From Richard Strauss to George Walker

In a program showcasing the breadth and variety of 20th-century music, Franz Welser-Möst leads The Cleveland Orchestra and soprano Latonia Moore in their first performance of George Walker’s Lilacs, which premiered in 1995, as well as an extended suite from Richard Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier (1911), compiled by Welser-Möst. The episode will examine his special, long-standing connection to the music of Strauss, and provide an in-depth look into Walker, whose piece Lilacs earned him the Pulitzer Prize for Music, making him the first African-American composer to be so honored. 

Richard Strauss and George Walker are both subjects of the Orchestra’s 2022 recording releases. The first recording, Strauss: Three Tone Poems, is now availalbe on CD and streaming services. Strauss: Three Tone Poems features three of Richard Strauss’s early tone poems (Macbeth, Don Juan, and Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks), providing a tantalizing window into Welser-Möst’s reputation as a renowned conductor of Strauss’s music. For more information on recent audio recordings, visit clevelandorchestra.com/discover/recordings/.

On November 4, The Orchestra will release a recording of  music by George Walker, featuring four works spanning 50 years that showcase his singular vision and meticulously crafted sound world. This recording offers an exploration of the composer’s Pulitzer Prize–winning Lilacs for voice and orchestra with soprano Latonia Moore, as well as Antifonys for string orchestra, and Sinfonias No. 4 and No. 5 with narrator Tony Sias. With the performances and recordings of George Walker’s music, Franz Welser-Möst and The Cleveland Orchestra have expanded on their perpetual drive to learn and promote new works.

For more information on Adella and the In Focus series visit https://www.clevelandorchestra.com/attend/seasons-and-series/in-focus/