Cleveland Orchestra, photo: Roger Mastroianni
Sarah Urwin Jones’s four star review of the concert for The Times states:
It was the blazing Lutoslawski that opened the evening in a polished interpretation full of clarity and energy. If there was a shortage of raw verve, the Cleveland made up for it in monumental perfection, from the springy, mossy carpet of the Capriccio notturno to the pulsing flurries of strings. And, while Lutoslawski’s charge for the finish was not quite edged with danger, the colours in the final movement shimmered ecstatically off the surface of the orchestra like a summer heat haze.
A journalist of The Daily Telegraph, Ivan Hewett presents the show with only three stars, but he claims:
the Concerto for Orchestra by Witold Lutoslawski, an early piece from 1950 (...) is saturated in the folk music of his native Poland. It is uncharacteristically full‑blooded for this most fastidious composer, and it was played with an irresistible combination of needlepoint accuracy and swaggering energy. The dancing nocturne tripped along on tiptoe, and the gradual expansion of the passacaglia, from the tiniest bass notes to a towering climax, was achieved with breathtaking control.
Cleveland Orchestra Concert I
21 Aug at 8:00 pm
Lutosławski / Concerto for Orchestra
Smetana / Má Vlast (parts 1-4)
Duration: 1 hour 45 minutes
Best known for the unforgettable Vltava (also known as The Moldau), which vividly depicts the country’s mighty river, the six symphonic poems of Má Vlast, My Homeland, conjure the spirit of Smetana’s beloved Bohemia, conveying its history, traditions and nature in music of wonder and imagination.
Franz Welser-Möst and his mighty Cleveland Orchestra bring their power and precision to the piece in a welcome return to the Festival. Folk music, this time from Poland, also lies behind Lutosławski’s colourful Concerto for Orchestra, a virtuoso showpiece that shines a spotlight on the individual talents of Cleveland’s exceptional players.
Cleveland Orchestra Concert II
22 Aug at 8:00 pm
Lutosławski / Piano Concerto
Smetana / Má Vlast (parts 5-6)
Shostakovich / Symphony No 6
Duration: 2 hours
Compelling German pianist Lars Vogt is the soloist in Lutosławski’s Piano Concerto, a piece full of energy and shimmering colours that proudly displays the inspiration its composer took from Chopin and Rachmaninov. It’s the perfect showpiece for Vogt’s combination of muscularity and refinement, and for the remarkable warmth and clarity of the Cleveland Orchestra’s sound.
The Edinburgh International Festival’s Study Event entitled Polish Modernism – Szymanowski and Lutosławski, which preceeds the concerts by 4 days, invites Professor Stephen Downes of the University of Surrey. Professor Stephen Downes explores the music of Szymanowski and Lutosławski offering unique insights into their work. Stephen Downes is Deputy Head and Director of Research, at the University of Surrey’s School of Arts.
The Cleveland Orchestra concerts take place at Usher Hall / Lothian Road (EH1 2EA)
Tickets: £12 – £42
Box office: 0131 473 2000
The Study Event: Polish Modernism – Szymanowski and Lutosławski takes place at the Hub
16 Aug at 10:00 am
thumbnail credits: Roger Mastroianni