Symphony Preview: Adams family values

With COVID-19 numbers slowly trending down, some local performing arts organizations are returning to live performances, albeit with the usual vaccination and masking requirements. That includes the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, which returns to Powell Hall this Friday and Saturday (January 28 and 29) with a program that features John Adams in the dual roles of composer and conductor.

[Preview the music with my commercial-free Spotify playlist.]

Pianist Jeremy Denk
Photo by Michael Wilson

Originally scheduled for the fall of 2020, “Adams Conducts Adams” features the local premiere of the composer’s 2018 piano concerto “Must the Devil Have All the Good Tunes?” Commissioned for and first performed by pianist Yuja Wang, the concerto calls for a large orchestra with more than a few unconventional items in the percussion section. Those include a bass guitar, a set of tuned cowbells (insert Saturday Night Live reference here) called almglocken, and a “honky-tonk piano.”

The latter is a normal piano detuned to make it sound more like the battered upright found in every bar in every Hollywood Western ever made. Copland used a similar effect in his “Rodeo” ballet, as did Gershwin in the “Piano Playin’ Jazzbo Brown” sequence that opens “Porgy and Bess.”

As the previous two paragraphs suggest, “Must the Devil Have All the Good Tunes?”  is an eclectic mashup of sounds, with the emphasis on jazz, blues, and other quintessentially American musical styles. The jazz and funk influences are clearest in the first movement, marked “Gritty, funky, but in Strict Tempo; Twitchy, Bot-like.” It opens with an ostinato in the piano that, for listeners of a certain age, may be more than a bit reminiscent of Henry Mancini’s theme for the hard-boiled private eye TV show “Peter Gunn” (1958-1961). That soon morphs into hard-driving motifs in the percussion and lower strings, over which the solo and barroom pianos layer an aggressive, almost motoric line that is, indeed, “twitchy” and “Bot-like.”

After around 12 minutes, the wheels come off the machine as soft, hesitant orchestral chords lead without pause into the “Much Slower; Gently, Relaxed” second movement. The solo piano spins out a tender, sometimes elaborately ornamented melody that summons up the ghosts of Chopin and François Couperin over somewhat uneasy-sounding strings.

The peace doesn’t last, though. The solo line becomes more syncopated, veering rather close to the version of “Heart and Soul” so popular with amateur pianists as it segues into the final movement: “Più Mosso: Obsession / Swing.” Bells chime, the Sharks and the Jets rumble, the tempo quickens, and all hell generally breaks loose in wild, technically demanding music that sounds like it’s going to end in a big, noisy finale. Adams has another trick up his sleeve, though. The soloist hammers out a series of three ascending chords with increasing ferocity and then abruptly stops as the concerto concludes with a single bang of the chime.

That description of the work, lengthy as it is, probably doesn’t do it justice. Fortunately, my Spotify playlist includes the world premiere recording by Adams and Wang, so you can hear it all for yourself.

Gabriella Smith

This weekend’s soloist is Jeremy Denk, who strongly impressed me with his Mozart Concerto No. 23 back in 2016. The Adams work will call for a very different type of virtuosity, but given that Denk once cited “the wonder of each moment” as an important part of his approach to Mozart I would think Adams’s compositional habit of building big works out of small melodic blocks would be right in his wheelhouse.

Preceding the Adams concerto is another work making its first appearance here, “Tumblebird Contrails” by California-born composer/environmentalist Gabriella Smith. In a sharp contrast with the urban bustle of Adams’s music, “Tumblebird Contrails” is a fanciful sonic evocation of, in the composer’s words, “a single moment I experienced while backpacking in Point Reyes, sitting in the sand at the edge of the ocean, listening to the hallucinatory sounds of the Pacific.” Violin harmonics suggest sea birds while irregular timpani strokes and trombone glissandos bring to mind winds and surf. It’s all very trippy, and it’s no surprise to learn that Smith describes the title as “a Kerouac-inspired, nonsense phrase I invented to evoke the sound and feeling of the piece."

It reminds me of nothing so much as the vivid musical landscapes of the late Alan Hovhaness who, like Smith, was strongly influenced by the natural world. There are no recordings of this 2014 work on Spotify but there is, happily, one by the Nashville Orchestra on YouTube.

