Forward into the past with "Back to the Future" at the St. Louis Symphony

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It's another movie weekend at Powell Hall as the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra plays the score of the 1985 science fantasy film "Back to the Future" to accompany a complete showing of the movie. It is, as they say, fun for the whole family (all three generations in my party had a good time) and also a reminder of how much film music has changed in three decades.

Specifically, it's a reminder that most moves have a lot more music these days. Composer Alan Silvestri has added an additional 20 minutes of music for this version, but even this is a refreshing reminder that there was a time when not every single minute of a commercial film had to be underscored. Hearing large blocks of unaccompanied dialog now seems almost retro, and the score that much more impact when it kicks in.

Alan Silvestri
alansilvestri.com

Not that it needs that much more impact, of course. Silvestri's music has that brass and percussion-heavy sound that seems to have become the norm for fantasy and adventure films. It's also, to my ears, highly derivative of the big orchestral scores of John Williams. That's not necessarily a knock on Silvestri, though. Williams brought that big Hollywood sound back almost single-handedly with his "Star Wars" scores and by the mid-eighties it was casting a long acoustic shadow that you can hear clearly in the big, heroic main theme here.

Resident Conductor Steven Jarvi demonstrates once again that he's a dab hand at the specialized type of music direction required for these projects and the orchestra plays beautifully. Conducting for a live showing of a movie is, as I have noted before, a fairly specialized skill. It’s probably not part of the basic training of most classically educated conductors. Nevertheless Mr. Jarvi, aided by an audio click track and a podium-mounted screen, did an excellent job and the musicians sounded as fine as always.

As an added bonus, BTF co-creator Bob Gale was on hand to introduce the event Friday night. Mr. Gale, it turns out, was a St. Louis native (University City High School, class of '69), a fact that went down very well with the opening night crowd, as did his revelation that the idea for the movie sprang from a visit to his old hometown. Go figure.

St. Louis actor Jeffrey M. Wright as
Marty McFly at Powell Hall

There are two more showings of "Back to the Future" on Saturday and Sunday, October 31 and November 1, at 2 p.m. If you're looking for a Halloween weekend treat that adults can enjoy as much as kids, give this serious consideration. The movie itself holds up remarkably well after all these years and the Mahler-sized live orchestra adds considerable punch.

Tickets for these film events at Powell tend to go fast (the house was packed Friday night), so point your DeLorean to the symphony web site and enjoy before (you should pardon the expression) time runs out. Note that snacks and drinks are allowed in the hall for movie nights—a good thing considering how long the lines at the Powell Hall bars can be for these big events.

Next at Powel Hall: Nicholas McGegan conducts the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, with piano soloist Orli Shaham, in an all-Mozart program on Friday at 10:30 a.m. and Saturday at 8 p.m., November 6 and 7. Powell Symphony Hall is at 718 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: stlsymphony.org.

Chuck's Choices for the weekend of October 30, 2015

As always, the choices are purely my personal opinion. Take with a grain (or a shaker) of salt.

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New This Week:

Matilda the Musical
Photo: Joan Marcus

The Fox Theatre presents Matilda the Musical, based on the novel by Roald Dahl, through November 1. "Winner of 50 international awards including 4 Tony Awards  and seven Olivier Awards including Best Musical, MATILDA THE MUSICAL is the story of an extraordinary girl who dreams of a better life. Armed with a vivid imagination and a sharp mind, Matilda dares to take a stand and change her destiny." The Fox Theatre is at 527 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: fabulousfox.com.

My take: Everyone seems to be enjoying Matilda immensely. The Belleville News-Democrat's Lynn Venhaus says the show "celebrates the power of imagination as it unfolds the inspiring tale of a magical little girl." KDHX's Amy Burger says it's "an enchanting piece of musical theatre for Broadway fans of all ages." "It's truly magical," writes Chris Gibson at Broadwayworld.com, "and definitely a must-see, for families, and even those who don't have them."

Winter Opera St. Louis presents Gilbert and Sullivan's comedy/drama Yeomen of the Guard Friday at 8 PM and Sunday at 3 PM, October 30 and November 1. Performances take place at The Skip Viragh Center for the Arts at Chaminade College Preparatory School, 425 S. Lindbergh. For more information, visit winteroperastl.org.

My take: Winter Opera remains one of the better practitioners of musical theatre in St. Louis. They also have the distinction of being the only one of our three opera companies to be working in a space that wasn’t retrofitted to present opera—a virtue not to be taken lightly. Their productions haven't always been entirely successful, but overall I have come to think of them as The Little Opera Company That Could. Yeomen of the Guard is an interesting choice in that it's the only Gilbert and Sullivan operetta that does not have a happy ending. It also has one of Sullivan's most ambitious scores, which is what makes it so attractive to opera companies.

Held Over:

Angel Street
Photo: Eric Woolsey

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents the drama Angel Street through November 8. Mrs. Bella Manningham is going mad. Confined to an old and dark London home, her suave husband and caretaker, Jack, accuses her of playing wicked pranks and tricks that she can't recall, tormenting Bella and making her question her own sanity. Frightened, Bella believes everyone is against her, until one evening when a keen police inspector pays her a visit, shedding light on information that could save her life. Equal parts mystery, psychology and sin, Angel Street is one of Broadway's longest running plays. " Performances take place on the mainstage at the Loretto-Hlton Center, 130 Edgar Road in Webster Groves, MO. For more information, call 314-968-4925 or visit repstl.org.

My take: Sometimes a play's film adaptation will completely eclipse the original—just ask Murray Burnett and Joan Alison, whose 1940 drama Everybody Comes to Rick's would achieve fame as Casablanca. In the case of the 1938 thriller Angel Street, the 1944 film adaptation Gaslight (as the play was originally name in Britain) has become so familiar that the Rep adding it to the title. In any case, the original seems to have retained its suspense, despite the fact that pretty much everybody on the planet now knows the plot twists. "This is expertly crafted entertainment that will surely get you in the mood for the Halloween season," writes Chris Gibson at Broadwayworld.com, "and I highly recommend it!" At KDHX, Sarah Richardson says it's "an enjoyable, diverting show with a delightful cast and fantastic design." I agree about the cast, although it seems clear to me that the director has asked both leads to overact, esepcially in the final scene, with detracted from my enjoyment of what is, overall, a good production.

