Staying connected

The first time I traveled to Europe with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in 1995, I had a suitcase full of "Agent 007" gadgets, such as an acoustic coupler (remember those?) clips and clamps to attach to a hotel phone for my "dial-up" connections. It was always iffy whether it would work, whether my stories would beam back to 312 Elm Street for you to read in the morning paper. All of them did.

By the 2004 European tour, cities had gotten much more sophisticated, of course, but I found to my surprise that Vienna only had about six "hot spots" for wireless. My hotel had an old, clunky computer in the lobby (dial-up) and it was only by kicking the thing finally, that the story went, and you read my review of the Vienna concert in the Enquirer the next day. I also had a daily blog on that tour.

This time, I'm loaded down again with gadgets -- although much more high-tech, of course. I'm hoping that my three-year-old laptop, antique by techie standards, will be sending you stories almost daily, as well as blogs and photos too. Each day -- in a new city, a new concert hall and a new hotel -- will be a new musical adventure for the orchestra, and a new Internet adventure for me.

Stay with us as we leave today for Frankfurt, Germany, visiting other cities in Germany as well as Austria, France, The Netherlands and Spain.

And be sure to visit the interactive map and see interviews from symphony musicians at each city, an interview with music director Paavo Jarvi, hear musical clips and much more.

Unprecedented concert remembers Pat Corbett, "Queen of the Queen City"

Thousands poured into Music Hall on Saturday morning for an unprecedented performance by Cincinnati's performing arts groups to remember arts patron Patricia Corbett, who died Jan. 28 at age 99.

It was a heartfelt tribute, a free concert that brought out families with small children as well as most of Cincinnati's cultural movers and shakers -- art museum heads, conductors, musicians, CCM faculty members, NKU's Provost, patrons of the arts and many more. As you walked up to Music Hall on this brilliant but cold Saturday morning, Bach's "Air on a G String" was piped outside, from a not-yet-released recording made by Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops.

Cincinnati's Mayor Mark Mallory (whom I did not see, but the crowd was big) proclaimed it as Patricia A. Corbett Day.

With the 3,400-seat hall about three-quarters filled and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra seated onstage, Paavo Jarvi strode out without speaking and opened with a beautiful and somber performance of "Fratres" by Arvo Part. We learned from host Naomi Lewin of WGUC that this was the choice of Mrs. Corbett's son, Tom Corbett, who died earlier this month. He chose his mother's favorite pieces for the performance.

Mrs. Corbett's grandson, Evan Corbett, noted that his father was also a loyal arts patron, on the board of the Corbett Foundation as well as the Dallas Symphony, where he lived. "His final accomplishment was to plan this celebration," Evan said. He thanked all of the organizers and participants -- all volunteers -- down to the stage hands, noting that his grandmother was proud to be a member of the Stage Hands Union.

He also recognized those in the audience from NuTone "where this wonderful ride began."

"They pioneered an enlightened philanthropy that focused on the balance sheet as well as the art," he said about his grandparents, Patricia and J. Ralph Corbett. "We must tend our legacy as a city with performing arts as grand as any in the world. We must come out and support those performing arts."

Metropolitan Opera legend Julius Rudel, who is a former music director of the May Festival and Cincinnati Opera maestro, spoke movingly about his friendship with the Corbetts.

He particularly mentioned Boito's "Mephistofele," mounted by Cincinnati Opera in 1972 with Rudel conducting. "Supporting that relatively unknown opera was an act of faith," he said. "Pat always seemed to be right there when you needed her the most. She was the very model of a modern benefactor. ... This city can be proud to have a visionary patron like Pat. She was one of the true queens of the Queen City."

Rudel conducted the orchestra in opera selections: "Sempre Libera" from La Traviata, featuring Jane Jennings, a Cincinnati Opera soprano, and "Nessun dorma" from "Turandot," with tenor Mark Panuccio.

Panuccio unleashed a virile, Italianate tenor, becoming overcome with emotion for the final notes, when he turned to face Mrs. Corbett's spotlighted empty box.

An energetic group from CCM's musical theater division came back early from spring break, to sing "We are the Light" and "What I Did for Love." Cincinnati Ballet's Carmon DeLeone conducted excerpts from his own score to "Peter Pan," and the May Festival Chorus took the spotlight in "Glory to God" from Handel's "Messiah."

Jarvi also led the Adagietto from Mahler's Symphony No. 5 -- Mahler was one of Mrs. Corbett's favorite composers.

The whole group came out for "Make Our Garden Grow" from Leonard Bernstein's "Candide," with Jarvi conducting.

From beginning to end, it was professional and beautifully performed. It's hard to imagine the arts in Cincinnati without Patricia Corbett. Hers will be very big shoes to fill.

P.S. I have to think that Pat would have enjoyed the hot pink lighting behind the orchestra

Photo of SCPA String Quartet beneath portraits of Patricia and J. Ralph Corbett

Taking an orchestra on the road

What does the symphony tour do for Cincinnati and its image abroad? Should an orchestra do these international tours -- or stay home?

Those are questions I posed to a music writing class at Northern Kentucky University. Here are some of their answers, and others, too. You can weigh in, too, below.