This weekend’s concerts conclude with Sibelius’s Symphony No. 1, first performed in 1899. That might seem like a radical departure from what has gone before but Adams, as it turns out, is a great admirer of the legendary Finnish master. Quoted in this weekend’s program notes, Adams confesses that he’s “always been a little bit obsessed with the story of Sibelius” and has conducted almost all of his symphonies. He says he has ignored the Symphony No. 1 in the past but “once I started learning it, I became full of admiration. The material is so beautifully integrated and woven.”   

Sibelius in 1890
Photo by Paul Heckscher

What Adams especially admires is Sibelius’s ability to “find a melody or a motif, and create a larger form out of this atom.” Given that this pretty well describes Adams’s own compositional process, his affection for the composer is, perhaps, not surprising at all. Certainly some of Sibelius’s greatest works—his Symphony No. 5 comes to mind—are imposing musical structures assembled from very simple material.

In the case of the Symphony No. 1, the building blocks are all there in the opening clarinet solo, which Baltimore Symphony Orchestra program annotator Janet E. Bedell has described as “a lonely song, bleak as Finland's rocky coast.” That’s a fitting description, since the four-movement work that unfolds from this is strongly redolent of the majestic, windswept Finnish landscape that rarely sees the sun for months on end. I have always found it irresistible, and the performance by Osmo Vänskä and the Minnesota Orchestra in the playlist is one of the best available.

The Essentials: Composer John Adams conducts the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and piano soloist Jeremy Denk in Gabriella Smith’s “Thunderbird Contrails,” Adams’s “Must the Devil Have All the Good Tunes?,” and the Symphony No. 1 in E minor, op. 39, by Sibelius. Performances are Friday at 7:30 pm and Saturday at 8 pm, January 28 and 29, at Powell Hall in Grand Center. Saturday’s concert will also be broadcast live on St. Louis Public Radio and Classical 107.3 both over the air and on the Internet.

This article originally appeared at 88.1 KDHX, where Chuck Lavazzi is the senior performing arts critic.

St. Louis classical calendar for the week of March 2, 2015

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The St. Louis Children's Choirs present a Family and Friends Concert on Saturday, March 7, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, March 8, at 3 p.m. "Experience the joy of young voices united in song! This concert will feature multi-cultural selections in a variety of styles, traditions and languages – performed by the Children’s Choir 1B/1UC, Chorale 2A/2UC, Chamber Singers, and the select touring Concert Choir. The performance takes place at the 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity in University City.  For more information: slccsing.org.

David Robertson

David Robertson conducts the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra with Christine Brewer, soprano, and Bjorn Ranheim, cello, on Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., March 6 and 7.  The concerts feature Bruckner's "Symphony No. 3" and the "Immolation Scene" from Wagner's " Götterdämmerung" ("Twilight of the Gods").  "Described as heroic in nature, Bruckner's Third Symphony showcases his love for the grand and majestic and is regarded by some as his artistic breakthrough. Credited by the Los Angeles Times as “the ideal modern Wagnerian soprano,” Christine Brewer returns to Powell Hall after a year-long hiatus for a powerful Wagner performance. This production features video and lighting elements by S. Katy Tucker, a renowned artist known for her design work at Carnegie Hall, the San Francisco Opera, Sydney Symphony and more."  The concerts take place at Powell Symphony Hall, 718 North Grand in Grand Center.  For more information: stlsymphony.org.

The Tavern of Fine Arts presents The Perihelion Ensemble on Thursday, March 5, at 8 p.m.  "The Perihelion Ensemble is an eclectic group of performers including some of the area’s greatest improvisers, experimentalists, and St. Louis’s own Poet Laureate Michael Castro." 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 on Friday, March 6, at 8 PM.  " In an evening dedicated to experiencing contemporary sounds and musical languages that transcend time, the Arianna joins forces with internationally acclaimed pianist Einav Yarden. See this brilliant artist’s St. Louis concert debut! SOFIA GUBAIDULINA: String Quartet No.2 (1987); LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN: Große Fuge, Op.133; ROBERT SCHUMANN: Piano Quintet in E-flat Major, Op.44 with Einav Yarden, piano."  The Touhill Performing Arts Center in on the University of Missouri at St. Louis campus.  For more information: touhill.org.

The Touhill Performing Arts Center presents Chamber Music with Alla Voskoboynikova and David Halen on Sunday, March 8, at 5 PM.  "The program includes Beethoven Kreutzer Sonata, Brahms Regen-Sonate, Shostakovich and more… Meet the artists at the lobby of the Lee Theater after the concert!"  The Touhill Performing Arts Center is on the University of Missouri at St. Louis campus.  For more information: touhill.org.