The Sunshine Boys
Photo: Eric Woolsey

New Jewish Theatre presents Neil Simon's comedy The Sunshine Boys through November 1. "Al Lewis and Willie Clark, as 'Lewis and Clark' were top-billed vaudevillians for over forty years. But they haven't spoken in over a decade. Now CBS is inviting the team to reunite for a 'History of Comedy' retrospective. A grudging reunion brings them back together, along with a flood of memories, miseries and laughs. Classic Neil Simon, a lot of it is epically funny and all of it is cheerful." Performances take place at the Marvin and Harlene Wool Studio Theatre at the JCCA, 2 Millstone Campus Drive. For more information, call 314-442-3283 or visit www.newjewishtheatre.org.

My take: As a local actor remarked to me the other night, this production has been "snake bit," with both of the original actors replaced for health reasons. Which makes it that much more impressive that the result is, in the words of KDHX reviewer Tina Farmer, "a sweet tribute to the era of vaudeville that's also an honest look at aging in an American culture increasingly focused on youth. Engaging performances and a pleasantly amusing script ensure this show is entertaining even for audiences with no recollection of the uniquely American variety of entertainment known as vaudeville." Chris Gibson at Broadwayworld.com agrees, saying that "this version of the show has a certain poignancy and emotional affectation that provides the play with additional depth...Go see this wonderfully fresh take on THE SUNSHINE boys, you'll certainly be glad you did."

Cabaret Review: The dyanmic duo of Rick Jensen and Lina Koutrakos entertain at the Gaslight Cabaret Festival October 25, 2015

Rick Jensen
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Lina Koutrakos and Rick Jensen have become familiar figures on the local cabaret scene over the years, first as regular faculty members in the St. Louis Cabaret Conference, and then as directors and advisers for many local performers. So their "Two for the Road" show last Sunday as part of the fall edition of the Gaslight Cabaret Festival was something of a homecoming.

And what a joyous homecoming it was! Ms. Koutrakos and Mr. Jensen have been performing as creative partners for decades, giving their work on stage the kind of easy camaraderie that comes only with experience. It makes for an evening that easily draws the audience into their musical conversation and quickly dissolves the fabled fourth wall. Together, they unfailingly deliver a mix of passion, wit, and polished musicianship that's just unbeatable.

The evening opened with a set of Mr. Jensen's original material that showed his versatility as a songwriter. Straightforward patter songs like "Hi Ho, That's the German Way" rubbed shoulders with introspective ballads like "Long Cold Fall" (with its Randy Newmanesque harmonies) and the inspiring "Go Ahead and Dream," from the 2011 film "That's What I Am."

I found "Amanda Sang," a little character study inspired by Mr. Jensen's youth in Minneapolis, particularly noteworthy, in part because of a lyric that could serve as a mini-lesson for cabaret singers: "She could never go wrong / Because her heart was in her song." And the ballad "In Passing Years" (part of the encore set), with its ruminations on the enduring value of friendship, remains one of my favorites.

Lina Koutrakos

Having worked with Mr. Jensen in St. Louis Cabaret Conference sessions in the past, I already knew about his skills as a songwriter and pianist. What I didn't realize was what an engaging and funny storyteller he was. The between-songs patter in his set was consistently entertaining and often hilarious.

Ms. Koutrakos brought her share of humor to the show as well, most notably with the Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh classic "When in Rome (I Do as the Romans Do)." But as anyone who has seen her perform would know, she was at her most formidable in torch songs like "What Are You Doing New Year's" and power ballads like "Life is What You Do" from Kander and Ebb's "Zorba."

Her medley of Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind" and Mr. Jensen's "New York City is My Home" was a remarkable combination of poignancy and affirmation. And her dark, smoky voice was an ideal match for the elusive tragedy that lurks just beneath the surface of Bobbie Gentry's "Ode to Billy Joe." When Ms. Koutrakos unleashes the smoldering passion that is her musical forte, she is without equal.

Lina Koutrakos and Rick Jensen will have moved on to their next projects by the time you read this, but their strong local connections pretty much guarantee that they'll come to St. Louis again. Don't miss them when they do.

The Gaslight Cabaret Festival continues through November 21 at the Gaslight Theater on North Boyle in midtown. For more information: gaslightcabaretfestival.com.

Symphony Review: Magisterial Beethoven, poetic Schumann, and dynamic Nielsen with Storgårds, Vogt, and the St. Louis Symphony

John Storgårds

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[Learn more about the music with the SLSO program notes and my symphony preview.]

John Storgårds, the Chief Conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic and this past weekend's (October 23and 24, 2015) St. Louis Symphony Orchestra guest conductor, is a big man with a magisterial podium presence. In fact, "magisterial" is how I'd characterize his approach to the Beethoven "Egmont" Overture that opened the program. Tempi were on the slow side and orchestral details were highlighted, which gave the final triumphal pages of the score that much more impact.

If that approach were the only one in Mr. Storgårds's repertory it would make for a monotonous evening but, of course, there's much more to him than that. His expansive gestures clearly grow out of a passionate commitment to and intense concentration on the music itself. He seems willing to go where it leads him, while still putting his own stamp on the interpretation.

Lars Vogt
Photo: Neda Navaee

This was most apparent in the Schumann Piano Concerto that followed the Beethoven. Describing his work on the Concerto in a 1839 letter to his future wife, Clara Wieck, Schumann said that the work would be "a compromise among a symphony, a concerto and a huge sonata. I see I cannot write a concerto for the virtuosos: I must plan something else." That "something else" proved to a work in which the piano is an integral part of the orchestra, rather than set apart from it in the manner of so many of Schumann's contemporaries. The Concerto is more poetic and lyrical than big and dramatic, with a first movement cadenza that grows organically out of the music and a final movement that is more ingratiating than flashy.

In terms of the imaginary characters that Schumann used to illustrate the two sides of his musical personality, the Concerto tends to lean towards the dreamy and introspective Eusebius rather than the more passionate Florestan, although both are clearly present.

Kate Reimann

Mr. Storgårds and soloist Lars Vogt (a conductor himself as well as a noted pianist) followed Schumann's lead with a reading that was more graceful and sentimental than demonstrative. You could hear that most notably in the second movement Intermezzo, with its lovely duet for the soloist and principal cello (enchantingly rendered by Danny Lee), although there was a languor to the first movement as well. It's marked Allegro affetuoso, but in this performance is was more molto affetuoso. That wasn't entirely to my taste, but (as indicated in that letter to Clara) it's justified by the music itself as well as by Schumann's own thoughts on the matter.