"Their traveling is a great perspective of the city we live in. Too often because of past events, Cincinnati is viewed poorly. It is a great city and the CSO is one of many proofs." -- Micah Herrick, 20, Price Hill

"In the global world we live in, it would be a serious misstep for the orchestra to remain a local phenomenon.... Europe continues to be the center of Western music, and I think that recognition in such circles is what is required to take our orchestra's prestige to the next level." -- Maribeth Turner, 20 of Mason

"I think the CSO should tour so that overseas countries can see what the U.S. has to offer. I think it is worth the money because the classical music scene is dying, and this can help keep it alive." -- Andrew Barnhart, 19, Deer Park

"If the tour is a big chunk out of the budget, then I do not believe it's a good idea." -- Michelle Asher, 20

"People outside Cincinnati should have the opportunity to hear the music as we are so privileged to hear live." -- Scott Patterson, 20, Highland Heights

"An orchestra as renowned as CSO well deserves to be heard worldwide." --
Annie Donnellon, junior

"As far as touring goes, I believe that they should improve the situation here before they travel. I was taught that before you go out to play, make sure that you have your room cleaned." -- Marcus Duckworth, 28

"Touring is a great way for new and exciting music to be spread. Rather than the CSO play for the same group of people, touring will help to get a new audience. It also gives the city of Cincinnati a good name when the orchestra performs in a new place." -- Matt Lysaght, 19

"I would hope that accolades received by the orchestra in national and international venues would help to secure and maintain donor support back home. I certainly hope that budgetary constraints will not prevent the CSO from touring in the future." -- Diana Belland, NKU faculty member

"Music transcends so many barriers, and speaks in such positive ways about our city and what it values. It also allows others to experience the joy, sorrow, romance, and the best of what "is" Cincinnati through our city ambassadors. It is also so valuable and important to be able to "export" positive works of art and artistry, in a time when it has been more difficult from a world view to be seen as promoters of peace and creativity." -- Bruce P. Bernard, M.D., dad of twins in the Walnut Hills High School orchestra program

CSO tour preview thrilling

It's clear from the reaction of Music Hall's audience Thursday night that Paavo Järvi and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra are taking a program of showstoppers on their 12-city European tour that begins next week.

And from their playing, this orchestra is primed.

The Cincinnati Symphony gave a preview of one of the programs it will perform over the next three weeks on European stages, and twice the audience was on its feet cheering. The forces delivered a searing performance Shostakovich's Symphony No. 10 in E Minor, which concluded the evening. Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3, with pianist Nikolai Lugansky, can only be described as electrifying.

Lugansky, 36, who will share duties with violinist Janine Jansen as tour soloist, is a Russian pianist who already has an impressive discography and a fistful of major prizes. Small wonder he has a reputation for Rachmaninoff. This was one of the finest performances of the Third I've ever heard.

Tall and lanky, Lugansky appears more elegant than showy, yet he displayed plenty of fire and dash as he soared through technical feats without breaking a sweat. He projected a singing tone, and the work's dazzling figurations were clear and bright.

If one could pick the most sensational display, it was the first movement's cadenza, with its keyboard-spanning leaps and orchestral sonorities. The romantic melodies were beautifully felt and he summoned beautiful color, always with an ear for balance and musicality. He climbed the final summit unflinchingly and with thrilling virtuosity. He is clearly a major force on the piano circuit today.

This was an ideal collaboration, with the orchestra providing lush, refined color and Järvi sensitive to the pianist's every move.

Shostakovich wrote his Symphony No. 10 in 1953, inspired by Stalin's death. If it is a blistering portrait of Stalin, it is also partly autobiographical, for the composer inserted his own musical monogram into the music.

The first movement, a symphony in itself, was brooding, mournful and also quite beautiful. Besides its compelling momentum, the listener was swept along with a range of emotions, from shattering climaxes to the bleak piccolo theme that ends the movement.

The Allegro was a brutal march, clipped and powerful, that ended like a shot. The third movement made a striking contrast, with its fearless horn theme (Elizabeth Freimuth) and its haunting atmosphere.

Järvi's conviction never wavered, and the orchestra played superbly. The finale, which erupted into mock-cheerfulness, always had tension simmering beneath.

The program opened with a brilliant and witty Overture to "The Marriage of Figaro" by Mozart.

The concert repeats at 11 a.m. today and 8 p.m. Saturday in Music Hall. Tickets: 513-381-3300, www.cincinnatisymphony.org. What did you think? Rate and review this concert at cincinnati.com/entertainment.

In memoriam Gerhard Samuel

Gerhard Samuel, former professor at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music for 21 years, died on March 25 of cardiac arrest at his home on Queen Anne Hill in Seattle.

He will be remembered for his international career as conductor, a founder of festivals, a tireless promoter of new music, a prolific composer, and a professor of music and conducting.

Mr. Samuel was director of orchestral studies at CCM for 21 years before he retired in 1997. At the time, he told the Enquirer, "I consider this the most important period of my life. It's hard to put into words what it means, but the contact I'd had with so many people and knowing that they go out into the world carrying on some of the things I was able to transmit to them, is gratifying."

During Mr. Samuel's tenure as director of orchestral studies, he built the Philharmonia Orchestra from a struggling ensemble that couldn't afford to rent music to an institution of international reputation. In 1987, he took the orchestra to Carnegie Hall and in 1989, to the International Mahler Festival in Paris, the only invitation extended to an American orchestra.

From his years studying with composer Paul Hindemith and renowned conductor Serge Koussevitsky, he brought a love of modern repertoire that resulted in countless world premiere performances and recordings, NPR broadcasts and invitations to perform around the globe.

