Beginning December 17 The Cleveland Orchestra offers holiday cheer with new and archival recordings for free on Adella digital app and www.adella.live
A special visual album “Home for the Holidays with The Cleveland Orchestra and Chorus” features newly-recorded and archival performances, made possible by CIBC
Historic broadcast of the Orchestra’s 1984 Christmas Concert “A Symphony in Celebration”
In addition, Episode 4 of the Orchestra’s new In Focus series features Christmas selections for free viewing through January 6
CLEVELAND – To help music lovers across Northeast Ohio and around the world celebrate this holiday season, beginning Thursday, December 17 The Cleveland Orchestra is offering new and archival Christmas recordings on its Adella digital streaming app and www.adella.live. Despite the Covid-19 related cancellation of in-person Christmas concerts at Severance Hall, the Orchestra remains committed to sharing the holiday spirit with friends and family through a collection of Christmas-themed music, recordings, and archival performances.
“As we approach the end of one the most challenging years our community has ever had, we hope that this Christmas-themed content on Adella offers some comfort,” said André Gremillet, President & CEO of The Cleveland Orchestra. “While we have been forced to cancel our cherished holiday concerts this year, we are delighted to be able to share this festive music with everyone digitally for free. As we look forward to a brighter 2021 and to welcoming back our live audiences, we hope this treat will bring some small measure of joy to all of our friends, families and fans in our community and beyond.”
Home for the Holidays with The Cleveland Orchestra and Chorus (free)
A new visual album audio recording project will be released in honor of the Christmas holiday, featuring recently recorded and previously issued tracks. Cleveland Orchestra Assistant Conductor Vinay Parameswaran leads the Orchestra in a selection of Christmas music, including works from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, “Deck the Halls,” “White Christmas,” “Wassail Song,” and Vaughan Williams’s Fantasia on Greensleeves, all recorded at Severance Hall.
Previously released Christmas music featuring The Cleveland Orchestra and Cleveland Orchestra Chorus recorded between 1965 and 2010, including favorites like “Joy to the World,” “Jingle Bells,” and “Sleigh Ride,” will complete the 75-minute digital album. The visual album will be posted on Adella with accompanying festive video on Thursday, December 17 and be available for free through Wednesday, January 6. Below is a full program list for this audio recording, which is sponsored by CIBC.
A Symphony in Celebration 1984 Christmas Concert recorded at Severance Hall Video (free)
Adding to Adella’s existing archival performances, the Orchestra will make its 1984 Christmas Concert video — A Symphony in Celebration — available for the first time since it premiered on WJKW-TV Fox 8. This concert was led by former Cleveland Orchestra Director of Choruses and Assistant Conductor Robert Page, who presided over the ensemble’s annual holiday concerts for 17 years. Joining the Orchestra for this presentation are the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus and Cleveland Orchestra Children’s Chorus, singing classics such as Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus,” “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” and “Silent Night.” Free access to this video on Adella will be available on Thursday, December 17 through Wednesday, January 6. Below is a complete program list for A Symphony in Celebration.
The Cleveland Orchestra: In Focus Episode 4 – Inventions: Bach to Mendelssohn (Adella premium)
The latest episode of the Orchestra’s innovative concert streaming series, In Focus, features a pair of works that offer reflections on the Christmas season. In Episode 4, Inventions: Bach to Mendelssohn, conductor and harpsichordist Nicholas McGegan leads the Orchestra in the Overture and Pifa Pastorale from Handel’s Messiah and Corelli’s Concerto Grosso Opus 6, No. 8 (“Christmas Concerto”). In addition, the concert includes Bach’s inventive Third Brandenburg Concerto and Mendelssohn’s String Symphony No. 7.
In Focus is available to Adella Premium members, subscribers, and donors who annually give $300 or more. Additional details about this episode can be viewed here and in the program listing is below.
Selections from Episode 4 — the Overture and Pifa Pastorale from Handel’s Messiah and Corelli’s Concerto Grosso Opus 6, No. 8 (“Christmas Concerto”) — will be available for free on Adella beginning Thursday, December 17 through Wednesday, January 6.
Adella Digital Streaming Service
Adella is The Cleveland Orchestra’s new digital streaming service. Premiering in October 2020, this app and digital media offering is named after the Orchestra’s founder, Adella Prentiss Hughes. Adella is available at www.adella.live, and on TV services (Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple TV, Chromecast, smart TVs), smartphones, and tablets by searching app stores for “Adella” or “Cleveland Orchestra.” More information about Adella and the new In Focus series can be found here and at www.clevelandorchestra.com/adella.
The Cleveland Orchestra: In Focus Premium Concert Series
In Focus is the Orchestra’s new collection of digital concert broadcasts from the 2020-21 season. Recorded live at Severance Hall, In Focus is available exclusively on Adella. Each one-hour episode features the Orchestra led by Franz Welser-Möst or a guest, alongside internationally-renowned solo artists including Yefim Bronfman and Emanuel Ax — plus behind-the-scenes features and interviews.