The concluding work on the program, Carl Nielsen's "Symphony No. 3, Op. 27," ("Sinfonia espansiva") from 1910-11, is another matter altogether. Like G. B. Shaw, Nielsen believed in a kind of pantheistic "life force" that pervaded all of nature. It shows up in his fourth and fifth symphonies (both written in the shadow of World War I, when the "life force" no doubt appeared to be in danger of extinction) and pervades the third. The symphony opens, as Reneé Spencer Saller vividly writes in her program notes, with "a machine-gun barrage of a single note, A, which sounds 26 times, speeding up as the intensity mounts". From that point on, the "Espansiva" lives up to its name by delivering, in the words of the composer "a certain expansive happiness about being able to participate in the work of life".

It's vital and viscerally compelling stuff, and Mr. Storgårds's interpretation was appropriately electrifying and energizing. The headlong rush of the music came through loud and clear without sacrificing any of the many finer points of Nielsen's score. Spontaneous applause broke out after the Allegro espansiva first movement, and the standing ovation at the end was sincere and well earned.

Jeffrey Heyl

I know I'm beginning to sound like a broken record (remember those?) when I say this but say it I must: the SLSO musicians played beautifully here, as they did throughout the evening. The extended passages for the strings in the Andante pastorale second movement, for example, were a reminder of what great string players we have here. The sound was lush, focused, and just a bit astringent, which felt like an ideal match for the material. The woodwinds distinguished themselves as well all the way through, as did the expanded (five players) horn section.

Perhaps the most unusual aspect of the "Espansiva" is the use of wordless vocals that lend an otherworldly quality to the second movement. The soloists for these concerts were soprano Kate Reimann and bass-baritone Jeffrey Heyl, both of whom are familiar figures on local opera and concert stages. Their voices blended handsomely in their brief appearance, lending just the right sense of mystery to the music.

Next at Powell Hall: The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra presents a showing of the film "Back to the Future," with the Alan Silvestri score performed live by the orchestra, Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m., October 30 – November 1. The showings take place at Powell Symphony Hall, 718 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: stlsymphony.org.

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of October 26, 2015

[Looking for auditions and other artistic opportunities? Check out the St. Louis Auditions site.]

For information on events beyond this week, check out the searchable database at the Regional Arts Commission's events web site.

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Over Due Theatre presents the musical The Addams Family, based on the cartoon characters of Charles Addams, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 2 PM through November 1. Performances take place at the Olivette Community Center, 9723 Grandview Drive, in Olivette, MO. For more information, call 314-210-2959 or visit overduetheatrecompany.com

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
aquilatheatre.com

The Hettenhausen Center for the Arts presents The Aquila Theatre production of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes on Monday, October 26, at 7:30 PM. "In this witty, fast paced production the legendary sleuth skillfully maneuvers the twisted web of London's most intriguing cases with his split second deductions revealing intimate and useful details of a person's life. Actors from the top British and American stages bring the acclaimed Aquila Theatre's energetic, physical style to this new adaptation." The Hettenhausen Center for the Arts is at 701 College Rd., at Alton St. on the McKendree University campus in Lebanon, IL. For more information: www.thehett.com.

Angel Street
Photo: Eric Woolsey

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents the drama Angel Street through November 8. Mrs. Bella Manningham is going mad. Confined to an old and dark London home, her suave husband and caretaker, Jack, accuses her of playing wicked pranks and tricks that she can't recall, tormenting Bella and making her question her own sanity. Frightened, Bella believes everyone is against her, until one evening when a keen police inspector pays her a visit, shedding light on information that could save her life. Equal parts mystery, psychology and sin, Angel Street is one of Broadway's longest running plays. " Performances take place on the mainstage at the Loretto-Hlton Center, 130 Edgar Road in Webster Groves, MO. For more information, call 314-968-4925 or visit repstl.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

The Presenters Dolan present singer Kat Edmonson in The Big Picture on Friday and Saturday, October 30 and 31, at 8 PM as part of the Gaslight Cabaret Festival. "Catch a rising star. An enchantingly sweet singer with a beguiling innocence, Kat has risen quickly to fame with memorable turns on Austin City Limits, A Prairie Home Companion and NPR. She's played dates with Lyle Lovett and Chris Isaak. Her third album, The Big Picture, was recently released by Sony. " The performance takes place at the Gaslight Theater, 358 North Boyle. For more information: gaslightcabaretfestival.com.

The Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents Dead! Like Me through November 14. The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: lempmansion.com.

The Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents Get "Hitched" To A Redneck Or Die through October 31. The Bissell Mansion is at 4426 Randall Place. For more information: bissellmansiontheatre.com

I and You
Photo: Lon Brauer

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents the drama I and You October 28 - November 15. "Anthony is an effortlessly popular "A" student; Caroline is a prickly cynic, homebound with a serious illness. This unlikely duo sits in Caroline's room, trying to cobble together a report on Walt Whitman overnight. As they work and procrastinate, argue and compromise, the teens begin to uncover each other's hidden depths. Full of surprising humor and emotion, I and You explores bravery in the face of an uncertain future and the unique, mysterious connections that bind us." Performances take place in the studio theater at the Loretto-Hlton Center, 130 Edgar Road in Webster Groves, MO. For more information, call 314-968-4925 or visit repstl.org.

Lindenwood University presents Legally Blonde the Musical October 29-31. "A fabulously fun international award-winning musical based on the movie, Legally Blonde The Musical follows the transformation of Elle Woods as she tackles stereotypes, snobbery, and scandal in pursuit of her dreams. This action-packed musical explodes on the stage with memorable songs and dynamic dances. Equal parts hilarious and heart-warming,; this musical is so much fun it should be illegal!" Performances take at the J. Scheidegger Center for the Arts on the Lindenwood campus in St. Charles, MO. For more information, call 636-949-4433 or visit lindenwood.edu/center.

Matilda the Musical
Photo: Joan Marcus

The Fox Theatre presents Matilda the Musical, based on the novel by Roald Dahl, through November 1. "Winner of 50 international awards including 4 Tony Awards  and seven Olivier Awards including Best Musical, MATILDA THE MUSICAL is the story of an extraordinary girl who dreams of a better life. Armed with a vivid imagination and a sharp mind, Matilda dares to take a stand and change her destiny." The Fox Theatre is at 527 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: fabulousfox.com. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Tesseract Theatre Company presents A Mourning Hollow Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 4 p.m., October 30 - November 8. "A Mourning Hollow is a romantic comedy set in the town of Plains Hollow, Missouri on Halloween night. It is a collection of vignettes exploring the process of grief in a small town." Performances take place at the Regional Arts Commission, 6128 Delmar. For more information: tesseracttheatre.org.