Mr. Samuel championed the music of composers such as Hans Rott, Alexander von Zemlinsky and John Corigliano. In 1994, he won the prestigious Ditson Conductor's Award for the advancement of American music.

Some of his CCM recordings hailed in the national media include the world premiere of Schubert's Symphony in E, 1825 and Schubert's opera, "Der Graf von Gleichen," as well as Charles Ives' unfinished "Universe Symphony."

Mr. Samuel was adamant that orchestral programming should include modern music, and hated the new "dumbing down" trend of radio stations and symphony orchestras.

"Music shouldn't be treated differently from other art forms. We don't read War and Peace every year, like we listen to Beethoven symphonies over and over," he said. "Before the 20th century, all music - even Beethoven - was contemporary."

Mr. Samuel was also a prolific composer of major works, such as a Requiem Mass, concertos, string quartets and orchestral pieces. At the time of his death, he was working on an opera, "Blood of the Walsungs," based upon a novella by Thomas Mann, with a libretto by Roger Brunyate, a former UC faculty member.

Mr. Samuel was born in Bonn, Germany, on April 20th, 1924, and moved to America with his immediate family in 1939 to escape Nazi persecution.

He studied at Eastman School of Music, and at Yale University under Hindemith. At Tanglewood he was a protégé of Serge Koussevitsky.

He worked on Broadway, promoted American music in post-war Paris, and was an Associate Conductor of the Minneapolis symphony. In 1959 he became Music Director of the Oakland Symphony and San Francisco Ballet. He founded the Oakland Chamber Orchestra and was first conductor of the Cabrillo Festival.

In 1971 he became Associate Conductor of Los Angeles Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta and a professor at California Institute of the Arts. He joined CCM in 1976.

He retired to Seattle in 1996 and loved to spend time at his cabin in the Cascade Mountains. He is survived by his partner Achim Nicklis, sister Erica Wilhelm, nephews Cris and Marc Wilhelm and their families, and his cousins and friends.

On the road again

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is preparing for a tour to Europe's music centers, April 1-19. Some of these stops are return visits, and one (Amsterdam's Concertgebouw) is a prestigious debut performance.

The schedule:

April 1 – Orchestra departs for Frankfurt, Germany (Wednesday arrival)
April 4 – Alte Oper, Frankfurt
April 5 – Herkulessaal, Munich
April 6 – Konzerthaus, Vienna, Austria
April 8 – Liederhalle, Stuttgart, Germany
April 9 – Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
April 10 – Salle Pleyel, Paris, France
April 12 – Laeiszhalle, Hamburg, Germany
April 13 – Konzerthaus, Dortmund, Germany
April 14 – Tonhalle, Düsseldorf, Germany
April 16 – Palau de la Musica, Valencia, Spain
April 17 – Palau de la Musica Catalana, Barcelona, Spain
April 18 – Auditorio Nacional de Musica, Madrid, Spain
April 19 – Depart Madrid for Cincinnati

The press:

Last week, while tour soloist Janine Jansen was appearing at Music Hall, a music journalist from "Die Welt" was in the audience, preparing a feature story about Paavo Jarvi and the CSO.

There is quite of bit of press ahead of this tour. In fact, it could be record. The list:

International Herald Tribune (International)

Der Standard (Austria)

Radio Stefansdom (Austria)

ORF Radio (Austria)

Die Welt (Germany)

Frankfurter Rundschau (Germany)

Rondo Magazine (Germany)

Hamburger Abendblatt (Germany)

NDR Radio (Germany)

WDR Radio (Germany)

Bayerische Rundfunk (Germany)

Deutschland Radio (Germany)

Deutsche Welle Radio (Germany)

dpa - deutsche presse agentur (Germany)

Luister Magazine (Netherlands)

Le Monde de la Musique (France)

Cadences Magazine (France)

Classica / Repertoire (France)

La Tribune (France)

La Croix (France)

Radio Classique (France)

France Musique (France)

The broadcast:

The CSO's concert in the newly renovated Salle Pleyel in Paris (a first in that hall) is being recorded for airing in Europe.

Meet the Musicians

Here's the latest installment in a series to meet various players in the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. I'll be on the road with these folks next week. Watch for more news about the tour, coming soon.

This Thursday, hear a preview of music they'll perform on tour -- and get a free buffet dinner, too. Here's info on this weekend's concert:

Paavo Järvi conducts Mozart's Overture to "The Marriage of Figaro" and Shostakovich's Symphony No. 10. Russian pianist Nikolai Lugansky joins in Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3. Performances are 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 11 a.m. Friday and 8 p.m. Saturday in Music Hall. Tickets: $12 to $79.25; $10 students. 513-381-3300, www.cincinnatisymphony.org.

Reineke to make Carnegie Hall debut

Local conductor Steven Reineke will conduct the New York Pops for its 25th Birthday Gala in Carnegie Hall on Monday, April 28. Guest artists for the concert in the famed hall will include Andrea McArdle, Kelli O'Hara, Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin Brothers, Nicola Congiu, Haley Swindal, Ronan Tynan and Steve Tyrell.The show, "Play to Win," will honor The New York Yankees, James M. Nederlander and James L. Nederlander.

Skitch Henderson founded the New York Pops in 1983. For info, visit www.carnegiehall.org.

CSO in national radio spotlight

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra will make its debut on SymphonyCast, a national public radio program showcasing the world's great orchestras on April 8 and July 1.

