The Cleveland Orchestra 2023 Audio Recording Releases Prokofiev, Berg, Strauss, Schubert

Today, The Cleveland Orchestra announced the next four audio recordings to be released worldwide throughout 2023, exclusively via digital streaming and download services.

All led by the Orchestra's Music Director, Franz Welser-Möst, they are Prokofiev's Symphony No. 5 (available March 3), Berg's Three Pieces from Lyric Suite & Strauss's Suite from Der Rosenkavalier compiled by Welser-Möst (available June 2), Schubert's Mass No. 6 with the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus (available September 1), and Prokofiev's Symphony No. 4 (available December 1). Complete information about these new recordings is included below. The series of releases in the coming year mark a doubling of annual output for the Orchestra since it began producing recordings on its own label in 2020.

These recent and forthcoming albums released under the Orchestra's own label are part of a vision to share the unique artistry of the Welser-Möst/Cleveland Orchestra partnership with audiences in Cleveland and around the world, while expanding the Orchestra's extensive recording catalogue, which includes video/DVD releases of Bruckner and Brahms under Welser-Möst's baton.

Since its very first recording in 1924, The Cleveland Orchestra has enchanted and inspired millions of listeners around the world. From early vinyl records and radio broadcasts to CDs and digital streaming under the remarkable leadership of Franz Welser-Möst, the Orchestra's expansive catalogue of audio recordings has continued to introduce countless generations of fans to the ensemble's extraordinary music-making and captivating artistry.

The new audio releases in 2023 were all recorded in the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Concert Hall at Severance Music Center, and capture the Orchestra's trademark sound, honed over more than a century. At the same time, they showcase the qualities of the Orchestra that Franz Welser-Möst has cultivated, captured through state-of-the-art, immersive audio technology that delivers a three-dimensional aural experience, bringing listeners as close as possible to experiencing Severance's superb acoustics in person.

These new recordings in 2023 will be available digitally worldwide on all major online streaming or download purchase services. They mark the Orchestra's sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth releases on its own label, following the inaugural album titled A New Century (June 2020), Schubert's "Great" C-major Symphony paired with Ernst Křenek's Static and Ecstatic (October 2020), Schnittke and Prokofiev (October 2021), Strauss Three Tone Poems (June 2022), and George Walker (November 2022). All performances on the recordings were led by Music Director Franz Welser-Möst.

All recordings released in 2023 will have a track available for free, 4-6 weeks before the digital release date. For additional details, see the Production Information section below and clevelandorchestra.com/recordings.

Media Reviewing Access
Advance access to the recordings: Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5 (TCO-0006); Berg: Three Pieces from Lyric Suite for String Orchestra and Strauss: Suite from Der Rosenkavalier (TCO-0007); Schubert: Mass No. 6 (TCO-0008); and Prokofiev's Symphony No. 4 (TCO-0009); for media reviewing is available upon request as well as high-resolution images from the release, in addition to digital booklets for each recording, and photos of The Cleveland Orchestra, Music Director Franz Welser-Möst, and guest artists. Program notes for the works recorded are available on clevelandorchestra.com. and will be available at clevelandorchestra.com/recordings.

Product information:
All recorded live in the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Concert Hall at Severance Music Center

Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5 (Catalog No: TCO-0006)
Recorded October 2021
The Cleveland Orchestra
Franz Welser-Möst, conductor
Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953)
Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major, Opus 100
Track 1: I. Andante
Track 2: II. Allegro marcato
Track 3: III. Adagio
Track 4: IV. Allegro giocoso

Berg: Three Pieces from Lyric Suite - Strauss: Suite from Der Rosenkavalier (Catalog No: TCO-0007)
Berg recorded May 2022
Strauss recorded March 2022 (Suite Compiled by Franz Welser-Möst)
The Cleveland Orchestra
Franz Welser-Möst, conductor
Alban Berg (1885-1935)
Track 1: Three Pieces from Lyric Suite for String Orchestra: I. Andante amoroso
Track 2: Three Pieces from Lyric Suite for String Orchestra: II. Allegro misterioso - Trio estatico
Track 3: Three Pieces from Lyric Suite for String Orchestra: III. Adagio appassionato
Richard Strauss (1864-1949)
Track 4: Suite from Der Rosenkavalier, Op. 59, TrV 227: I. Stürmisch bewegt (from Act I)
Track 5: Suite from Der Rosenkavalier, Op. 59, TrV 227: II. Sehr lebhaft (from Act II)
Track 6: Suite from Der Rosenkavalier, Op. 59, TrV 227: III. So schnell als möglich (from Act III)

Schubert: Mass No. 6 (Catalog No: TCO-0008)
Recorded January 2023
The Cleveland Orchestra
Franz Welser-Möst, conductor
Joélle Harvey, soprano
Daryl Freedman, mezzo-soprano
Julian Prégardien, tenor
Martin Mitterrutzner, tenor
Dashon Burton, bass-baritone
Cleveland Orchestra Chorus
Lisa Wong, Director of Choruses
Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Mass No. 6 in E-flat major, D. 950
Track 1: Kyrie
Track 2: Gloria
Track 3: Credo
Track 4: Sanctus
Track 5: Benedictus
Track 6: Agnus Dei

Prokofiev: Symphony No. 4 (Catalog No: TCO-0009)
Recorded May 2023
The Cleveland Orchestra
Franz Welser-Möst, conductor
Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953)
Symphony No. 4, in C major, Opus 112 (revised 1947 version)
Track 1: I. Andante - Allegro eroico
Track 2:II. Andante tranquillo
Track 3: III. Moderato - quasi allegretto
Track 4: IV. Allegro risoluto

Now firmly in its second century, The Cleveland Orchestra, under the leadership of Franz Welser-Möst since 2002, is one of the most sought-after performing ensembles in the world. Year after year the ensemble exemplifies extraordinary artistic excellence, creative programming, and community engagement. In recent years, The New York Times has called Cleveland "the best in America" for its virtuosity, elegance of sound, variety of color and chamber-like musical cohesion, "virtually flawless," and "one of the finest ensembles in the country (if not the world)."