The Cleveland Orchestra is grateful for the following supporters:
Season Presenting Sponsor: The J.M. Smucker Co.; Digital & 2020-21 Season Sponsors: The Dr. M. Lee Pearce Foundation, Inc., Ohio CAT, Jones Day, and Medical Mutual; as well as Leadership Partner: CIBC.
ADELLA HOLIDAY PROGRAM INFORMATION
Program listings for holiday streaming offerings are below. All concerts were recorded live at Severance Hall and will be available for streaming on-demand through the Adella app. Programs and artists are subject to change.
2020 CHRISTMAS VISUAL ALBUM: HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS WITH THE CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA AND CHORUS
Digital Streaming Premiere: Thursday, December 17
Available on-demand until: Wednesday, January 6, 2021
The Cleveland Orchestra
conducted by Vinay Parameswaran (recorded December 2020)*
KAY (arr. LAVENDER) — Deck The Halls with Boughs of Holly: A Merry Fugue*
TCHAIKOVSKY (arr. FERRARI) — Selections from The Nutcracker*
BERLIN (arr. JACKFERT) — White Christmas*
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (arr. GREAVES) — Fantasia on Greensleeves*
TRADITIONAL (arr. ANDERSON) — Wassail Song*
PREVIOUSLY RECORDED MUSIC
TRADITIONAL (arr. WILBERG) — O Come, All Ye Faithful
TRADITIONAL(arr. HARRIS) — Joy to the World
BERLIOZ — Shepherd’s Farewell
DAVIS (arr. REINEKE) — Little Drummer Boy
TRADITIONAL (arr. RUTTER) — Sans Day Carol
TRADITIONAL (arr. SHAW/BENNETT) — Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
TRADITIONAL (arr. HARRIS) — Angels We Have Heard on High
HANDEL — “Hallelujah Chorus” from Messiah
LEONTOVICH (arr. WILHOUSKY) — Carol of the Bells
HOLST — In the Bleak Midwinter
TRADITIONAL (arr. MILLER) — The Angel Gabriel
TRADITIONAL (arr. HARRIS) — We Wish You a Merry Christmas
TRADITIONAL (arr. WILLCOCKS) — Jingle Bells
TRADITIONAL (arr. RUTTER) — The Twelve Days of Christmas
ANDERSON — Sleigh Ride
GRUBER (arr. DRAGON) — Silent Night
Listen for free on Adella or search “Adella” on your phone, tablet, or TV.
CIBC is the exclusive Presenting Sponsor of The Cleveland Orchestra's 2020 Christmas recording.
1984 CHRISTMAS CONCERT: A SYMPHONY IN CELEBRATION
Digital Streaming Premiere: Thursday, December 17 – recorded December 16, 1984 and originally broadcast on December 23, 1984 by WJKW-TV Fox 8
Available on-demand until: Wednesday, January 6, 2021
The Cleveland Orchestra
Robert Page, conductor
Cleveland Orchestra Chorus
Cleveland Orchestra Children’s Chorus
TRADITIONAL — We Wish You a Merry Christmas
ANDERSON – Sleigh Ride
WALTERS — Ding, Dong, Doh
HOPKINS, JR. (arr. MILLER) — We Three Kings
NILES (arr. PAGE) — I Wonder as I Wander
TRADITIONAL (arr. DEVARON) — Star in the East
BROHN — Fantasia on It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
TRADITIONAL (arr. MILLER) — Good King Wenceslas
COOTS, COOTS, & GILLESPIE (arr. HARRIS) — Santa Claus is Coming to Town
JENNINGS (arr. PAGE) — Gifts of Love
PAGE — Joyous Sound
GRUBER (arr. HARRIS) — Silent Night
HANDEL — “Hallelujah Chorus” from Messiah
Watch for free on Adella or search “Adella” on your phone, tablet, or TV.
INVENTIONS: Bach to Mendelssohn
In Focus Episode 4
Digital Streaming Premiere: Thursday, December 10 at 7:00 p.m. — filmed November 28 and November 29, 2020
Available on-demand until: Wednesday, March 10, 2021
The Cleveland Orchestra
Nicholas McGegan, conductor and harpsichord
HANDEL — Overture and Pifa Pastorale from Messiah (available for free on Adella)
CORELLI — Concerto Grosso Opus 6, No. 8 (“Christmas Concerto”) (available for free on Adella)
BACH — Brandenburg Concerto No. 3
MENDELSSOHN — String Symphony No. 7
Guest conductor Nicholas McGegan returns to Cleveland to lead a program filled with musical invention and seasonal abundance — surveying a range of works from the late 17th to early 19th centuries. Two works offer reflections on the Christmas season, while Bach’s inventive Third Brandenburg Concerto showcases this master’s ingenuity with string orchestra. The program concludes with a youthful and spirited symphony written by Mendelssohn as a teenager.
Adella Premium members, subscribers, and donors can watch this concert on adella.live or by searching “Adella” on your phone, tablet, or TV. You can also see details about this episode here.
All programs and artists are subject to change.