The program airs locally at 8 p.m. Tuesdays on WGUC (90.9).

Robin Gehl, WGUC's vice president for programming, says she hopes this will be the start of regular appearances by the Cincinnati Symphony on the national show.

"When we added SymphonyCast to the WGUC lineup last year, we were anxious to be able to share the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra with the rest of the country and the world, and now we have that chance," she says.

The April 8 program will feature a concert recorded by Cincinnati Public Radio (owner of WGUC) in Music Hall on Sept. 21, with Paavo Järvi conducting and Sharon Bezaly, flutist. The program includes Beethoven's Overture to "Fidelio," Mozart's Flute Concerto No. 2 in D Major and Andante for Flute and Orchestra in C Major and Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra.

The July 1 program will feature a concert recorded in October with Järvi conducting and violinist Vadim Repin as soloist. The program includes Mahler's "Todtenfeier" and the "Adagio" from Symphony No. 10, Mahler's (arr. Britten) "What the Wild Flowers Tell Me" and Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D Major.

Mark Lyons photo

Death knell for Columbus Symphony?

To let it die or to not let it die? -- That seems to be the question in Columbus. Take a look at yesterday's Dispatch. Can this orchestra be saved?

Symphony playing “heavenly” as it readies for tour

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra's program Friday night in Music Hall was equal parts brilliance and refinement, and the perfect showcase for the orchestra's European tour next month.

Paavo Järvi led one of two tour programs that the Cincinnati Symphony will be playing in Europe's musical capitals, and it was clear this ensemble is primed to go on the road. In Schubert's magnificent Symphony No. 9 in C Major, "The Great," the orchestra has never sounded so polished and fresh, or played with such natural spontaneity.

Violinist Janine Jansen, a 30-year-old Dutch virtuoso, was soloist in Benjamin Britten's Concerto No. 1, delivering her own remarkable performance of this under-appreciated work. The well-crafted program opened with Arvo Pärt's "Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten."

Schubert's "Great" Symphony is known as "a symphony of heavenly length." Yet this reading, from first note to last, never lacked for inspiration. Järvi took his cue, perhaps, from period instrument performances, for bows were short and timpani attacks were crisp. Yet it also was a performance that sang, befitting this composer of 600 art songs.

From the start, one was struck by the clarity, transparency and buoyancy of Järvi's view. The colorful phrasing in the winds, the noble themes in the trombones and the bite in the strings gave it all a breathtaking power. The conductor energized his players with sudden burst of inspiration as he swept them up animatedly, and they responded with superb playing. Tempos were quick, and expressive details, especially in the scherzo, were vivid.

Elizabeth Freimuth soared in her opening horn call, and principal oboist Dwight Parry phrased with imagination in his second movement solo.

In the evening's first half, Jansen's performance of Britten was equally mesmerizing. The violinist is one of a new generation of stellar artists, whose ease, musicality and freshness seem to anticipate only great things to come.
Britten’s Concerto No. 1 of 1939 is rich with Spanish color but the finale reflects the era in which it was written, merging both tragedy and joy.

Jansen's lyrical playing emphasized the work's bittersweet quality, as she soared with stunning color into the stratosphere, and dug energetically into the work's intense figures. As the violinist lingered on a phrase here and there, one could only revel in the beauty of her sound.

She tackled the scherzo with hair flying, turning to communicate with the orchestra as if she were playing chamber music. For the cadenza she called upon an arsenal of stunning technical effects, including left hand pizzicato.

The finale, a passacaglia, was memorable for Jansen's deeply emotional playing. Järvi and the orchestra were seamless partners, and the effect was haunting.

The evening opened with Pärt's elegy for Britten. Written for strings and bells, it's an example in the Estonian composer's “tintinnabuli” style. Somber chimes combined with the extraordinary sonority of strings moving in imitation at different tempos. The effect was both hypnotic and deeply touching.

This concert is too good to miss.

The concert repeats at 8 p.m. today and 3 p.m. Sunday in Music Hall. 513-381-3300. What did you think? Rate and review this concert at cincinnati.com/entertainment.

Tan Dun's "Water Passion" to have regional premiere

Here's a unique concert of a groundbreaking choral work by Grammy and Oscar-winning composer Tan Dun at CCM, 8 p.m. Saturday in Corbett Auditorium. A Passion story for modern times, Tan Dun's "Water Passion After St. Matthew" utilizes the sound of water.

Grammy and Oscar-winning composer Tan Dun, famed for his score for the film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," created "Water Passion" for the 250th anniversary of Johann Sebastian Bach's death.

Saturday's performance will feature CCM's Chamber Choir, Percussion Group Cincinnati, guest artists Elizabeth Keusch (soprano), Stephen Bryant
(bass) and Yuanlin Chen (electronic sampler), and student soloists Kuan-Chang Tu (violin) and Amy Gillingham (cello).

The unique instrumental ensemble includes 17 transparent water bowls, illuminated from beneath and "played" by percussionists, as well as electronically sampled ancient string instruments. These natural, vocal, string and electronic sounds combine to present a dynamic new take on the Gospel that inspired Bach.

Tan Dun was born in Simao, China. Having served as a rice planter and performer of Peking opera during the Cultural Revolution, he later studied at Beijing's Central Conservatory. He holds a doctoral degree in musical arts from Columbia University of New York.

