Cleveland Orchestra music director Franz Welser-Most undergoes cancer treatment, withdraws from conducting until Jan.

[jserraglio]

https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/loc ... -until-jan

https://www.clevelandorchestra.com/glob ... _09_07.pdf

[maestrob]

Don't know much of his work, but what I've heard has been excellent, and I wish him a speedy recovery.

[Belle]

I am anxious about "Franzie", as I call him, and want to see him back ASAP.

[Heck148]

I'm supposed to hear him conduct the ViennaPO in early March for 2 concerts in Carnegie Hall..I hope he is well enough to appear...or, if they need a substitute, who will they get??

[jserraglio]

I have seen and heard him conduct many times here in my hometown — operatic, choral and orchestral works. He is a fine conductor who all too often gets a bad rap for no apparent reason.

[Lance]

I've wondered at times about critics lack of praise for Franz Welser-Most. When one thinks of all the permanent conductors Cleveland has had since Sokolov, Rodzinski, Leinsdorf, Szell, Maazel, Dohnanyi, and now Welser-Most, people who have lived the longest to know the work of Szell would give him the credit of making Cleveland's orchestra what it became: one of the world's foremost. But now, over a half century since Szell departed the Cleveland Orchestra's permanent podium, he is remembered chiefly by his many recordings and live performance recordings. I have to admit, of the conductors listed above, it was Szell who created the musical magic for me in his performances. Rodzinski has his followers, as does Leinsdorf, though none of those conductors seem to have the following even all these years later than George Szell. I certainly do not have all of Welser-Most's recordings, regardless of orchestra—nor do I want them—but DO have all those of Szell, a majority of Rodzinski and Leinsdorf, far less of Maazel and Dohnanyi. Part of this "past" may be what influences critics of performers today, pehaps even younger, informed critics. But I think this is true of all artists. I've heard it said the New York Philharmonic would never be the same without a Bernstein, or a Philadelphia Orchestra without a Stokowski, etc. Seems Mr. Ormandy fared very well with Philadelphia, and even more so after his passing.

[jserraglio]

I attended many of Dohnanyi’s concerts and often came away with a new work to explore.

His Decca recordings are uniformly excellent.

Following in the footsteps of a musical giant can be frustrating. Dohnanyi himself summarized the problem:

We give a great performance, and George Szell gets a great review.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/22/arts ... his%20year.

[Lance]

How true that is, in many cases! BUT, Szell was among the best! He still sells!

I attended many of Dohnanyi’s concerts and often came away with a new work to explore.

His Decca recordings are uniformly excellent.

Following in the footsteps of a musical giant can be frustrating. Dohnanyi himself summarized the problem:

We give a great performance, and George Szell gets a great review.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/22/arts ... his%20year.