Aaron Copland and Music Hall

Did you know that Aaron Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man was premiered by our very own Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra back in 1943 on the stage at Music Hall? The conductor at the time, Eugene Goossens, commissioned eighteen composers to write fanfares as a contribution to the WWII war efforts. One of these fanfares began each concert of the CSO’s 1942–1943 season. Of these fanfares, Copland’s remains the most famous today. Prior to its premiere, Copland wrestled over the title, considering Fanfare for the Spirit of Democracy, Fanfare for the Rebirth of Lidice (a town in Czechoslovakia that the Nazis had destroyed), and Fanfare for Four Freedoms (in Roosevelt’s 1941 speech he mentioned four freedoms including the freedom of speech, the freedom of religion, the freedom from want, and the freedom from fear.) In the end, Copland settled on Fanfare for the Common Man, saying “it was the common man, after all, who was doing all the dirty work in the war and the army. He deserved a fanfare.” Other composers who wrote fanfares for Goossens’ project included Paul Creston, Morton Gould, Howard Hanson, Darius Milhaud, Walter Piston, Bernard Rands, William Grant Still, Deems Taylor, Virgil Thomson, and Goossens himself. The CSO also presented the world premiere of Copland’s Lincoln Portrait in 1942.

Music Hall has a rich history. Let’s explore another major composer, conductor, and pianist, who performed on Music Hall’s stage multiple times during his lifetime. Join me next time to find out who this may be!

Richard Strauss at Music Hall

In celebration of the grand re-opening of Cincinnati’s Music Hall following an extensive renovation, Clef Notes is spending the month looking at a few of the international stars who have performed on its stage since its doors first opened in 1878.

Did you know that legendary composer and conductor Richard Strauss led the CSO in a concert of his own works during the 1903–04 season? The program included Don Juan, several songs, and his tone poem Tod und Verklärung. Strauss’ wife, Pauline de Ahna Strauss, appeared as the vocal soloist.

Don’t have a ticket to the grand re-opening concerts this weekend but still interested in taking a peak at the “new” Music Hall”? ArtsWave will provide a free community open house with tours of Music Hall on October 7 from 10am to 3pm. And don’t forget to tune into 91.7 WVXU or 88.5 WMUB this Saturday at 8pm for Music Hall: Welcome Home, a special radio broadcast celebrating Music Hall’s past, present, and future. Hear commentary from Louis Langree, John Morris Russell, Paavo Jarvi, Jesus Lopez-Cobos, and more, along with plenty of music! The special will also be archived at wguc.org.

Join me next time as we continue looking at stars from Music Hall’s past!

Rostropovich in Cincinnati

Cincinnati’s historic Music Hall closed its doors in 2016 for an extensive and much-needed renovation. This was the first time a project like this had taken place in the hall since the mid-twentieth century. This coming weekend – October 6–7 – marks the grand re-opening of Music Hall. Music lovers will gather inside the newly-restored building for a celebratory concert featuring the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Maestro Louis Langree, and guest pianist Kit Armstrong. 90.9 WGUC featured a special radio broadcast this past weekend, informing listeners of these opening gala events, along with educating them on the hall’s past and the renovation process. If you missed this broadcast, it will repeat on 91.7 WVXU and 88.5 WMUB on Saturday, October 7 at 8pm. It will also be archived at wguc.org.

Part of Music Hall’s rich history includes providing a performance space for international stars. For over a century, the world’s best classical musicians have traveled through Cincinnati, performing on Music Hall’s stage. This month, I’d like to look at just a few of these stars, providing you with some fun facts about each. Feel free to comment about some of your favorites who may not be included here!

Mstislav Rostropovich was considered one of the greatest cellists during the twentieth century and Cincinnati had the great fortune to host him at Music Hall four times! This video gives a glimpse of this impressive Russian cellist.

Did you ever have the opportunity to see him perform in concert?

Who else has performed at Music Hall? Find out next time!