Tan Dun has made an indelible mark on the world's music scene with a creative repertoire that spans on the boundaries of classical, multimedia, Eastern and Western musical systems. A winner of the Grawemeyer Award for classical composition, Grammy Award, Academy Award and Musical America's "Composer of the Year" -- Tan Dun's music has been played throughout the world by the leading orchestras, opera houses, international festivals and on radio and television.

Opera has played a significant role in Tan Dun's creative output of the past decade. Among his operas: "The First Emperor" was premiered by the Metropolitan Opera in December 2006 with a title role created for Plácido Domingo; "Marco Polo," set to a libretto by Paul Griffiths; "Peony Pavilion," on a text by Tang Xianzu (1598) and directed by Peter Sellars, which has had more than 50 performances at major festivals in Vienna, Paris, London and Rome.

"Water Passion After St. Matthew" was created for the Internationale Bachakadamie in Stuttgart, commemorating the 250th anniversary of Bach's death.

Percussion Group Cincinnati was founded in 1979 and consists of members Allen Otte, James Culley and Russell Burge, faculty members and ensemble-in-residence at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

Over the past 25 years, many young composers from the United States, Latin America, Europe, Africa and Asia have created a large body of new and often experimental music for the unique talents of Percussion Group Cincinnati.

The group's work appears on various CDs, including their own ars moderno label; their recording of John Luther Adams' evening-length 'Strange and Sacred Noise' was released in surround-sound by Mode this year. They are currently working on their contribution to the series of Mode Records'integrated set of the complete music of John Cage, and on a 25-year retrospective multidisc set including performances from the group's entire history.

Tickets:$10, $5 for non-UC students, and FREE for UC students. Parking is available in the CCM Garage (at the base of Corry Boulevard off Jefferson Avenue) and additional garages throughout the UC campus. For tickets or additional information, visit www.ccm.uc.edu or call 513-556-4183.

Patricia Corbett tribute to be in Music Hall

Cincinnati will thank the late Patricia Corbett for being one of the city's most generous arts patrons in a musical celebration to be held in Music Hall on March 29.

An extraordinary array of the arts organizations touched by Mrs. Corbett's philanthropy will perform a free public concert in memory of the arts patron who died on January 28. Performers will include the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the May Festival Chorus, Cincinnati Opera soprano Jane Jennings and tenor Mark Panuccio, the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music's 2008 musical theater senior class, members of Northern Kentucky University’s Azmari Quartet and groups from the School for Creative & Performing Arts.

The Cincinnati Symphony’s music director Paavo Järvi, former May Festival music director and Metropolitan Opera conductor Julius Rudel and Cincinnati Ballet music director Carmon DeLeone will share conducting duties.

WGUC's Naomi Lewin will host the event. All participants will donate their services.

The idea to hold a free concert and most of the program was initiated by Mrs. Corbett's son, Thomas R. Corbett, who died on March 3 in Dallas.

The concert will allow the people of Greater Cincinnati "to celebrate Cincinnati's beloved Patricia Corbett, and the chance to say farewell," says Karen McKim, exective director of the Corbett Foundation.

Mrs. Corbett and her husband, the late J. Ralph Corbett, pictured, were champions of the region's performing arts, from Riverbend Music Center to Northern Kentucky University.

"A Musical Celebration of an Extraordinary Life: Patricia A. Corbett" is free and open to the public, 11 a.m. March 29 in Music Hall. Tickets are not required. Doors will open at 10 a.m.; the auditorium opens at 10:45 a.m. For information or to arrange handicapped-accessible seating, call 513-621-2787 or visit www.cincinnatiarts.org.

Macy's Music Festival announces lineup

Earth Wind and Fire, Patti LaBelle, Frankie Beverly and Team Cincinnati Choir are some of the stars who will headline this year’s Macy’s Music Festival, July 25-26.

Festival organizer Joe Santangelo is counting on star power to help boost the two-day festival at Paul Brown Stadium, an extravaganza of R&B, jazz, hip-hop and soul. Macy's Music Festival will again be part of Music Fusion Week, July 19-27.

"I have at least two headliners on every night," Santangelo says.

Earth Wind and Fire and Patti LaBelle will share Friday night's bill with three other hot young stars: Keyshia Cole, Chrisette Michele and Raheem DeVaughn.

"What we tried to do this year is to make a mix of young and old," Santangelo says. "Keyshia Cole, even though she is extremely hot right now, she's liked by everybody. Most people are calling her the next Mary J. Blige."

On Saturday, Team Cincinnati Choir, winners of NBC's "Clash of the Choirs," will open – without their music director, Nick Lachey. But, Santangelo says, they will do the tune that brought down the house on national television – "Flight of the Bumblebee."

Maze featuring Frankie Beverly and Jill Scott will headline Saturday. Scott, who is returning for the first time since 2001, is regularly selling out her shows these days. Saturday's lineup also includes R&B soul singer/songwriter Kem and J. Holiday, famous from his single, "Bed."

All city parking will be $1 during the festival, Santangelo says. As in the past, he plans to meet with restaurants to arrange special menus and deals for festival-goers.

Between sold-out hotels, restaurants and retail spending, music lovers plunk down an estimated $25 million in tourism dollars during the festival. The Regional Tourism Network will announce the lineup of Music Fusion events soon.

Organizers hope that this year's music festival will top 40,000 in attendance. Last year's suffered when headliner Blige was a no-show on Friday, and weather was rainy.
Despite that, says Santangelo, attendance was in the high 30,000s.

