Cleveland Orchestra
The Cleveland Orchestra is one of the major symphony orchestras in the United States. It is based in Cleveland, Ohio. Of the "Big Five" orchestras of America, it is considered to be the most European.[1] It is often considered one of the finest orchestras in the world. Accolades include:
- January 1994: Time magazine rated the Cleveland Orchestra "the Best Band in the Land".
- December 1994: It was ranked in the top ten of the world´s finest orchestras in the Japanese book, Sekai no Okesutora 123 (The Orchestras) [2]
- February 2005: The New Yorker proclaimed the orchestra "the finest in America", though it questioned the Cleveland Orchestra's ability to survive the next century.
History
The orchestra was founded in 1918 by Adella Prentiss Hughes, with Nikolai Sokoloff as its principal conductor. From early in its existence, it toured throughout the eastern United States, made radio broadcasts, and recorded many albums. Subsequent principal conductors (given the American title of Music or Musical Director) have been Artur Rodziński (1933–43), Erich Leinsdorf (1943–44), George Szell (1946–70), Pierre Boulez (Musical Advisor 1970–72), Lorin Maazel (1972–82), and Christoph von Dohnányi (1984–2002). The post of Music Director is currently held by Franz Welser-Möst.
In addition to a vast catalog of recordings created with the ensemble's music directors, the orchestra has also made a series recordings under the batons of Vladimir Ashkenazy and Oliver Knussen, as well as specific works over the years with Kurt Sanderling, Yoel Levi, Riccardo Chailly, Michael Tilson Thomas, and Louis Lane.
Locations
During the summer months the orchestra plays at Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio while during the winter months they play at Severance Hall in Cleveland. It also has long-term performing relationships in Lucerne, Vienna, New York City, and Miami, and has conducted multi-concert tours on the West Coast off and on since the 1960s.
Music directors/Principal conductors
- Franz Welser-Möst (2002–)
- Christoph von Dohnányi (1984–2002)
- Lorin Maazel (1972–1982)
- Pierre Boulez (1970–1972) (Musical advisor)
- George Szell (1946–1970)
- Erich Leinsdorf (1943–1944)
- Artur Rodziński (1933–1943)
- Nikolai Sokoloff (1918–1933)
References
- ^ Bargreen, Melinda. Is Cleveland Orchestra the best in the country?, The Seattle Times, May 29, 2005.
- ^ The Listing of World's Greatest Orchestras. Retrieved January 6, 2006.
Further reading
Donald Rosenberg. The Cleveland Orchestra Story. (Gray & Company Publishers, 2000) – a history of the Cleveland Orchestra written by the classical music critic of the (Cleveland) Plain Dealer ISBN 1886228248.