Founded by Adella Prentiss Hughes, The Orchestra performed its inaugural concert in December 1918. By the middle of the century, decades of growth and sustained support had turned the ensemble into one of the most admired around the world.

The past decade has seen an increasing number of young people attending concerts, bringing fresh attention to The Cleveland Orchestra's legendary sound and committed programming. More recently in 2020, the Orchestra launched several bold digital projects, including the streaming broadcast series In Focus, the podcast On A Personal Note, and its own recording label. A long history of strong community support from across the ensemble's home region continues to drive the Orchestra forward and has provided remarkable energy and focus throughout the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. New initiatives for audience growth and community service have been launched in recent years, including new technological infrastructure and capabilities at its home, Severance Music Center, to capture the Orchestra's unique artistry and the musical achievements of the Welser-Möst and Cleveland Orchestra partnership.

The 2022-23 season marks Franz Welser-Möst's 21st year as music director, a period in which The Cleveland Orchestra earned unprecedented acclaim around the world, including a series of residencies at the Musikverein in Vienna, the first of its kind by an American orchestra. The Orchestra's 100th season in 2017-18 featured two international tours, concluding with the presentation of Welser-Möst's Prometheus Project, featuring works by Beethoven, on three continents.

Its acclaimed opera presentations, including Verdi's Otello (2022), Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos (2019), Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande (May 2017), Bartók's The Miraculous Mandarin and Bluebeard's Castle (2016), and Janáček's The Cunning Little Vixen (2014 and 2017), have showcased the ensemble's unique artistry and collaborative work ethic.

Since 1918, seven music directors - Nikolai Sokoloff, Artur Rodziński, Erich Leinsdorf, George Szell, Lorin Maazel, Christoph von Dohnányi, and Franz Welser-Möst - have guided and shaped the ensemble's growth and sound. Through concerts at home and on tour, broadcasts, and a catalog of acclaimed recordings, The Cleveland Orchestra is heard today by a growing group of fans around the world. For more information, visit clevelandorchestra.com.

About Franz Welser-Möst
Franz Welser-Möst is among today's most distinguished conductors. The 2022-23 season marks his 21st year as music director of The Cleveland Orchestra. With the future of their acclaimed partnership extended to 2027, he will be the longest-serving musical leader in the ensemble's history. The New York Times has declared Cleveland under Welser-Möst's direction to be "America's most brilliant orchestra," praising its virtuosity, elegance of sound, variety of color, and chamber-like musical cohesion.

With Welser-Möst, The Cleveland Orchestra has been acclaimed for its inventive programming, its ongoing support for new musical works, and for its innovative work in presenting semi-staged and staged operas. An imaginative approach to juxtaposing newer and older works has opened new dialogue and fresh insights for musicians and audiences alike. The Orchestra has also been hugely successful in fostering a new and, notably, a young audience. To date, the Orchestra and Welser-Möst have been showcased around the world in 20 international tours together. In 2020, despite shutdowns caused by the global pandemic, the ensemble launched its own recording label - and new streaming broadcast performances with the In Focus series - to continue and extend sharing their artistry globally.

In addition to his commitment to Cleveland, Mr. Welser-Möst enjoys a particularly close and productive relationship with the Vienna Philharmonic as a guest conductor. He conducted its celebrated New Year's Concert three times, and regularly leads the orchestra in subscription concerts in Vienna, as well as on tours in Japan, China, Australia, and the United States. He is a regular guest at the Salzburg Festival, where his work leading a series of opera performances has been widely admired. These have included Rusalka, Der Rosenkavalier, Fidelio, Die Liebe der Danae, Aribert Reimann's Lear, and Strauss's Salome and Elektra. At the 2022 Salzburg Festival, he led performances of Puccini's Il Trittico and the Camerata Salzburg in a program of music by Schubert.

Franz Welser-Möst's recordings and videos have won major international awards and honors. With The Cleveland Orchestra, his recordings include a number of DVDs on the Clasart Classic label, featuring live performances of five Bruckner symphonies and a multi-DVD set of major works by Brahms. A number of his Salzburg opera productions, including Der Rosenkavalier, have been released internationally on DVD by Unitel.

In 2019, Mr. Welser-Möst was awarded the Gold Medal in the Arts by the Kennedy Center International Committee on the Arts in recognition of his long-lasting impact on the international arts community. Other honors include The Cleveland Orchestra's Distinguished Service Award (given during the ensemble's 100th season celebrations for his focus on community and education), two Cleveland Arts Prize citations, the Vienna Philharmonic's "Ring of Honor" for his personal and artistic relationship with the ensemble, recognition from the Western Law Center for Disability Rights, honorary membership in the Vienna Singverein, appointment as an Academician of the European Academy of Yuste, and the Kilenyi Medal from the Bruckner Society of America.

Franz Welser-Möst's book From Silence: Finding Calm in a Dissonant World was published in Austria in July 2020, under the title Als ich die Stille fand, and rapidly rose to number one on the [German-language] best-seller lists, where it remained through much of 2021. The English version of From Silence was released worldwide in Summer 2021. To read more about Franz Welser-Möst, visit this link: clevelandorchestra.com/about/musicians-and-conductors/franz-welser-most/.

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