"I sense that this will be bigger than last year," he says. "If this is the year that people can't afford big vacations because of the economy, it might be time to stay home and make a mini-festival here."

Macy's Music Festival has attracted avid music fans from all over the country since 1962, when it was an all-jazz event. The festival was absent from 2002-05, when lead promoter Coors pulled out after the 2001 riots.

Two years ago, the Santangelo Group Inc. partnered with Ohio Valley Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Shows will start at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday at Ticketmaster Ticket Centers or at 513-562-4949. Information: macysmusicfestival.com, 513-924-0900 or 800-452-3132.

Where to eat after symphony concerts??

Ellen Finestone e-mailed this question last week before the Blizzard canceled the symphony concert.

"We are going to the CSO on Saturday night. The concert is at 8 and I was wondering if you had a suggestion for a restaurant we could go to after the concert?"

I've been wracking my brain. Concerts usually end around 10:15 p.m. or even later, and most places downtown stop serving around 10:30 p.m. Here are some choices:

Nicola's stays open late, and Via Vite and Nada downtown are open pretty late, the food critic tells me. I have had luck going to hotels like the Cincinnatian and getting bar food – which is excellent there. But I think the pickings are slim!

Got ideas for Ellen -- and the rest of us? Post them here.

How we hear

Frequently, the issue of orchestras not being "visual" enough for today's audiences comes up. Every orchestra is struggling with this issue, believing that somehow trying out something new, changing the format and the look of the concert experience, may make it more accessible and therefore more appealing to the casual concertgoer. The Cincinnati Symphony is experimenting with a video screen showing Paavo speaking informally about the music, played just before he comes onstage, for instance.

For years I've wondered why the orchestra's stage (and this is a general comment that applies to many orchestras) must look so bland, so poorly lighted, with its musicians just plunked down with little thought about presentation or theatricality. Not that it should look like the Pops, but I'm told there is lots that could be done with lighting alone to make a concert much more appealing.

Then there is the whole aspect of how the performers look onstage. Recently, the NY Times' Bernard Holland devoted some column space to singers (and pianists) who gesture and move too much for his taste. Certainly there are times when performers can distract from the musical message they are trying to impart, by using too much extraneous movement or even by wearing odd clothing. Frankly, I don't mind when the musicians in the orchestra move or smile a little as they perform -- in fact, it makes me believe they are feeling the music and expressing themselves. But orchestras today -- unless you play with Andre Rieu -- neither move nor smile very much.

And now for opera, we have surcaps, another visual element which has been a boon for opera companies and made the experience more enjoyable for us all. But recently on vacation, I was in Los Angeles where I saw James Conlon conduct Otello at LA Opera, and from my seat I couldn't see the surcaps. Of course, I know the story, so I only felt compelled to strain to see the text a few times. It made me realize how much I've been missing -- not only of what's happening onstage, but also musically. I heard this performance so much more vividly. Surcaps, I fear, have become a crutch.

I just stumbled upon some thoughts by Henry Fogel, president and CEO of the League of American Orchestras. I'll think you'll be interested in what he writes, as well as the comments, some of which are from musicians and music critics.

CSO concert canceled tonight

SAT MAR 8, 8 PM CSO CONCERT IS CANCELED due to the continuing poor weather and road conditions. (Call 513-381-3300 the week of March 10 to exchange free-of-charge into the CSO performance of your choice in the 2007-2008 season, or to be issued a refund.)

And here's another change due to the Blizzard of '08:

Nic Muni e-mails that there will be two performances tomorrow, 2:30 and 8 p.m. of "The Coronation of Poppea" -- assuming that UC is open.

"We will have plenty of seats for people and the cast has really done a beautiful job with this most beautiful opera," he says.

More cancellations....

due to the storm.

At CCM:

Mainstage Series "Little Women," 8 p.m. tonight (Friday)

Cincinnati Children's Choir, 4 p.m. Saturday.

Both are canceled. For other CCM events, check the UC Website for updates: www.uc.edu.

At the Aronoff Center:

Overture Awards Finals Competition, 1 p.m. Saturday
(This will be rescheduled for 1 p.m. April 6)
Mamluft & Co. Dance, 8 p.m. tonight and Saturday
(These two performances will be rescheduled for 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday (March 9)

Ticket holders may use their original tickets for the rescheduled dates. 513-621-2787, www.cincinnatiarts.org







Traffic report right now: I-75 is completely clear, and side streets are not bad, either. Apparently, the real "white death" comes tomorrow.

Itzhak Perlman: Injury sidelines violinist

Here's the news, from the AP wire.

CSO sneaks in concert before blizzard

The worst snowstorm of the season didn't keep throngs of intrepid music lovers away from the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra's concert Friday morning in Music Hall.

The Cincinnati Symphony has not canceled a subscription concert in 113 years. So while snow fell outside at the rate of about an inch per hour, the orchestra put on a glowing performance of Sibelius, Tchaikovsky and an American premiere by Jörg Widmann.

Music director Paavo Järvi was back in town for the program that included the stunning debut of violinist Sayaka Shoji in the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D Major.

The 24-year-old Tokyo native is tiny in stature, but the sound she produced on her "Joachim" Stradivarius was startling for its big, glossy quality. She didn't draw attention to her ability to perform fireworks, which she easily tossed off in the finale. What stood out was the sheer perfection of her playing.

