from Franz Welser-Möst in Cleveland

Frank Kuznik, 10th January

Mozart and Shostakovich make an uncomfortable fit in a program designed to highlight their differences.

***11

Yuja Wang serves an iridescent musical feast in Cleveland

Sam Jacobson, 28th November

Yuja Wang does double duty in demanding piano concertos by Ravel and Ligeti, while conductor Petr Popelka shows his chemistry with the orchestra in Pictures at an Exhibition.

****1

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Timothy Robson

We are saddened to learn of the death of Tim Robson, a long-time Bachtrack contributor (2012-21). Tim was an organist in Cleveland, Ohio and his repertoire extended to all musical periods, with a special interest in contemporary music. As a blogger he was a regular contributor to ClevelandClassical.com. In his parallel career as a librarian, Tim was Associate Director for Academic Engagement at the Kelvin Smith Library of Case Western Reserve University. Our condolences to his family.

Ohlsson and Gilbert conquer Busoni’s Piano Concerto in Cleveland