Washington University presents Bosnian Journeys: Generations on Tuesday, March 3, at 7:30 p.m. "Produced in collaboration with the Bosnia Memory Project, this powerful concert weaves personal narrative with Sevdah, the folk music tradition of Bosnia, to tell the stories of our Bosnian neighbors in St. Louis. The concert includes a performance of Albinoni’s Adagio in G minor, a piece played by Vedran Smailović, “the Cellist of Sarajevo,” at multiple sites of destruction during the siege of Sarajevo to honor those who lost their lives. Doors open at 7pm, and no tickets or reservations are required. Featuring musicians from the STL Symphony.  The performance takes place in the Edison Theatre on the Washington University campus.  For more information: music.wustl.edu.

Washington University presents an evening of solo piano music provided by the students of the Washington University Department of Music on Monday, March 2, at 8 p.m.  The program features music by Brahms.  The performance takes place at the 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity in University City.  For more information: news.wustl.edu.

Winter Opera St. Louis presents Verdi's Otello Friday at 8 PM and Sunday at 3 PM, March 6 and 8.  "Winter Opera proudly presents Verdi’s Grand Opera OTELLO, based on the Shakespeare tragedy; “I kissed thee ere I killed thee, no way but this, / Killing myself, to die upon a kiss.” (William Shakespeare, Othello). Starring Adam Herskowitz (Metropolitan Opera) as Otello, Jacqueline Venable Simmons (San Francisco Opera) as Desdemona, and Nelson Martinez (Florida Grand Opera) as Iago. Sung in Italian with English supertitles. Orchestra conducted by Steven Jarvi. " Performances take place at The Skip Viragh Center for the Arts at Chaminade College Preparatory School, 425 S. Lindbergh.  The opera is sung in Italian with project English supertitles. For more information, visit winteroperastl.org.

Bernstein and Gershwin rule in an all-American Thanksgiving weekend with the St. Louis Symphony

Kirill Gerstein

Who: The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra
What: Music of Bernstein, Gershwin, Michael Daugherty, and Andrew Norman
Where: Powell Symphony Hall, St. Louis
When: November 28-30, 2014

St. Louis residents had a great alternative to the teeming multitudes at the malls and movie theaters Thanksgiving weekend: a bracing concert of American music for that most American of holidays.

This weekend's concerts open with a fanciful bit of low comedy and high musical invention: Michael Daugherty's "Hell's Angels." Scored for bassoon quartet and large orchestra (a plethora of percussion, including the massive "Mahler box" and a thundersheet), the piece is a cinematically vivid send-up of the obnoxious noise-making that seems endemic to motorcycle culture in the USA. The composer says it's "the musical tale of a gang of hot-rodding motorcycling bassoonists who ride into town and take over a concert hall" and, in fact, that's how David Robertson has staged it. The orchestra began playing the minuet from Boccherini's Op. 11 string quartet, only to have it rudely interrupted by Daugherty's aggressively discordant opening as SLSO bassoonists Andrew Cuneo, Andrew Gott, and Felicia Foland and contrabassoonist Gregg Henegar swaggered on to the stage all punked up in black leather to play their fiercely difficult solos. The joking suggestion, in my preview article, that Mr. Cuneo, as Principal Bassoon, should be wearing a black leather jacket with an eagle on the back turned out to be unintentionally prophetic.

As you might expect from the composer of the Peter Schickele-esque "Le Tombeau de Liberace" (which the SLSO did back in 2003), "Hell's Angels" is long on visual and musical jokes and features some spectacular virtuoso writing for the soloists, with lightning runs, leaps that employ the full range of the instruments, and what the composer describes as "devilishly difficult polyrhythms." Granted, the noisy movie music orchestrations swamped some of it, but Daugherty has written some wonderfully transparent passages as well.

For me, "Hell's Angels" wore out its welcome a bit before it ended, but it was still great fun. It was also a nice prologue for another work inspired by testosterone-fueled acting out, Leonard Bernstein's "Symphonic Dances from West Side Story."