The violinist took a relaxed tempo in the first movement, emphasizing its lyricism. The slow movement, with its haunting, Russian-flavored theme, was moving for Shoji's beautiful phrasing as well as for the throaty sound she drew on her instrument. She tore into the finale, in a triumph of dazzling technique, warmth and spontaneity.

Järvi and the orchestra were ideal partners in this superior collaboration.

Järvi opened with the premiere of Widmann's "Antiphon," a piece perhaps more interesting for its process than its content. The musicians were arranged in different choirs, meant to evoke Giovanni Gabrieli's antiphonal choirs in Venice. Snippets of motives and percussive crashes were tossed back and forth between players, and pianissimo moments alternated with shrieks. Although inventive, I found it fragmented and mechanical until the music finally evolved into fullblown polyphony. (It made me think of a chef who deconstructs the meal before you eat it.)

The Munich-born composer was present to take a bow.

Järvi concluded the concert with Sibelius' Symphony No. 3 in C Major, not performed by the orchestra since 1934 under Eugene Goossens. The Third is an unusually cheerful symphony by the Finnish composer whose music is often described as "brooding." The "north woods" atmosphere is still evident, but the joy of this piece is its folklike tunes and classical simplicity. Just 30 minutes long, it is a gem of a symphony.

Järvi made a fine case for it, illuminating its soaring themes in horns and winds, balancing majestic sonorities against the more intimate, classical moments. The finale, with its hymn for cellos and violas, was a radiant summation. The orchestra played magnificently.

The CSO repeats at 8 p.m. Saturday. Tickets: 513-381-3300. What did you think? Rate and review this concert at cincinnati.com/entertainment.

Snow cancellations -- Chamber Players and Lollipop

The CSO Chamber Players concert scheduled for 7:30 p.m. today (Friday, March 7) at Memorial Hall has been canceled. It will not be rescheduled. Ticket holders may exchange for any CSO concert without a fee. Ticket office: 513-381-3300.

The Saturday morning (March 8) Lollipop concert has been postponed to Saturday, May 10th at 10:30 AM.

Ticket policy: Tickets will be honored at the new performance date. Patrons are being instructed to call the box office next week for a refund, if necessary.

The symphony concert scheduled for Saturday night will be held as scheduled. The orchestra has never canceled a subscription concert in 113 years. The show must go on!

Got other cancellations? Post them here.

7 Days for SIDS mixer with maestro

Sip wine, snack on Jean-Robert's creations, buy some symphony CDs and get them signed by Paavo Järvi, next Wednesday, March 12, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Metronation, 1213 Vine Street in OTR's Gateway Quarter.

It's all for a good cause: 7 Days for SIDS, a one-week fundraiser for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Proceeds also beneift the Tatiana de Cavel Scholarship Fund at the Midwest Culinary Institute at Cincinnati State.

So, meet Paavo, buy a CD and enjoy food and wine provided by Lavomatic Cafe (Jean-Robert's new cafe) and Ohio Valley Wines.

Tickets: $20
Information: 7daysforsids.com, 513-569-1968

Paavo is back in town for March concerts with the CSO, followed by an extensive European tour with the CSO starting April 1.

Coming to a movie theater near you: Opera, more opera and more opera

So, you never thought a place called the "Rave" would show opera?

The Metropolitan Opera started it. Now you'll also be seeing opera in local movie theaters direct (but not live) from La Scala in Milan, Italy and San Francisco. High definition digital projectors and Dolby Surround Sound make these shows a quality experience, for small bucks. Can there be too much of a good thing? Not if you are a loyal opera fan, apparently. (But please, do occasionally visit a live performance now and then...)

Here's the scoop.

Angela Gheorghiu plays the Rave: San Francisco Opera and The Bigger Picture will launch their digital cinema presentations with screenings of Puccini's La Rondine starring Angela Gheorghiu March 8, 9, 10 and 11 at the RAVE'S WEST CHESTER 18, 9415 CIVIC CENTER BLVD. WEST CHESTER, OH 45069 (Info: 513-463-2324)

La Rondine this weekend , Sat & Sun, March 8 & 9 at 12:30 p.m.; Mon & Tue, March 10 & 11, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $20

The big screen loves renowned soprano Angela Gheorghiu, pictured above, who stars as the worldly Magda de Civry opposite tenor Misha Didyk as the naïve young Ruggero in this rare staging of Puccini's opera. The Art Deco-inspired production by Nicolas Joël (from Royal Opera, Covent Garden and Théâtre du Capitole, Toulouse), is directed by Stephen Barlow. Ion Marin conducts.

March 29, 30, 31 and April 1: Samson and Delilah
Saint-Saëns's biblical epic stars mezzo-soprano Olga Borodina as Delilah and tenor Clifton Forbis as the Old Testament hero who loses his heart, his hair, and finally his strength. Former Cincinnatian Sandra Bernhard directs this lavish San Francisco Opera/Nicolas Joël production and Patrick Summers conducts.

April 12, 13, 14 and 15: Don Giovanni
Baritone Mariusz Kwiecien sings the title role of Mozart’s Don Juan setting in this innovative San Francisco Opera/Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie co-production. San Francisco Opera Music Director Donald Runnicles conducts, and Leah Hausman directs.

