Järvi, Cincinnati Symphony Welcomed Home -- and to the Video Board -- on Cincinnati's Fountain Square

Left to right: Mario San Marco, Chris Monzel, Ellen van der Horst, Doug Moorman and Paavo Järvi (photo by Mary Ellyn Hutton).

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, just backing from filling concert halls in Paris, Munich, Vienna, Amsterdam and Madrid, finally made it to the Video Board at Fountain Square in Cincinnati.

   The occasion was a midday “welcome home” ceremony April 30 on the Fountain Square stage honoring the CSO on its recently completed five-country, 12-city tour of Europe.  Cincinnati City Council member Chris Monzel read a proclamation on behalf of Mayor Mark Mallory praising the orchestra and music director Paavo Järvi for shedding luster on the city through their concerts at home and abroad.

   It was a bright, cool day, with men in hard hats sitting at a nearby table on their lunch break.  Prior to the formalities, an excerpt from Jarvi’s 2001 inaugural concert with the CSO at Music Hall – the rousing finale of Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony -- ran in full color (and sound) on the big screen, attracting attention from passersby.

     It made one wonder why CSO spots have not appeared on the Video Board before. The May Festival availed itself of the civic “billboard” last May, previewing its annual two-week festival with clips on the Video Board.  Why not the town band, which can be heard just about every weekend, September to May, a few blocks north on Elm Street?

   Sponsor of the event was Downtown Cincinnati Inc, represented by board chairman Mario San Marco.  Also in attendance were Ellen van der Horst and Doug Moorman, President and Director of Economic Development, respectively, of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber.  They spoke on behalf of Cincinnati USA Partnership, a chamber-facilitated initiative to spur economic development in the tristate.  Representatives of Cincinnati USA Partnership worked in conjunction with the CSO on tour by bringing representatives of local business interests to CSO concerts in three cities to help spur interest in the region.

   Councilman Monzel reminded Järvi and the audience of his love for and commitment to city-owned Music Hall, where plans for much-needed refurbishment and possible reconfiguration are under discussion.

    “What you just said about Music Hall makes my year, not a day, not a month,” said Järvi, in response.

   A Music Hall Working Group, representing the tenants of the hall -- the CSO, Cincinnati Opera, May Festival and Cincinnati Ballet -- and the Cincinnati Arts Association, which manages Music Hall for the city, is currently evaluating plans to refurbish the 131-year-old, Over-the-Rhine landmark.

   Plans under discussion include new and enhanced patron amenities, an adjacent parking garage and most of all, a more inviting, down-sized auditorium.  As it is, the CSO rarely fills Music Hall’s 3,516 seats. 

   Music Hall is the largest concert hall in the U.S. -- and just about anywhere, as the orchestra has discovered on its travels, where concert halls, even in the largest cities, rarely exceed 2,500 seats and are often much smaller.  (At that rate, many of the CSO’s concerts at Music Hall would be sellouts.)

    Järvi invited listeners to the CSO’s final concert of the season, May 2 and 3 at Music Hall.  Featured work is Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring.”  The elemental, rhythmically charged work “caused a scandal and a riot” at its world premiere in Paris in 1913, he said.

   “I hope it will do the same here.”