St. Louis Symphony Update, 5 February 2011

Semyon Bychkov

During the thoroughly deserved standing ovation that followed Friday’s performance of the Mahler Symphony No. 6 by Semyon Bychkov and the St. Louis Symphony, my wife turned to me and remarked, “well – that was thrilling.” And so it was.

It was also just a bit exhausting for musicians and audience members alike. Mr. Bychkov, in particular, looked physically drained after those last, searing moments of finale, as though the famous “axe blows” that felled Mahler’s hero had nearly claimed him as collateral damage. For a moment or two it wasn’t even clear whether he would come back out to acknowledge the waves of applause. Happily, there were no signs of strain in his conducting, which looked just as precise and in control as it did during last weekend’s far lighter program of Schubert, Shostakovich and Beeethoven. And the augmented forces of the symphony sounded brilliant.

My schedule makes a full review impossible earlier than tomorrow (at which point it will appear both here and in the Music section at the 88.1 KDHX site), but I wanted to at least get this update out so that I could encourage my readers to catch the second and final performance tonight (Saturday, February 5) of this rarely-heard and most personal of Mahler's symphonies.  Tickets are available at 314-534-1700 or at the St. Louis Symphony web site.  Don't miss it.