The Cleveland Orchestra
Franz Welser-Möst, conductor

GRIEG From Holberg’s Time: Suite in Olden Style
KORNGOLD Symphonic Serenade

Music for theater and film has strong historical roots, inspiring music of extraordinary character — vividly turning action into sound and creating moods of tenderness, romance, confrontation, and celebration.

This episode of In Focus begins with music by Edvard Grieg, an ardent champion of Norwegian music, art, and theater. Perhaps best known for his poignant score for the play Peer Gynt, here he pays homage to the humanist playwright Ludvig Holberg with a sparkling and lively suite based on 18th century dance forms.

The program concludes with a rarely-heard score by the Viennese-born Erich Korngold. Forced to flee Nazi Germany, Korngold found a new life in California, writing scores brimming with Romantic opulence and helping shape the musical sound of Hollywood’s Golden Age.