If your only exposure to the dance music from Bernstein's "West Side Story" is via the film or touring productions of the show, you might not be aware of just how brilliantly scored it is. Theatrical pit bands rarely have enough players to do it justice, so much thanks is due to the composer and his orchestrators, TV and film arrangers Sid Ramin and Irwin Kostal, for putting together this nine-movement suite in 1960. It's a remarkable piece, filled with tricky polyrhythms, dissonance, flashy orchestration (including an expanded percussion battery), and a raft of other touches that remind us of how effectively Bernstein bridged the worlds of concert hall and Broadway theatre.

As you might gather from that last paragraph, this is music that requires great precision and drive from the orchestra (to say nothing of the ability to snap fingers and shout "mambo" on cue). I'm happy to report that Mr. Robertson and his forces passed the score's tests with flying colors. The percussion section covered itself with glory, and they weren't alone. Everyone played with such fluid skill that it was easy to forget what a challenging piece this is.

Even in the standard repertoire, by the way, Mr. Robertson has an uncanny knack for reminding us of the dance rhythms that underlie so much of Western music. In openly dance-inspired pieces like this, he is thoroughly in his element.

The big attraction for me this week, though, was the original 1924 jazz band version of Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue." Usually heard in Ferde Grofe's full-orchestra expansion of 1937, the "Rhapsody" didn't get back to its roots until Samuel Adler reconstructed and recorded the 1924 arrangement in 1971. The jazz band version has a kind of snap and flash that a full orchestra can't seem to match, especially when played by an ensemble as good as this one. Scott Andrews gave the famous opening clarinet solo all the limpid, bluesy grace it needs, nicely seguing into Tom Drake's "wah-wah" trumpet. The addition of saxophonists Nathan Nabb, Paul DeMarinis, and Adrianne Honnold added considerably to the '20s ambience, as did James Betts on banjo.

Pianist Kirill Gerstein played the solo part with all the technical skill you might expect, combined with an impressive sensitivity to the improvisatory nature of this piece. He freely embellished the music more than once Friday night (and even more so on Saturday), but always in a '20s jazz style that was very true to Gershwin. It was a reminder that the composer himself did some improvising when he played the work's Aeolian Hall premiere.

It was, in short, a joy to finally see and hear a live performance of an arrangement that I had previously known only on recordings.

Preceding the Gershwin and, in fact, leading into it without pause, was Andrew Norman's "Try" for piano and orchestra. Composed on a commission in 2011, the work is, according to Mr. Norman, about the difficult process of trying different musical ideas until you come up with one that "finally (fingers crossed) gets it right." It's an interesting notion, but in practice it sounded like a compilation of every "new music" cliché of the last fifty years. After 15 long minutes, it slowly winds down to a single descending figure in the piano repeated well past the point of tedium. It was, you should pardon the expressing, trying.

Throughout the evening—and especially during the last two works—artist S. Katy Tucker provided projections and a light show. They enhanced the Norman and the Gershwin, and provided some mood-setting footage from the film version of "West Side Story" as a prelude to the Bernstein. I don't know that any of it was particularly essential, but it was a nice addition nevertheless.

Next at Powell Hall: Steven Jarvi conducts the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra along with violin soloists Jessica Cheng, Angie Smart, Jooyeon Kong, and Alison Harney Friday at 10:30 a.m. and 8 p.m., Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 3 p.m., December 5-7. The program features Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" along with music by Barber and Wagner. The concerts take place at Powell Symphony Hall, 718 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, visit the symphony web site.

St. Louis classical calendar for the week of October 20, 2014

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John Storgårds

John Storgårds conducts the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and violin soloist Heidi Harris in Mendelssohn's "Violin Concerto" Sibelius's "Symphony No. 1," and Paufnik's "Landscapes" Friday and Saturday, Ocrober 24 and 25, at 8 p.m.  "Our own STL Symphony Associate Concertmaster Heidi Harris will perform Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, a popular masterpiece of the violin repertoire that makes the heart sing.  Known as the musical voice of his country, Sibelius captured the essence of Nordic landscapes in works such as his First Symphony." The concerts take place at Powell Symphony Hall, 718 North Grand in Grand Center.  For more information: stlsymphony.org.

Steven Jarvi conducts the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra in "Never Play Music Right Next to the Zoo," a special Family Concert featuring Saint-Saëns's "Carnival of the Animals" on Sunday, October 26, at 3 p.m. "The STL Symphony and the Saint Louis Zoo join forces to show audiences just how musical animals can be! This playful program, based on John Lithgow’s popular children’s book, features Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals, Henry Mancini’s Baby Elephant Walk and more." The concerts take place at Powell Symphony Hall, 718 North Grand in Grand Center.  For more information: stlsymphony.org.

