Youthful Inaugural for Järvi, CSO

(first published in The Cincinnati Post Feb. 21, 2001)

Music director designate Paavo Järvi has the bases covered for his first season with the Cincinnati Symphony, beginning in September.

Like Beethoven? It's on the schedule.

Stravinsky? That, too. In fact, an all-Stravinsky disc will be recorded by Telarc next spring.

How about Mendelssohn? Yep. Also symphonies by Haydn, Schubert, Brahms, Mahler and Shostakovich.

"If you look at the variety of composers and programs, it is impossible for anybody to say, 'I'm sorry, but there is nothing I like.' They simply would not be telling the truth," Järvi said.

Tchaikovsky, for example. Järvi will oblige his many fans by opening the CSO season with his Fifth Symphony Sept. 14-15 at Music Hall.

There will be two symphonies by Sibelius, works by Järvi's fellow Estonians Eduard Tubin, Arvo Pärt and Erkki-Sven Tüür and the Cincinnati premiere of Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki's Violin Concerto.

Season planning is "quite an intricate process," said Järvi, in town this week for house-hunting and a luncheon with CSO subscribers. "It's also a very exciting process. It's my nature. I like sort of puzzles like this. The first season maybe is more difficult than subsequent ones because a lot of people will try to find some sort of statement. And there are, if you carefully look, quite a few things that might be of interest. But at the same time, I was trying to make it appealing to as many people as possible."

Look for a "little statement" on the opening concert in September, Järvi said. The first notes played will be by American composer Charles Coleman, whom Järvi has commissioned to write a new work for the CSO.

"I find it symbolic to open my first season with the Cincinnati Symphony with a world premiere written for us."

In March, Järvi will lead a world premiere by American-born Kevin Putz.

Järvi, 38, son of Detroit Symphony music director Neeme Järvi, succeeds Jesús López-Cobos, CSO music director since 1986, who becomes music director emeritus in the fall. During his first season, Järvi will conduct 12 of the CSO's 24 Music Hall concerts, including four of the popular Thursday evening buffet concerts and two of a new four-concert Sunday afternoon series.

A busy freelancer until tapped by the CSO in January 2000, he has prior engagements to fill before he can settle into the 14 concerts per season specified in his four-year CSO contract.

In addition to giving it overall appeal, Järvi said he utilized two "guiding principles" in planning his first CSO season: young composers and young artists.

A dozen guest artists will make their CSO Music Hall debuts during the 2001-02 season. They are an international lot, including French pianist Hélène Grimaud, Rumanian pianist Mihaela Ursuleasa, Lithuanian-Austrian violinist Julian Rachlin, Scottish oboist Douglas Boyd and pianist Louis Lortie and violinist Lara St. John, both from Canada.

"It is an attempt to be a little bit fresher," Järvi said. "There are a relatively small number of sanctioned stars, so to speak, and they keep appearing season after season with every orchestra everywhere with the same pieces. My idea was to try to bring in very accomplished artists, but maybe not so well known to Cincinnati audiences, alongside well known ones."

Those scheduled for return include Norwegian cellist Truls Mørk, violinists Chee-Yun and Pamela Frank and pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet - "all basically kids," Järvi said.

Highlights of CSO's 2001-02 season:

Sept. 14, 15 (series II). Charles Coleman, "Streetscape" (world premiere). Shostakovich, Cello Concerto No. 1. Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 5. Truls Mørk, cello. Paavo Järvi, conductor.

Sept. 21, 22 (I). Sibelius, Symphony No. 6. Strauss, Burleske in D Minor for Piano and Orchestra. Haydn, Symphony No. 104 ("London"). Hélène Grimaud, piano. Järvi.

Oct. 5, 6 (II). Britten, War Requiem. Marina Shaguch, soprano. Anthony Rolfe Johnson, tenor. Olaf Bar, baritone. Cincinnati Boychoir. May Festival Chorus. James Conlon, conductor.

Nov. 15, 16, 17 (II, IV). Orff, "Tanzende Faune" (U.S. premiere). Erkki-Sven Tüür, Violin Concerto (U.S. premiere). Beethoven, Symphony No. 4. Isabelle van Keulen, violin. Järvi.

Nov. 30, Dec. 1 (III). Tubin, Symphony No. 5. Sibelius, Symphony No. 2. Järvi.

Dec. 7, 8 (I). Bernstein, Divertimento for Orchestra. Copland, Clarinet Concerto. Debussy, "Premiere Rhapsodie" for Clarinet and Orchestra. Debussy, Prelude to "The Afternoon of a Faun." Roussel, Symphony No. 3. Richard Hawley, clarinet. Järvi.

Feb. 7, 8, 9 (II, IV). Schnittke, "(Not) A Midsummer Night's Dream." Mendelssohn, Violin Concerto. Mendelssohn, "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Chee-Yun, violin. Women of the May Festival Chorus. Jesús-López-Cobos, conductor.

March 7, 8, 9 (II, IV). Kevin Putz, world premiere to be announced. Ravel, Piano Concerto in G Major. Shostakovich, Symphony No. 9. Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano. Järvi.

March 15, 16 (III). Nielsen, Violin Concerto. Stravinsky, "Petrouchka." Cho-Liang Lin, violin. Järvi.

March 21, 22, 23 (I, IV). Stravinsky, "The Card Party." Mozart, Piano Concerto No. 20. Stravinsky, "The Firebird." Mihaela Ursuleasa, piano. Järvi.

April 6, 7 (II, V). Roberto Gerhard, "Don Quixote" Dances. Falla, "Nights in the Gardens of Spain." Chausson, Symphony in B-flat Major. Alicia de Larrocha, piano. López-Cobos.

May 2, 4, 5 (III, IV, V) Arvo Pärt, "Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten." Beethoven, Violin Concerto. Brahms, Symphony No. 4. Pamela Frank, violin. Järvi.

May 10, 11 (II). Strauss, "Four Last Songs." Mahler, Symphony No. 1 ("Titan"). Barbara Hendricks, soprano. Järvi.

Concerts are at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays (series I, II and III), 11 a.m. Fridays (I), 7:30 p.m. Thursdays (IV) and 3 p.m. Sundays (V), all at Music Hall. Subscriptions range from $44-$184 for a 4-concert series to $204-$858 for all 24 concerts. Coupons redeemable for any six concerts are $129 and $174; for any 10 concerts, $210 and $270. Single tickets (on sale in August) are $12-$51. Call 381-3300, or order online at www.cincinnatisymphony.org.