In Sunday’s (11/7) Plain Dealer (Cleveland), Zachary Lewis writes, “Much, no doubt, has changed since the Cleveland Orchestra last visited Japan and South Korea. The latter, especially, must be a far different place than it was 32 years ago, when the orchestra last appeared there, with former music director Lorin Maazel. … But there’s one thing the orchestra can virtually count on as it embarks on a jam-packed 11-day tour of Asia: support. Lots and lots of support. In one instance, the emperor of Japan may even be in attendance. The heart of the tour, beginning Wednesday, Nov. 10 and ending Sunday, Nov. 21, is a residency at Suntory Hall in Tokyo. There, the orchestra will perform four times, not counting an outreach event at an area high school, twice with music director Franz Welser-Möst and twice with pianist-conductor Mitsuko Uchida. … But Uchida’s Japanese heritage isn’t the only reason tickets are selling well. Another is the recent release of a recording featuring Uchida playing Mozart’s Piano Concertos No. 23 and 24 with the Cleveland. … Similar reasoning lies behind Welser-Möst’s first program there, featuring Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7. His DVD of the work, taped with the orchestra at Severance Hall, has become a hallmark of his tenure.”
Posted November 8, 2010