The Tavern of Fine Arts presents The Perseid String Quartet with pianist Diana Umali on Thursday, October 23, at 8 PM.  “The Perseid String Quartet returns to the Tavern for a program that includes Mozart’s famous Quartet No. 14, K. 465, known as the “Dissonance” quartet for the highly unusual and unstable harmonies used in the introduction. On the second half, the quartet teams up with pianist Diana Umali for Schumann’s Piano Quintet, Op.44, an emotive and often boisterous work which the composer said gave “his creative imagination…a new lease on life." The concert is free, donations are accepted and a percent of sale goes to support the performers. Come and enjoy dinner and a drink as we share this beautiful music!”  The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt in the Debaliviere Place neighborhood.   For more information: tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com.

Third Baptist Church presents an organ concert by Tim Jansen, Music Director, St. Anthony of Padua Church, on Friday, October 24, at 12:30 PM as part of its free Friday Pipes series.  "Join us on Fridays at Third Baptist Church for Friday Pipes, the free organ recital series celebrating the restoration of the church's 72-rank Kilgen/Möller pipe organ. Each week a different performer will be presenting a program of classical, church, and theatre organ music in the beautiful sanctuary of Third Baptist. This season's performers come from across the USA, and even from around the world. Free parking is available in the church lots on Washington Avenue." Third Baptist Church is at 620 N Grand.  For more information: www.third-baptist.org

Joseph Gascho
kickstarter.com

The Washington University Department of Music presents a harpsichord recital by Joseph Gascho on Wednesday, October 22, at 7:30 p.m. The program includes works by J.S. Bach and Buxtehude, and C.P.E. Bach.  "Harpsichordist Joseph Gascho enjoys a multifaceted musical career as a keyboard artist, conductor, teacher and producer. In 2002, he won first prize in the Jurow International Harpsichord Competition. His most recent recording, Españoletas, featuring Harmonious Blacksmith and percussionist Glen Velez, will be released this summer. Recent performing highlights include concerts with the National Symphony at Carnegie Hall, the Mark Morris Dance Group and the Kennedy Center Opera Orchestra, and conducting Idomeneo for the Maryland Opera Studio. A graduate of the Peabody Institute and the University of Maryland, he taught harpsichord and chamber music at George Washington University before accepting his most recent post at the University of Michigan." The performance takes place at the 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity in University City, MO.  For more information: music.wustl.edu

The Washington University Department of Music presents a guitar recital by Kirk Hanser of the Washington University faculty on Friday, October 24, at 7:30 p.m.  "The performance will feature music by American composers, including Robert Beaser, Brian Head, Andy York, Michael Hedges, and local bandleader/composer Kim Portnoy. Many friends will be joining Hanser onstage during the evening, including flutist Paula Kasica and guitarist John McClellan." The performance takes place at the 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity in University City, MO.  For more information: music.wustl.edu

St. Louis classical calendar for the week of October 13, 2014

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Leonard Slatkin conducts the Detroit Symphony
leonardslatkin.com / Donald Dietz

The Chamber Music Society of St. Louis presents St. Louis, America, featuring on Monday and Tuesday, October 13 and 14, at 7:30 PM. "Chamber Music Society of St. Louis opens our 2014-15 Season with a concert, to be performed twice, saluting St. Louis and our City’s 250th birthday. As a part of the American Arts Experience – St. Louis, we will showcase music written in honor of America. Recognized as a top interpreter of American music, and having deep-rooted St. Louis ties, Leonard Slatkin, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Conductor Laureate, is the perfect choice as our Guest Artist for this program. Leonard will share the stage with CMSSL musicians in performances of Variations On Yankee Doodle by Henri Vieuxtemps, works by Aaron Copland, Scott Joplin, and our CMSSL version of Leroy Anderson’s The Typewriter, and the always delightful Variations on America by Charles Ives." The concert takes place at The Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington. For more information: chambermusicstl.org.

Conductor laureate Leonard Slatkin conducts the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and soloist David Halen, violin, in Bruch's "Violin Concerto No. 1," Berlioz's "Symphonie Fastastique," and Slatkin's own composition "Endgames" Friday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m., October 17 and 19. "Leonard Slatkin makes his annual return to Powell Hall to conduct Berlioz’s epic and autobiographical Symphonie fantastique which tells the story of an artist's self-destructive passion for a beautiful woman. David Halen celebrates his 20th season as concertmaster performing Bruch’s warm-hearted Violin Concerto with the former Music Director who appointed him to his post with the STL Symphony." The concerts take place at Powell Symphony Hall, 718 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: stlsymphony.org.