The Emerald Room at The Monocle presents an open mic night every Monday from 8:00pm to 11:00pm" "Musical Theater actor? Cabaret singer? Balladeer? Beleter? Coloratura soprano? Crooner? Student? Teacher? Performer? Fan? Come on down and sing. All are welcome. Ron Bryant is your accompanist. Bring your sheet music"." The monocle is at 4510 Manchester in The Grove neighborhood. For more information: themonoclestl.com.

Fontbonne University's Theatre Department presents April De Angelies' Playhouse Creatures through November 1. "The year is 1669 - a bawdy and troublesome time. Theaters have just reopened after seventeen years of Puritan suppression. There is a surge in dramatic writing and the first English actresses appear on stage. Playhouse Creatures focuses on five of the most famous (Nell Gwyn, Elizabeth Farley, Rebecca Marshall, Doll Common and Mary Betterton) to provide a moving and often comic account of the precarious lives of Restoration actresses." Performances take place at Fontbonne University's Black Box Theatre located in the Southwest building on the campus at Big Bend and Wydown. For more information: www.mustardseedtheatre.com or call (314) 719-8060.

Take Two Productions presents the rock musical Spring Awakening through October 31. "It's Germany, 1891. A world where the grown-ups hold all the cards. Join a group of students as they navigate teenage self-discovery and coming of age anxiety in a powerful celebration of youth and rebellion. Spring Awakening explores the journey from adolescence to adulthood with poignancy and passion that is illuminating and unforgettable. The landmark musical is an electrifying fusion of morality, sexuality and rock and roll that is exhilarating audiences across the nation like no other musical in years." The show is recommended for mature audiences. Performances take place at Southampton Presbyterian Church, 4716 Macklind in South City. For more information, visit taketwoproductions.org.

The Sunshine Boys
Photo: Eric Woolsey

New Jewish Theatre presents Neil Simon's comedy The Sunshine Boys through November 1. "Al Lewis and Willie Clark, as 'Lewis and Clark' were top-billed vaudevillians for over forty years. But they haven't spoken in over a decade. Now CBS is inviting the team to reunite for a 'History of Comedy' retrospective. A grudging reunion brings them back together, along with a flood of memories, miseries and laughs. Classic Neil Simon, a lot of it is epically funny and all of it is cheerful." Performances take place at the Marvin and Harlene Wool Studio Theatre at the JCCA, 2 Millstone Campus Drive. For more information, call 314-442-3283 or visit www.newjewishtheatre.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

O'Fallon TheatreWorks presents the drama Wit at the O'Fallon Municipal Centre auditorium through November 1. "Winner of the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Lucille Lortel Award for Best Play, Margaret Edson's extraordinary first play, Wit, is a work that is as intellectually challenging as it is emotionally immediate. Synopsis: Vivian Bearing, Ph.D., a professor of English who has spent years studying and teaching the brilliant metaphysical sonnets of John Donne, has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Her intellectual approach to the study of Donne has been intensely rational. But as her illness progresses, Vivian comes to reassess her life and her work with a profundity and humor that are transformative both for her and the audience. " The O'Fallon Municipal Centre is located at 100 North Main Street in O'Fallon, MO. For more information, visit www.ofallon.mo.us or call 636-379-5606.

Winter Opera St. Louis presents Gilbert and Sullivan's comedy/drama Yeomen of the Guard Friday at 8 PM and Sunday at 3 PM, October 30 and November 1. Performances take place at The Skip Viragh Center for the Arts at Chaminade College Preparatory School, 425 S. Lindbergh. For more information, visit winteroperastl.org.

Would you like to be on the radio? KDHX, 88.1 FM needs theatre reviewers. If you're 18 years or older, knowledgeable in this area, have practical theatre experience (acting, directing, writing, technical design, etc.), have good oral and written communications skills and would like to become one of our volunteer reviewers, send an email describing your experience and interests to chuck at kdhx.org. Please include a sample review of something you've seen recently.

St. Louis classical calendar for the week of October 26, 2015

Tenebrae

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The Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis presents the vocal ensemble Tenebrae on Thursday, October 29, at 8 p.m. at the cathedral at 4431 Lindell. "'Passion and Precision' is Tenebrae's motto, and through its continued dedication to performance of the highest quality, audiences around the world experience the power and intimacy of the human voice." The program includes music by Victoria, Reger, Brahms, and Bruckner. For more information: www.cathedralconcerts.org.

The Metropolitan Orchestra

First Presbyterian Church of Kirkwood presents a concert by The Metropolitan Orchestra of St. Louis on Sunday, November 1, at 7 p.m. "Brahms Symphony No. 2 described as his "Pastoral" and Strauss Kaiser Walzer will delight audience on this concert. Conductor Laureate, Dr. Larson will open the concert with Der Freischütz Overture. Ever wonder what its like to sit on stage? Buy a chance to find out!" First Presbyterian Church is at 100 East Adams in Kirkwood. For more information: metro-orch.org.

The St. Louis Art Museum presents a high-definition video broadcast of the Metropolitan Opera's production Wagner's Tannhäuser on Saturday, October 31, at 11 AM. "James Levine conducts Wagner's early masterpiece, Tannhäuser, in its first return to the Met stage in more than a decade. Today's leading Wagnerian tenor, Johan Botha, takes on the daunting title role of the young knight caught between true love and passion. Eva-Maria Westbroek is Elisabeth, adding another Wagner heroine to her Met repertoire after her acclaimed Sieglinde in the Ring a few seasons ago. On the heels of his recent triumph in Parsifal, Peter Mattei sings Wolfram, and Michelle DeYoung is the love goddess, Venus." The live digital HD video broadcast from New York takes place in The Farrell Auditorium at the Art Museum in Forest Park. For more information: slam.org.

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra presents a showing of the film Back to the Future, with the Alan Silvestri score performed live by the orchestra, Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m., October 30 – November 1. The showings take place at Powell Symphony Hall, 718 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: stlsymphony.org.

The Second Church Chorale

Second Presbyterian Church presents its Fall Concert on Sunday, November 1, at 4 p.m. "Conductor Andrew Peters leads the Second Church Chorale and chamber string orchestra in Franz Schubert's beautiful Mass in G Major. The concert also includes string music by Mendelssohn, Mozart, and Rossini. Free and open to the public." The church is at 4501 Westminster Place in the Central West End. For more information: secondchurch.net.

The Tavern of Fine Arts presents a concert by Jeff Noonan, guitar and lutes. and Sam Breene, Baroque violin, on Friday, October 30, at 8 p.m. The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt in the Debaliviere Place neighborhood. For more information: tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com.

