The Cleveland Orchestra Story: "Second to None"
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.89 (795 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 1886228248 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 752 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2016-03-20 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Detailed, often entertaining. Certainly anyone who loves the Cleveland Orchestra or George Szell's work will want to have this, although most of the famous Szell-as-heartless-martinet stories have been widely told elsewhere. I enjoyed the section on the orchestra's early years, which were much more unfamiliar; it really is amazing how an orchestra like this has survived and even thrived in a "mid-market" city like Cleveland. Great photos, too, including Artur Ro. "Definitive musical history" according to Robert L. Estes. I've been a fan of the Cleveland Orchestra for many years but have heard them live only once, at the Hollywood Bowl during a West Coast tour in mid-70's. It was an unforgettable experience - I had never heard an ensemble play with such clarity and precision.Rosenberg's history nicely blends details about the musicians, managers, performances, and the music itself. Others have summarized many of the topics covered. I was particularly. Fine Musical Biography of America's Best Symphony Orchestra Among serious fans and critics of classical music, the "Big Five" of Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, New York and Philadelphia are America's finest symphony orchestras, equal in quality to their peers in Europe. Yet only one of these is universally regarded as the equal to Europe's very best, the Berlin Philharmonic and Vienna Philharmonic orchestras: surprisingly, the one often mentioned as among the world's top three is the Cleveland
Of dedicated musicians and driven conductors—like colorful Artur Rodzinski (who packed a loaded pistol during every performance) and authoritarian genius George Szell, who drilled into his orchestra the awesome precision for which it is still renowned (and who even told his players how to dress and the cleaning ladies at Severance Hall what brand of toilet paper to stock). “One of the very best books ever written about a symphony orchestra.” — Tim Page, 1997 recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for
His contribution to its growth and expansion has been overshadowed by the great, often colorful maestros who succeeded him: Artur Rodzinsky, Erich Leinsdorf, Lorin Maazel, and, currently, Christoph von Dohnányi. Its first guide and mentor was the Russian-born violinist and conductor Nikolai Sokoloff. So many of them have gone on to making successful careers as soloists, chamber musicians, orchestral leaders, and prestigious teachers that the list induces constant shocks of recognition: proof that th