Lang at the
international Chopin Year 2010

David Robertson conducts the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and soloists Lang Lang, piano, and Mark Sparks, flute, in Bach's "Orchestra Suite No. 2" and Tchaikovsky's "Piano Concerto No. 1" Saturday, October 18, at 8:30 p.m. The concert is part of the annual Red Velvet Ball formal fundraising event. "We are thrilled to welcome internationally-acclaimed piano sensation, Lang Lang, to Powell Hall for this annual fundraising concert benefiting the STL Symphony. Declared by The New York Times as "the hottest artist on the classical music planet," Lang Lang will perform Tchaikovsky’s triumphant Piano Concerto No. 1 with David Robertson and the STL Symphony." The concerts take place at Powell Symphony Hall, 718 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: stlsymphony.org.

The St. Louis Symphony’s Crescendo Circle presents Sips and Symphonies on Thursday, October 16, at 7:30 PM. "What is Sips and Symphonies? It is a great way to learn about music in a fun, casual environment. On the third Thursday of each month, we get together at Tavern of Fine Arts to listen to and discuss a piece of music being performed at an upcoming concert at Powell Hall. We will have a different guest moderator each month who will help lead an informal conversation about the music." A special cocktail is created for each event to accompany the music. This month, there will be a lively and informal discussion/presentation of Berlioz's "Symphonie fantastique" and Tchaikovsky's "Piano Concerto No. 1." The event takes place at The Tavern of Fine Arts, 313 Belt in the Debaliviere Place neighborhood. For more information: tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com.

The Tavern of Fine Arts presents a classical open stage night on Monday, October 13, from 7:30 – 9 PM. "Come by yourself or bring your quartet. Sight read through a Beethoven quartet or use this as an opportunity to put the finishing touches on that Hindemith Viola Sonata you have been working on. All ages and skill levels are welcome. We have a 6' grand piano and an accompanist." The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt in the Debaliviere Place neighborhood. For more information: tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com.

Kirk Hanser

The Tavern of Fine Arts presents Kirk Hanser and Friends on Friday, October 17, at 6 PM. "Guitarist Kirk Hanser will be joined by several musical friends for an early evening's performance featuring the guitar! Music of American composers including Andy York, Michael Chapdelaine, Michael Hedges and many others." The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt in the Debaliviere Place neighborhood. For more information: tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com.

Third Baptist Church presents an organ concert by Craig Datz, Organist at Missouri United Methodist Church, Columbia, Missouri, on Friday, October 17, at 12:30 PM as part of its free Friday Pipes series. "Join us on Fridays at Third Baptist Church for Friday Pipes, the free organ recital series celebrating the restoration of the church's 72-rank Kilgen/Möller pipe organ. Each week a different performer will be presenting a program of classical, church, and theatre organ music in the beautiful sanctuary of Third Baptist. This season's performers come from across the USA, and even from around the world. Free parking is available in the church lots on Washington Avenue." Third Baptist Church is at 620 N Grand. For more information: www.third-baptist.org

The Washington University Symphony presents a free concert featuring bassoonist Andrew Gott on Monday, October 13, at 7:30 p.m. The program will include Beethoven’s Overture to Fidelio and Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suites, ending with the popular "In the Hall of the Mountain King". The performance takes place at the 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity in University City, MO. For more information: music.wustl.edu

St. Louis classical calendar for the week of June 30, 2014

The Compton Heights Concert Band presents free Musical Mondays concert featuring marches, show tunes and classical favorites on Monday, June 30 at 7:30 PM. The concert takes place in Tower Grove Park at the historic Henry Shaw Bandstand. For more information: chband.org.

The Compton Heights Concert Band presents a free Sunday Serenades concert featuring marches, show tunes and classical favorites on Sunday, July 6, at 7:30 PM. The concerts takes place in Francis Park at Donovan and Eichelberger on the Compton Heights Band's "Carol Joy Brooks Memorial" Stage. For more information: chband.org.