The Arianna String Quartet

The Touhill Performing Arts Center presents The Arianna String Quartet in Autumn Kammeraku on Sunday, November 1, at 3 PM. "The Arianna Quartet joins forces with shakuhachi grand master James Nyoraku Schlefer, world-renowned koto virtuoso Yumi Kurosawa, and acclaimed master shamisen player Yuko Reikano Kumura, as the Kyo-Shin-An ensemble returns for another memorable evening of music making with the ASQ. This unique concert fuses the ancient traditions of Japanese instrumentation with Western classical music's string quartet, producing an experience that forges new frontiers in music, and provides audiences with a once in a lifetime concert experience. " The Touhill Performing Arts Center in on the University of Missouri at St. Louis campus. For more information: touhill.org.

Symphony Preview: Beethoven's movie music and more October 23 and 24

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One of the things all three composers in last weekend's all-American St. Louis Symphony concerts had in common was that they had all written music for movies. In that respect, they were following a time-honored tradition that goes back centuries.

That's because film music is really just another form of what musicology types call "incidental music"—music written to accompany and provide extra punch for comedy and drama. And composers have been doing that since the days of ancient Greece.

"Beethoven Letronne" by Blasius Höfel
Licensed under Public Domain
via Wikimedia Common

This weekend's SLSO concerts open with a famous example: the overture that Beethoven wrote for Goethe's 1787 political drama "Egmont." Set in 16th century Spain when that nation was occupied by the Dutch, the play is the story of the Count of Egmont, a real-life Dutch nobleman who pleaded with his fellow occupiers to treat the Spanish with some respect and got executed for his efforts. A staunch Republican and champion of human freedom, Beethoven was irresistibly drawn to the story—an attraction that was only increased by the political situation surrounding him when he wrote his "Egmont" score in 1809 in Vienna.

Back then Vienna was not so much the fabled "City of Dreams" as a metropolis of nightmares. The French laid siege to it with shelling so fierce that at one point the composer took refuge in his brother's house and covered his head with pillows to escape the din. "[L]ife around me", he wrote, "is wild and disturbing, nothing but drums, cannons, soldiers, misery of every sort." The royal family—including Beethoven's friend and patron Archduke Rudolf—fled, along with many of the notable families with whom the composer had become close.

Left alone and, once the French occupation began, in difficult financial circumstances due to rapid inflation, Beethoven had little else to do but compose. The "Piano Concerto No. 5" ("Emperor") is probably the most famous work to emerge from this difficult period, although the Op. 81a piano sonata ("Les Adieux") is probably a close second.

Beethoven wrote a total of nine pieces to accompany the play, including "Die Trommel gerühret" (roughly "the drum is playing"), a particularly effective dramatic song for soprano and orchestra. These days the powerful Overture is the only one of the nine performed on a regular basis, possibly because it sums up the action of the play so neatly. Opening with stark, imposing chords by the full orchestra, it gradually moves, over the course of around nine minutes, to a triumphant finale. "The overture's conclusion", writes René Spencer Saller in her program notes, "foretells a freedom that only Beethoven—the stubborn dreamer, the Enlightenment's eternal child—could imagine. Mired in misery, he still believed in joy."

Schumann in 1850
en.wikipedia.org

Up next is Robert Schumann's "Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54," which was first performed in 1845 with Schumann's wife Clara (a gifted composer and pianist in her own right) as the soloist. Schumann had made several attempts at a large-scale work for piano and orchestra at various points in his life. As the early 20th-century poet and music critic Pitts Sanborn noted (in "Great Orchestral Music", Collier, 1962), Schumann "began to write a piano concerto at the age of seventeen before he was conversant with musical form... As early as 1839 there is apparently a reference to the A minor concerto in a letter sent by Schumann from Vienna to his betrothed, Clara Wieck: 'My concerto is a compromise among a symphony, a concerto and a huge sonata. I see I cannot write a concerto for the virtuosos: I must plan something else.'"

When Schumann's "something else" finally materialized it was, in fact, far removed from the sort of virtuoso showpiece that he and his fellow contributors to the "Neue Zeitschrift für Musik" disdained. The piano is not set apart from the orchestra the way it is in the concerti of many of Schumann's contemporaries. From the very beginning, in which the soloist trades phrases with the winds, the piano is an integral part of the orchestra—a role it occupies until the very end. As Clara Schumann observed in her diary, "the piano is interwoven with the orchestra in the most delicate way—one can't imagine the one without the other."

"The opening allegro", write Brockway and Weinstock in "Men of Music," "is unstintedly opulent in melody, and rises to moments of sheer rhapsody. Its cadenza, far from interrupting the mood of the whole movement, sustains it—which makes it a rarity among piano cadenzas. The intermezzo is more restrained and contemplative, and the marvelously varied rhythms of the finale mount and mingle in a paean of unrestrained joy. These elements combine to produce, in the A minor Concerto, the sovereign gesture of musical romanticism."

From the beginning, audiences and critics mostly agreed. "When the Concerto was performed in Leipzig," report Brockway and Weinstock, "the Gewandhaus patrons (then the most enlightened on the continent) were already thoroughly acquainted with Schumann's ideas, but it took this definitive expression of them to evoke the Leipzigers' unqualified enthusiasm." The reception was also very positive when Clara performed the Concerto in London shortly before Schumann's death in 1856. Even the critic J. W. Davidson, who regarded the Concerto itself as "a labored and ambitious work," had to admit that "the praiseworthy efforts of the gifted lady make her husband's curious rhapsody pass for music."

These days the A minor Concerto is part of the standard repertory. The SLSO first performed it in 1913, with Marion Bauer at the keyboard, and most recently in November of 2011. Eric Le Sage was the soloist for that one (Stèphane Denève was at the podium), turning in (as I wrote in my review) a performance of chamber music-style intimacy along with the kind of close, cooperative give and take that goes with it. This time around the soloist is the young German pianist Lars Vogt, whose wide-ranging repertoire includes not only Mozart, Beethoven, and Schumann, but also Rachmaninoff and even Witold Lutoslawski.

Remarkably for a concert pianist, he is also making his mark as a conductor and, in fact, will take over as Music Director of the Royal Northern Sinfonia in Newcastle, U.K., for their 2015-2016 season. It will be interesting to see how all that plays out on stage with guest conductor John Storgårds.

