Signature Welser-Möst

In Franz’s Words

The Creation: “This was the first program I ever conducted as Music Director in September 2002. On one hand, you could be ‘pseudo-philosophical’ about it, but I grew up with Catholic church music, and this kind of music accompanied me my whole life, from an early age on. I think it was a natural choice to start my music directorship.”

Orion: “Kaija Saariaho was the first composer I commissioned as Music Director, and I was so happy when Orion immediately became a favorite contemporary piece with every major orchestra in that decade.”

In Franz’s Words

“Radu Lupu was the most influential musician in my career. The way he approached music and the way he made music sound — his range of colors, his deep understanding of a piece — really influenced me. I’m so happy that we have this specific piano concerto on this set. I’ve never heard anybody in my life, other than Radu, play the piano’s second entrance in the slow movement like he did, where one single note can have so much meaning.”

In Franz’s Words

“Bruckner Five was the first Bruckner symphony I ever conducted as a young man, and it has stayed with me. The most special performance was with The Cleveland Orchestra in Bruckner’s church, St. Florian, experiencing not just the aura of that place, but also the acoustics.”

In Franz’s Words

“This is the Shostakovich symphony I’ve conducted most often, and it also happens to be the first of his symphonies I ever led. On the surface, this work was his way of being a ‘good citizen’ and satisfying the demands placed upon him by the regime, yet he remained true to himself and never abandoned his own voice. I simply love the tension between what is said openly and what is left unsaid.”

In Franz’s Words

Suite from Der Rosenkavalier: “Der Rosenkavalier was my mother’s favorite opera and when I first heard it, I just couldn’t stop listening to it. In compiling this suite, I thought it should really follow the three-act structure of the opera. I especially wanted to include the introduction to Act III, because it gives a great orchestra such as this one the chance to show how virtuosic they are and how brilliantly they can play.”

In Franz’s Words

Intensity: “One of the most rewarding aspects of our commissioning work has been engaging young composers early in their careers and watching their voices develop and shape contemporary music. Bernd Richard Deutsch is a striking example. His music is complex, but it’s also highly accessible to listen to. Intensity is a really fun and vivid orchestral showpiece that highlights his distinctive voice.”

Symphony No. 2: “This piece was a big discovery for me. I knew the name Julius Eastman, but I didn’t really know what his music would be like. He’s such a unique voice — completely outrageous in so many ways, because the orchestration is like nothing else. But he didn’t temper his ideas to fit pragmatic limits; he put them on paper with complete conviction. That’s what I admire, that a genius does not accept limitations.”

In Franz’s Words

Symphony No. 5: “My first music director job was in Sweden, which helped me discover many wonderful Scandinavian composers and pieces. The first Sibelius symphony I ever conducted was the Fifth. Sibelius shows his unique voice in this piece, especially in his approach to instrumentation and musical structure.”

Can You See?: “I was introduced to Allison Loggins-Hull’s music in a completely unexpected way. Some of our musicians in Cleveland were giving a community ‘porch concert,’ and Joshua Smith played a solo piece for flute. I hadn’t heard her music before but really enjoyed it. So I went up to Josh and asked who wrote it, and that’s how I discovered Allison. Soon after, I invited her to join us as our 11th Daniel R. Lewis Composer Fellow. Can You See? was the first piece she wrote for us.”

In Franz’s Words

“We all know the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth symphonies of Tchaikovsky, but I think his Second is a masterpiece. When people ask me about the city of Cleveland, I always say it’s full of hidden treasures, and it’s the same with this symphony. It’s a wonderful masterpiece, and you just have to let it speak to you.”

In Franz’s Words

“Schubert is perhaps the composer who is closest to my heart. There’s no other Mass where the composer interprets every sentence of the text in such a deeply personal way, and that’s what makes it so incredibly special.”

In Franz’s Words

“Mozart’s ‘Jupiter’ Symphony is one of the biggest miracles in music history. There are only three corrections in his manuscript, which makes you wonder — how on earth could such complex music have taken so little effort and only 15 days to write?”

In Franz’s Words

“Verdi specifically said he didn’t want his Requiem to be treated like one of his operas. He approached the text knowing it held hundreds of years of musical tradition. And from that tradition he created a spiritual experience.”