April 19, 20, 21, 22: Madama Butterfly
This acclaimed San Francisco Opera production of Puccini's masterwork stars soprano Patricia Racette in her signature role as the tragic heroine Cio-Cio-San, opposite rising young tenor Brandon Jovanovich as Lieutenant B.F. Pinkerton. Mezzo-soprano Zheng Cao is Cio-Cio-San's maid and confidante, Suzuki, and baritone Steven Powell is the American consul Sharpless. San Francisco Opera Music Director Donald Runnicles conducts. The production, created by Ron Daniels and designed by Michael Yeargan, is directed by Kathleen Belcher.

For more information about SF Opera productions, visit sfopera.com or thebiggerpicture.us/opera or www.ravemotionpictures.com


La Scala in West Chester: Three operas from Italy's famous La Scala Opera House are appearing on Wednesdays (and one Thursday) at the Rave this spring.

Tickets: $20, go on sale Friday March 7th, and can be purchased at the box office or online at www.opera.screenvision.com.
Playing at: RAVE'S WEST CHESTER 18, 9415 CIVIC CENTER BLVD. WEST CHESTER, OH 45069
Info: 513-463-2324

The lineup:

March 26th, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.: La Traviata
Liliana Cavani directs Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata straight from the stage of La Scala with Angela Gheorghiu starring as the beautiful courtesan Violetta in this 2007 performance. Ramón Vargas sings her lover, Alfredo. The conductor is Lorin Maazel.

April 30th, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.: Maria Stuarda
Donizetti's Maria Stuarda returns to Italy's premier opera stage for the first time since La Scala's refurbishment in 2004 and highlights prima donnas Mariella Devia and Anna Caterina Antonacci. Maria Stuarda is a fictional tale about the political and religious conflicts between Mary Stuart, previously the Queen of Scotland, and the Protestant Queen Elizabeth I. Mariella Devia is Maria Stuarda and Anna Caterina Antonacci sings the role of Elisabetta.

May 15th, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Il Trittico
Celebrating the 150th anniversary of Giacomo Puccini's birth in 1858, La Scala presents a new production of Il Trittico, directed by Luca Ronconi and conducted by Riccardo Chailly. Barbara Frittoli is Suor Angelica.

Don't forget the Met:
The Metropolitan Opera high-definition broadcasts continue LIVE in our region, too.

Next: Peter Grimes "Live," 1:30 p.m. March 15, reprised as an "Encore," March 16 at 3 p.m., at Springdale 18 Cinema DeLux ($22 adults; $20 seniors and $15 children 11 and under. Call 513-699-1500 or go in person to the theater. Get the whole schedule, see a trailer, read about the cast and production and purchase tickets at www.metopera.org.

Radio: Don't forget to tune into WGUC 90.9 this Saturday for Tony Award winner Mary Zimmerman's new production of Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, to be broadcast live from the Met over the Toll Brothers-Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network at 1:30 p.m. Cincinnati native and Met Music Director James Levine conducts the performance, which features celebrated French soprano Natalie Dessay as Lucia.

Photos above of Angela Gheorghiu from San Francisco Opera. Production photo is by Terrence McCarthy.

11-year-old pianist Kevin Bao to appear on PBS' From the Top

Just when one more doomsayer predicts the end of classical music, you turn on "From the Top" and you're bowled over by all of the amazingly talented kids out there. The Saturday morning's NPR radio show has expanded now to TV, and very soon, you'll see a local prodigy featured on the PBS-TV show.

Kevin Bao, 11, of Mason, a sixth-grader at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, will be in New York on March 21, for the taping of a live concert in Carnegie Hall. Bao, who made his concerto debut in Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Blue Ash/Montgomery Symphony last September, will perform Rachmaninoff's "Polichinelle."

Christopher O'Riley hosts the show. The radio show has aired twice from Cincinnati's Music Hall, featuring our region's rich local talent.

Kevin studies with Sergei Polusmiak, artist in residence and Neyer Professor of Music at Northern Kentucky University.

We expect this show to air over PBS in May. Stay tuned.

Click here to hear Rachmaninoff play his own "Polichinelle."

Redbook picks Mason cellist for juggling career and family

Mason resident Leah Jacob, 31, is featured in this month's Redbook magazine, as one of 10 women nationwide singled out for a Redbook/Silpada "Design Your Life" award.

Jacob, a cellist who performs in an orchestra, teaches more than 20 students, manages a wedding trio and runs a summer music camp called "Cellissimo," impressed the judges because of her smart child-care solution: Bartering cello lessons for baby-sitting. She is mom to three, ages 4, 2 and 3 months.

"Genius!" says Alison Brower, executive editor of Redbook.

Jacob says she wasn't waiting to learn if she had won, after entering the contest last summer. She was too busy having her third child, playing principal cello in the Lebanon Symphony Orchestra and booking weddings for her group, the Rosé Trio. They have 36 gigs booked for this summer. (See rose-trio.com for information. It's named for Alma Rosé, the famous violinist who was imprisoned and started a women's orchestra at Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp during World War II.)

"I kind of forgot entering, and when they contacted me, I was so surprised," says the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music graduate.

She says the honor has not meant instant celebrity, although friends have noticed the feature. She won a pearl-and-silver necklace and earrings from the sponsors, Silpada Designs.

Says Redbook's Brower: "Leah stood out because she found a way to take her passion for music and turn it into a career that works for her and for her family. It's easy to let creative and artistic pursuits fall by the wayside when grown-up life and responsibilities take over. But Leah always had a vision of a life she would love – satisfying her spirit and building a great home and family life – and she never lost sight of the importance of both of those goals."