Carl Nielsen in 1910
en.wikipedia.org

The concerts conclude with the "Symphony No. 3, Op. 27," (the "Sinfonia espansiva") written in 1910-1911 by the Danish composer Carl Nielsen. I've been a sucker for Nielsen's music ever since I first encountered his fiercely anti-war "Symphony No. 5" in Leonard Bernstein's remarkable 1963 recording. His symphonies have always been favorites of mine, along with his concerti, programmatic pieces like the remarkable "Helios Overture," and the quirky incidental music he wrote for Adam Oehlenschläger's "dramatic fairy tale" "Aladdin" in 1919.

Like G. B. Shaw, Nielsen believed in a kind of pantheistic "life force" that pervaded all of nature. It shows up in his fourth and fifth symphonies (both written in the shadow of World War I, when the "life force" no doubt appeared to be in danger of extinction) and pervades the third. Quoted in Hugh Ottaway's chapter on Nielsen in "The Symphony" (Penguin Books, 1967), Robert Simpson observes that "espansiva means the outward growth of the mind's scope and the expansion of life that comes with it."

"Here, in fact," continues Mr. Ottaway, "is the key to Nielsen's personality, and for those who like to strike directly at the root of the matter, the Espansiva makes an excellent introduction to his art. It is precisely in the generous, outward-looking aspect, and in the optimism springing from it, that Nielsen stands apart from so many of his contemporaries." "From the white-hot, orchestral hammer blows of its opening to its triumphant and open-hearted conclusion," wrote James Goodfriend in his notes for Bernstein's recording of the "Espansiva" with the Royal Danish Orchestra, "the 'Sinfonia Espansiva' proclaims itself the work of a great composer, one of the twentieth century's most irresistible symphonists at his best."

The symphony is remarkable in another way as well: the second movement includes wordless vocals for a soprano and baritone. They add an otherworldly quality to the Andante pastorale second movement. This weekend, that otherworldliness will be supplied by Kate Reimann and Jeffry Heyl, both of whom are familiar figures on the local opera and concert stage. Kate comes from a musical family, by the way; her mom Charlene is a respectable jazz singer in her own right and a frequent guest at the open mic night that I host for The Cabaret Project at the Tavern of Fine Arts.

The essentials: John Storgårds conducts the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra with piano soloist Lars Vogt, soprano Kate Reimann, and bass-baritone Jeffrey Heyl on Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., October 23 and 24. The concerts take place at Powell Symphony Hall, 718 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: stlsymphony.org.

Chuck's Choices for the weekend of October 23, 2015

As always, the choices are purely my personal opinion. Take with a grain (or a shaker) of salt.

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New This Week:

Jeffrey M. Wright

The Presenters Dolan present Jeffrey M. Wright in The 40's: Theirs...And Mine on Saturday, October 24, at 8 PM as part of the Gaslight Cabaret Festival. "Songs from the 40's through today from a singer in his 40's. Songs made famous by artists as diverse as Comden/Green, Cole Porter, Garth Brooks, Jimmy Webb, U2, and Rodgers and Hammerstein - all with the magic touch of Rick Jensen's amazing arrangements. Back in town from his gig at 54 Below in NYC with Alex Rybeck, Jeff also guested at the Metropolitan Room." The performance takes place at the Gaslight Theater, 358 North Boyle. For more information: gaslightcabaretfestival.com.

My take: Jeff, as I have noted in the past, has classic “leading man” charisma, an equally classic crooner’s voice and substantial musical theatre credentials. We have appeared on stage together and he's a regular at the Cabaret Project open mic night, which I host, so I have some first-hand knowledge here. Expect solid entertainment.

Angel Street
Photo: Eric Woolsey

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents the drama Angel Street through November 8. Mrs. Bella Manningham is going mad. Confined to an old and dark London home, her suave husband and caretaker, Jack, accuses her of playing wicked pranks and tricks that she can't recall, tormenting Bella and making her question her own sanity. Frightened, Bella believes everyone is against her, until one evening when a keen police inspector pays her a visit, shedding light on information that could save her life. Equal parts mystery, psychology and sin, Angel Street is one of Broadway's longest running plays. " Performances take place on the mainstage at the Loretto-Hlton Center, 130 Edgar Road in Webster Groves, MO. For more information, call 314-968-4925 or visit repstl.org.

My take: Sometimes a play's film adaptation will completely eclipse the original—just ask Murray Burnett and Joan Alison, whose 1940 drama Everybody Comes to Rick's would achieve fame as Casablanca. In the case of the 1938 thriller Angel Street, the 1944 film adaptation Gaslight (as the play was originally name in Britain) has become so familiar that the Rep adding it to the title. In any case, the original seems to have retained its suspense, despite the fact that pretty much everybody on the planet now knows the plot twists. "This is expertly crafted entertainment that will surely get you in the mood for the Halloween season," writes Chris Gibson at Broadwayworld.com, "and I highly recommend it!" At KDHX, Sarah Richardson says it's "an enjoyable, diverting show with a delightful cast and fantastic design."

Dean Christopher

The Presenters Dolan present Dean Christopher in Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime, A Tribute to Dean Martin on Thursday, October 22, at 8 PM as part of the Gaslight Cabaret Festival. "Dean Christopher has opened for Frank Sinatra, Jr. and several times for Don Rickles. He is thrilled to have the opportunity to pay tribute to one of his show business idols, Dean Martin. Dean just regrets that he is not and never could be as cool." The performance takes place at the Gaslight Theater, 358 North Boyle. For more information: gaslightcabaretfestival.com.

My take: Mr. Christopher has made a name for himself locally with his Rat Pack tribute shows, so this looks right up his alley. I agree that Deano was probably the coolest of the original pack.

Ken Haller

The Presenters Dolan present Ken Haller in an encore performance of Mama's Boy on Friday, October 23, at 8 PM as part of the Gaslight Cabaret Festival. "Ken got love of music from his Irish-Catholic mom who would sing standards while keeping house and raising five kids. You won't want to miss this heartwarming, hilarious, moving show from one of St. Louis's foremost cabaret artists!" The performance takes place at the Gaslight Theater, 358 North Boyle. For more information: gaslightcabaretfestival.com.

My take: Yes, I have worked on stage with Mr. Haller in the past and we've known each other personally for several years now, but that doesn't change the fact that he's an immensely talented gent with impressive credentials in both the theatrical and cabaret worlds. I described his last show "The TV Show," as "a tremendously entertaining and often extremely funny romp through TV land" in my review for KDHX back in 2012, and having seen this one last year I can say without reservation that it's definitely in the same league. But don't just take my word for it. "Haller is a charming and talented performer with a voice as smooth as a brandy Alexander," wrote Robert Mitchell in a KDHX review of Mr. Haller's "Song by Song by Sondheim" show back in 2011.

