cubanmiamiboy Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 The great Cleveland Orchestra has just started their new season, which at some point was threatened by a musicians strike that ended up in a happy settlement. I couldn't go to their opening weekend-(I was too busy across the plaza enjoying Divertimento # 15 ), but last night and tonight I had a blast. Last night they performed Beethoven's 5th-(can't get enough of it), and tonight they played his Eroica. Other pieces were Verdi's overture of La Forza...and Bernstein's Symphony no. 2-( nope...never been a fan of his music, to be honest). But Beethoven's made it up for a great night for sure! Link to comment
dirac Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 Thank you for telling us about it, cubanmiamiboy. Sounds like a robust evening. Link to comment
Jack Reed Posted February 1, 2010 Share Posted February 1, 2010 I often think about the CO's playing in Miami. I think they're one of the best, if not the best, in the country. And I remember reading that they sold out when they joined up with MCB. Does the CO sell out on their own there, ever, Cristian? Bernstein is no match for Beethoven; that's an odd program. But isn't the Second Symphony the one subtitled "The Age of Anxiety" after a long poem by W. H. Auden? I think I had some little interest in it decades ago, especially the jazzy section, and I remember some moments from the Robbins ballet to it, The Age of Anxiety, when it was shown in the Lyric Theatre (in the Civic Opera House) here in the fifties. Anyway, Bernstein's music for Fancy Free seems to me completely successful in realizing what it presents itself as doing, by contrast. Link to comment
cubanmiamiboy Posted February 1, 2010 Author Share Posted February 1, 2010 Yes, indeed, Jack. Bernstein's Symphony is "The Age of Anxiety". It was certainly an odd program, and I could tell audience was "anxious"-( )-while The Age...was playing while waiting to listen to Beethoven's. The theater has been TOTALLY SOLD OUT in all performances. Link to comment
bart Posted February 1, 2010 Share Posted February 1, 2010 The theater has been TOTALLY SOLD OUT in all performances.Way to go! This is great news! Our very full major-orchestra series in West Palm Beach is also mostly sold out, with waiting lists for subscriptions. South Florida has a huge seasonal demand for the kind of culture that residents had the opportunity to experience when the lived in the North. It as a great decision on the part of Cleveland. Unfortunately, local groups like the late Florida Philharmonic have had a harder time. There's a large and talented pool of classical musicians down here, but not a strong donor base among full-time residents. How is the New World Symphony doing, cristian? Link to comment
Jack Reed Posted February 1, 2010 Share Posted February 1, 2010 So major visiting classical orchestras sell out in south Florida, but MCB, which uses a lot of the classical concert repertory in its own repertory, never advertises that fact in classical concert programs? (I think Cristian said that he never saw such an ad for ballet performances there in another thread where I asked him.) I would have thought that fact might interest a few people in the concert audience. Does this make sense? The reason I went to see the Robbins ballet was that I was intrigued by the Symphony at the time, but I don't assume that I'm typical or that my combination of interests is widespread. I assume that the extent of my interests (and Cristian's and bart's, too, apparently) in both kinds of performance is unknown. Link to comment
cubanmiamiboy Posted February 1, 2010 Author Share Posted February 1, 2010 I think Cristian said that he never saw such an ad for ballet performances there in another thread where I asked him This is true, Jack. I wish they could send their PR to receive some classes from New World Symphony's PR. Link to comment
cubanmiamiboy Posted February 2, 2010 Author Share Posted February 2, 2010 How is the New World Symphony doing, cristian? Better than ever, bart!. Michael Tilson Thomas knows REALLY WELL how to advertise his troupe. I just went to an all-Bach concert, and they did sell out, as usual. They also have this free informal sessions, called "Musical exchange", where musicians discuss different topics, answer questions and play related music. Most important, they keep a very aggressive, steady e-mail alert plan, so they keep sending notes a week in advance, along with huge discounts for students and partnership with local clubs for concert/after-concert packages On top of that, their future Miami Beach home construction, Frank Gehry's beautiful City Center, is advancing very fast. http://www.nws.edu/NewCampus/ Link to comment
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