The Gateway Festival Orchestra presents Aire of Romance, a free concert on Sunday, July 6, at 7:30 PM. "Enjoy a free live concert by a fifty-piece professional orchestra. Bring a lawn chair or a blanket for relaxing on the grass in beautiful Brookings Quadrangle. Parking is free and plentiful. Ted Drewes Frozen Custard is available for purchase, and children receive an attendance prize. There is a pre-concert discussion at 7:10 pm. The concert begins at 7:30 and includes Howard Hanson: Symphony No. 2 ("Romantic"), Beethoven: Romance in F Major for Violin and Orchestra with young artist soloist Samantha Lord, Johann Strauss: Wine, Women, and Song, John Thomas: Jazz Romanza for English Horn and String Orchestra (premiere) with soloist Cathleen Woelbling-Paul, M. Legrand: Selections by Michele Legrand." The concert takes place at the Brookings Quadrangle on the Washington University campus. For more information: www.gatewayfestivalorchestra.org.

The Scott Joplin House presents a Ragtime Rendezvous on Sunday, July 6, at 2:30 PM. "The Ragtime Rendezvous is a casual listening experience for ragtime lovers, held at the Rosebud Cafe adjacent to the Scott Joplin House. There are multiple pianos at the Rosebud Cafe for anyone who wants to play or just listen to ragtime. Snacks and coffee are available for a donation. You are welcome to bring alcoholic beverages or additional food." The event takes place at the Rosebud Café, adjacent to the Scott Joplin House at 2658 Delmar. For more information: www.friendsofscottjoplin.org.

Nicholas Susi

The Tavern of Fine Arts presents pianist Nicholas Susi performing Liszt's Première année de pèlerinage: Suisse, S. 160 and Sonata in B minor, S. 178, on Tuesday, July 1, at 7:30 PM. The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt in the Debaliviere Place neighborhood. For more information: tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com.

The Tavern of Fine Arts presents the Cardinal Quartet performing Mendelssohn's String Quartet Op. 12, No. 1 and Beethoven's String Quartet Op. 18, No. 2 on Thursday, July 3, at 7:30 PM. The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt in the Debaliviere Place neighborhood. For more information: tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com.

St. Louis classical calendar for the week of May 19. 2014

Ingrid Laubrock and Tom Rainey

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The New Music Circle presents the NMC Showcase on Tuesday, May 20, at 7:00 PM. "Featured artists will include: Tom Rainey and Ingrid Laubrock, Tyler Damon, and Nathan Cook. Drummer Tom Rainey and saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock are perhaps two of New York City's most active jazz improvisers and sought-after collaborators, and both may be found on any given night performing with musicians such as Anthony Braxton, Tim Berne or Craig Taborn. Drummer Tyler Damon (Bloomington, Indiana) will also make a return to St. Louis after playing a recent concert last summer at the St. Louis Art Museum in a power-house trio with Darin Gray and Mars Williams. Damon will be performing in an improvised trio with Kevin Harris (modular synth) and guitarist Chris Trull (Yowie). St. Louis sound-artist and label proprietor Nathan Cook will round out this event with a performance combining electronic, acoustic, and playback sounds." The performance takes place at the William A Kerr Foundation, 21 O'Fallon Street. For more information: newmusiccircle.org

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Opening the Doors to 27 rue de Fleurus: The world premiere of “27”. "Audiences will have the unique chance to enter the world of Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas through the music of composer Ricky Ian Gordon and the words of librettist Royce Vavrek in this world premiere, the second in Opera Theatre's New Works, Bold Voices cycle. Led off with remarks by Mr. Gordon and Mr. Vavrek, in this panel audiences will learn more about the famous salons that Stein and Toklas hosted, as well as the many luminaries and artists that crossed their doorstep. Additional panelists include conductor Michael Christie and director James Robinson, OTSL's artistic director." It's part of their Spotlight on Opera, a series of four insightful dialogues exploring the ideas in each season's opera, and it takes place on Monday, May 19, at 7:30 PM at the Ethical Society, 9001 Clayton Road. For more information, you may visit experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644.