Meghan Kirk

The Emerald Room at The Monocle presents Meghan Kirk and Friends on Thursday, October 22, at 7:30 p.m. Guest performers for this cabaret evening include Tim Schall, Colleeen Sheeley, Jeff Wright, and Angela Moore. Carol Schmidt is pianist and music director. The monocle is at 4510 Manchester in The Grove neighborhood. For more information: buzzonstage.com.

My take: OK, here I go quoting myself again. As I wrote in my KDHX review of Ms. Kirk's The Story Goes On this past spring, she is a tremendously talented and charismatic performer—a classic singing actress with solid vocal technique and the acting chops necessary to inhabit a lyric. The Emerald Room at The Monocle (the former Meyer's Grove, with the bar all spruced up and looking very Parisian Art Deco) is small, seating around fifty, which makes it a good size for the intimacy of cabaret. The other performers on the bill are also well known on the local cabaret scene, so I don't see how you can go wrong.

The Piano Lesson
Photo: John Lamb

Clayton Community Theatre presents August Wilson's The Piano Lesson through October 25. Set in 1936 Pittsburgh during the aftermath of the Great Depression, this Pulitzer Prize-winning 1990 play by American playwright August Wilson follows the lives of the Charles family and an heirloom, the family piano. The play focuses on the tension between family members who treasure the piano as a link to the family history, and those who want to sell the piano to improve the family's economic status. What The Piano Lesson finally seems to ask is: "What do you do with your legacy, and how do you best put it to use?" Performances take place at the Washington University South Campus Theatre. For more information, call 314-721-9228 or visit placeseveryone.org.

My take: August Wilson's play is ambitious for any company, much less a community theatre, but CCT has apparently nailed it. "Clayton Community Theatre shows just how successful community theater can be", writes Tina Farmer at KDHX, "with a stirring production that demonstrates an appreciation of Wilson's exceptional script and an emotional connection to its themes...The story is compelling when simply presented, and the talented cast in this show digs much deeper with a good deal of success."

The Sunshine Boys
Photo: Eric Woolsey

New Jewish Theatre presents Neil Simon's comedy The Sunshine Boys through November 1. "Al Lewis and Willie Clark, as 'Lewis and Clark' were top-billed vaudevillians for over forty years. But they haven't spoken in over a decade. Now CBS is inviting the team to reunite for a 'History of Comedy' retrospective. A grudging reunion brings them back together, along with a flood of memories, miseries and laughs. Classic Neil Simon, a lot of it is epically funny and all of it is cheerful." Performances take place at the Marvin and Harlene Wool Studio Theatre at the JCCA, 2 Millstone Campus Drive. For more information, call 314-442-3283 or visit www.newjewishtheatre.org.

My take: As a local actor remarked to me the other night, this production has been "snake bit," with both of the original actors replaced for health reasons. Which makes it that much more impressive that the result is, in the words of KDHX reviewer Tina Farmer, "a sweet tribute to the era of vaudeville that's also an honest look at aging in an American culture increasingly focused on youth. Engaging performances and a pleasantly amusing script ensure this show is entertaining even for audiences with no recollection of the uniquely American variety of entertainment known as vaudeville." Chris Gibson at Broadwayworld.com agrees, saying that "this version of the show has a certain poignancy and emotional affectation that provides the play with additional depth...Go see this wonderfully fresh take on THE SUNSHINE boys, you'll certainly be glad you did."

Dom Thomas

The Tavern of Fine Arts presents vocalist Dom Thomas and pianist Michael Harvey in Sweet Dreams, the Official Album Listening Party on Thursday, October 22, at 8 p.m. "Sweet Dreams the album listening party will be an event promoting the digital release of Dom Thomas's first studio album. Dom Thomas will sing a couple of songs and guest will get a preview of the entire album through the night. Guest will be able to purchase the album via email and Tips and donations will be accepted." The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt in the Debaliviere Place neighborhood. For more information: tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com.

My take: By now you are probably tired of hearing about The Cabaret Project open mic, but the fact is that this is where I first saw Mr. Thomas shortly after he arrived in St. Louis last year. He impressed me (and everyone else who has seen him) with his smooth, charming song delivery, with its echoes of the great Nat "King" Cole and other classic crooners. And the Tavern (which, yes, is where we hold the open mic night...) is a nice, casual space with a solid wine list and menu of flatbreads, sandwiches, and the like.

Lina Koutrakos

The Presenters Dolan present singer Lina Koutrakos and pianist/composer Rick Jensen in Two for the Road on Sunday, October 25, at 8 PM as part of the Gaslight Cabaret Festival. "Mainstays on the NY cabaret performance circuit, and both accomplished songwriters, Lina and Rick have mentored and taught many of our town's best cabaret performers. They team up here to practice on Sunday what they preach during the week. " The performance takes place at the Gaslight Theater, 358 North Boyle. For more information: gaslightcabaretfestival.com.

My take: Line and Rick have become familiar figures on the local cabaret scene over the years, first as regular faculty members in the St. Louis Cabaret Conference, and then as directors and advisers for many local performers. "Rick Jensen is a coveted music director and arranger for many local singers and performs his solo shows," wrote Katie McGrath in her KDHX review of Rick and Lina's appearance here last year. "He’s here often enough to have his favorite flavor of gooey butter cake. Then there’s Lina Koutrakos. She calls St. Louis her second home, her favorite U.S. city after NYC. She loves our town and our citizens with an unusual passion, although this really shouldn’t be considered unusual. There’s very little this woman doesn’t do with passion, bridled or otherwise." As someone who has learned from them at the Conference on multiple occasions, I couldn't agree more.

Held Over:

Dogfight
Photo: John Lamb

Stray Dog Theatre presents the musical Dogfight Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM through October 24. "A contemporary musical with timeless themes of love and compassion woven into 1960's America as our boys stand at the brink of service in Vietnam." Performances take place at The Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee. For more information, visit straydogtheatre.org or call 314-865-1995.

My take: Based on the 1991 movie of the same name, Dogfight juxtaposes the personal cruelty of a contest in which three Marines each try to find the ugliest girl to take to a dance in hopes of winning the prize for having the biggest "dog" of a date with the impersonal cruelty of the Vietnam war. Writing for the Ladue News, Mark Bretz notes that the "youthful cast expertly conveys all the emotions of the time. Seeing that bravado so genuinely portrayed on stage makes the memories of history all that more painful and powerful". I'll admit to being a bit biased in Stray Dog's favor, having done a number of shows with them over the years, but my experience has been that you can usually count on them for professional work and innovative programming.

