eighth blackbird in challenging and pleasing Cleveland concert

By Timothy Robson, 01 May 2014

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Reviewed at Cleveland State University, Waetjen Auditorium, Cleveland on 29 April 2014

Dessner, Murder Ballades: Suite

Johnson, Counting Duets (arr. Kaplan & Munro)

Reed Parry, Duet for Heart and Breath

Dean, Sextet: Old Kings in Exile

Mackey, Suite: Slide

Ligeti, Etudes for piano (Selected arr. Kaplan & Munro)

eighth blackbird

Inspiring collaboration of music and art

Ako Imamura, 18th January

Instrumental ensemble eighth blackbird performed Hand Eye, a new work by a group of young composers Sleeping Giant, accompanied by stunning visual images.

****1

John Luther Adams breathes life into Mostly Mozart Festival

Rebecca Lentjes, 26th July

This outdoor piece wasn’t just about nature; it took place in nature. The rumbles of bass drums and timpani mingled with the delicate sounds of the wind rustling through the trees and stones being scraped together by musicians.

****1

Conviction, passion and clarity: Sir Stephen Hough at Wigmore Hall

Christopher Woodley, 19th May

Fragments by Brahms, Schoenberg and Schubert orbit Beethoven's Waldstein and Schumann's Carnaval in another masterful recital from Sir Stephen Hough.

****1

Spellbinding Gewandhausorchester Leipzig in Vienna’s Musikverein

Chanda VanderHart, 18th May

In Rachmaninov's Second Piano Concerto, Yulianna Avdeeva commands attention through sheer innate charisma, anchored in intense engagement.

*****

Brighton Philharmonic play their socks off at the Brighton Festival

Nick Boston, 17th May

Joanna MacGregor and the BPO pull off an excellent performance of Shostakovich's Tenth, alongside William Kentridge's evocative film, Oh to Believe in Another World.

****1

Ensemble 360 illuminates the gathering darkness in Sheffield

Phil Parker, 17th May

Nightfall in Sheffield General Cemetery provides the perfect atmospheric backdrop for Ensemble 360’s exploration of chamber music by Mozart, Weber and Korngold.

****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.