The St. Louis Chamber Chorus presents Concert VI: The Ancients Speak – Old Church Slavonic. “Hymns and prayers in contrasting styles, but all in the Russian tradition, are provided by Stravinsky and John Tavener, Schnittke and Georgy Sviridov, and Tchaikovsky and Arvo Part. Our Composer-in-Residence, Yakov Gubanov, will travel to St. Louis for the world premiere of a new work he has written specially for the Chamber Chorus.” The concert takes place on Sunday, May 25, at 3 PM at Saint Stanislaus Kostka Church, 1413 N 20th St. For more information: www.chamberchorus.org

St. Louis Symphony musicians Lorraine Glass-Harris and Wendy Rosen, violins, Leonid Gotman, viola, and Cathie Lehr, cello, perform a program to honor veterans on Sunday, May 25, at 3 PM as part of the Symphony Where You Worship program. The concert takes place at New Mt. Sinai Mausoleum, 8430 Gravois Rd. For more information: www.stlsymphony.org/symphony_worship.

The Tavern of Fine Arts presents Kenneth Kulosa, cello, performing the Bach Cello Suites 2, 4 and 6 on Tuesday, May 20, at 7:30 PM. The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt in the Debaliviere Place neighborhood. For more information: tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com.

The Tavern of Fine Arts presents Darwyn Apple, violin with Wen Shen, piano on Saturday, May 24, at 8 PM. The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt in the Debaliviere Place neighborhood. For more information: tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com.

Third Baptist Church presents an organ concert by Robert Stubbs of Centenary Methodist Church, Lebanon, Indiana on Friday, May 23, at 12:30 PM as part of its free Friday Pipes series. "Join us on Fridays at Third Baptist Church for Friday Pipes, the free organ recital series celebrating the restoration of the church's 72-rank Kilgen/Möller pipe organ. Each week a different performer will be presenting a program of classical, church, and theatre organ music in the beautiful sanctuary of Third Baptist. This season's performers come from across the USA, and even from around the world. Free parking is available in the church lots on Washington Avenue." Third Baptist Church is at 620 N Grand. For more information: www.third-baptist.org

St. Louis classical calendar for the week of April 14, 2014

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The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra presents a concert featuring violinist Julia Son and cellist Eric Cho, this year's winners of the annual Artist Presentation Society Youth Orchestra competition, on Wednesday, April 16, at 7:00 PM. The concert is part of the STL Symphony in the City series. “They will perform their winning selections and team up in this Mentors and Proteges concert with some of their music mentors, Hiroko Yoshida, violin, Ken Kulosa, cello, and Vera Parkin, piano, to perform additional chamber selections.” The concert takes place at Powell Symphony Hall, 718 North Grand. For more information: stlsymphony.org/symphony_city.

Amy Kaiser

The St. Louis Symphony's Young Friends of the Symphony presents Sips and Symphonies on Thursday, April 17, at 7:30 PM. “What is Sips and Symphonies? It is a great way to learn about music in a fun, casual environment. On the third Thursday of each month, we get together at Tavern of Fine Arts to listen to and discuss a piece of music being performed at an upcoming concert at Powell Hall. We will have a different guest moderator each month who will help lead an informal conversation about the music.” A special cocktail is created for each event to accompany the music. This month, symphony chorus director Amy Kaiser will discuss Orff's Carmina Burana. The event takes place at The Tavern of Fine Arts, 313 Belt in the Debaliviere Place neighborhood. For more information: tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com.

Third Baptist Church presents an organ concert on Friday, April 118, at 12:30 PM as part of its free Friday Pipes series. "Join us on Fridays at Third Baptist Church for Friday Pipes, the free organ recital series celebrating the restoration of the church's 72-rank Kilgen/Möller pipe organ. Each week a different performer will be presenting a program of classical, church, and theatre organ music in the beautiful sanctuary of Third Baptist. This season's performers come from across the USA, and even from around the world. Free parking is available in the church lots on Washington Avenue." This week's featured performer is Andrew Peters, Pastoral Musician with Second Presbyterian Church. Third Baptist Church is at 620 N Grand. For more information: www.third-baptist.org.

Dr. Thomas Zirkle

The Tavern of Fine Arts presents a classical open stage night on Monday, March 14 from 7:30 – 9 PM. “Come by yourself or bring your quartet. Sight read through a Beethoven quartet or use this as an opportunity to put the finishing touches on that Hindemith Viola Sonata you have been working on. All ages and skill levels are welcome. We have a 6' grand piano and an accompanist.” The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt in the Debaliviere Place neighborhood. For more information: tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com.

The Tavern of Fine Arts presents a marimba concert by Dr. Thomas Zirkle of St. Louis Community College at Forest Park on Friday, April 18, at 8 PM. This concert will feature music composed (or transcribed) for the marimba. The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt in the Debaliviere Place neighborhood. For more information: tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com.