Heathers
Photo: Jill Ritter Lindberg

New Line Theatre presents the regional premiere of the musical Heathers, Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM, through October 24. "New Line opens its 25th season with the regional premiere of the pitch-black musical comedy HEATHERS, written by the award-winning team of Kevin Murphy (Reefer Madness) and Laurence O'Keefe (Bat Boy, Legally Blonde). This hilarious, big--hearted, and homicidal new musical is based on the 1989 cult film, truly one of the darkest teen comedies of all time. The original screenwriter Daniel Waters called it, 'a Carson McCullers-style novel of a girl who meets the Antichrist as a teenager.'" Performances take place at the Marcelle Theater, 3310 Samuel Shepard Drive, three blocks east of Grand, in Grand Center. For more information, visit newlinetheatre.com or call 314-534-1111.

My take: New Line is in a new space and judging from the reviews it's a big improvement over their old digs at the Washington University South Campus Theatre on Clayton. "The company's new space is comfortable," writes Tina Farmer at KDHX, "and offers good views from every seat in the house, a bonus when watching a show with such a strong ensemble." The show is just the kind of edgy material that Scott Miller and New Line have made a speciality for many years now.

De Kus

Upstream Theater presents De Kus (The Kiss) by Dutch author Ger Thijs, translated by Paul Evans through October 25. "When a lonely stand-up comic and an anxious housewife meet on a country path, they embark on a journey toward an unknown and surprising fate...where one kiss could change the entire world." Performances take place at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, including show times: upstreamtheater.org.

My take: The program for this show includes the following quote from the playwright: "Sometimes people discover heir purpose, their dignity, not in happiness, but in a twist of fate". As someone who found happiness as an indirect result of what most people would probably consider to be an unpleasant twist of fate, I could not agree more. Notices for the local premiere of this two-character play have been good, demonstrating that Upstream has once again demonstrated that taking on risky material can be very rewarding.

Symphony Review: Real American exceptionalism October 16-18, 2015

Steven Jarvi

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The phrase "American exceptionalism" gets misused a lot these days, but as this past weekend's concerts of some wonderfully inventive twentieth-century American music demonstrated, sometimes the USA can take credit for things that are, indeed, exceptional.

The concerts opened with a pair of suites by Leonard Bernstein: "Three Dance Episodes" from his first major Broadway hit "On the Town" (which opened in December 1944) and the "Symphonic Suite" from his score for the 1955 Elia Kazan film "On the Waterfront." The stylistic contrast between the two was striking. The selections from "On the Town" are brash and pure Broadway, albeit with some sophisticated harmonies and polyrhythms that weren't typical of the Broadway stage back then. The longer and more dramatic film music packs more of an emotional punch, moving from mechanistic aggression to lyricism to an exultant but dissonance-tinged finale.

Roger Kazaa

All of that calls for a wide range of interpretive skills from both the conductor and musicians—which Resident Conductor Steven Jarvi and the players delivered in abundance. I have noted in the past that Mr. Jarvi is a magnetic and physically exuberant figure on the podium who has shown the he's equally at home in both the classical and pop worlds, handling Vivaldi, Leroy Anderson, and film music with equal aplomb. As a result, his "On the Town" dances had both the swing and sense of freedom this stuff demands, as well as real precision and a fine ear for detail. And his "On the Waterfront" had all the necessary drama.

There are lots of exposed solo parts in this music, including an opening horn solo in "On the Waterfront" that's nearly as scary as the one in Strauss's "Till Eulenspiegel" and some nice moments for the alto saxophone. Roger Kazaa handled the former beautifully when we attended Saturday night, as did Nathan Nabb on the latter. The percussion section deserves a shout-out for their work in the first movement's presto barbaro depiction of urban violence, as does Diana Haskell for her E-flat clarinet solos in "On the Town."

Inon Barnatan
Photo: Marco Borggreve

After intermission came this week's relative rarity, Aaron Copland's 1926 "Piano Concerto." It's a work which, Paul Schiavo points out in his program notes, dates from a time when Copland—then a brash young man in his mid-20s—was making a name for himself with "works that vibrated with the exciting new rhythms of the Jazz Age." Even so, you can hear elements of the expansive style that would later characterize Copland's popular ballet scores and the "Symphony No. 3" in the opening theme of the blues-tinged first movement.

What apparently put off the audience at the concerto's 1927 premiere, though, was the polyrhythmic and exuberantly surreal take on 1920's dance styles like the Charleston that characterizes the concerto's second (and final) movement. It starts with an extended and slightly loopy passage for the soloist that is intended to suggest improvisation. The music careens around drunkenly until finally joining the full orchestra, a manic dance that might have been played by Paul Whiteman's band had they taken hallucinogens. It's a hoot and a half, and sounds hard as hell to play.

Soloist Inon Barnatan was clearly in complete control of this wild and woolly material and appeared to be enjoying himself immensely, as was Mr. Jarvi. I was so captivated I failed to take a single note (hey, it happens!) and was happy to give everyone a standing ovation afterwards. I've heard recordings of the concerto in the past, but I think it takes a live performance to really convey the sense of nose-thumbing fun Copland wrote into this music.

Diana Haskell

The concerts concluded with George Gershwin's wildly popular tone poem "An American in Paris." Begun during a trip to Paris in the same year that Copland spent working on his concerto and completed during a longer visit to the City of Light in 1928, the work is a reminder of just how much solid craftsmanship lurks behind Gershwin's irresistible tunes.

As with "On the Town," a performance of this piece "don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing." Because while the composer, in a 1928 Musical America interview, openly acknowledged his nod to "Debussy and The Six" in "An American in Paris," this is still quintessentially Gershwin.  The first statement of the big second theme in the trumpets, for example, calls for a kind of jazzy freedom that might not necessarily come easily to all classically trained conductors and players. Mr. Jarvi and the band got every little nuance of it just right, though, delivering a performance of great energy and clarity.

Next at Powell Hall: John Storgårds conducts the orchestra with soloist Lars Vogt in Schumann's "Piano Concerto." Soprano Kate Reimann and bass-baritone Jeffrey Heyl sing the wordless solos in Nielsen's "Symphony No. 3" ("Sinfonia espansiva") and the concerts open with Beethoven's "Egmont Overture."  Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. For more information: stlsymphony.org.