Beer and pretzels

Who: The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra conducted by Ward Stare
What: Music of Brahms, Webern, Johann Strauss Jr., and Richard Strauss
Where: Powell Symphony Hall
When: April 19 and 20, 2013

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As I have noted before, Ward Stare (who completed his tenure as Resident Conductor of the symphony in 2012 and is now in demand as both and operatic and symphonic conductor) is someone to watch.

The clarity of his communication with the orchestra and the intensity of his focus are impressive, as is his very visceral style on the podium. Like David Robertson, he physically throws himself into the music, although never in a showy or distracting way.

All of those characteristics were on display Friday as he conducted the symphony in a wonderfully balanced program of German music spanning the tumultuous period from the late 1860s to the early 1900s. At one end of the time line we had Johann Strauss Jr.’s 1867 “Artist’s Life” waltz, and at the other a suite from that hallucinatory tribute to Vienna, Richard Strauss’s “Rosenkavalier” (1909-1910). In between was a pair of echt Teutonic choral works by Brahms—“Gesang der Parzen (Song of the Fates)” from 1882 and “Schicksalslied (Song of Destiny)” from 1868-1871, bracketing Webern’s lushly romantic “Im Sommerwind (In the Summer Breeze)” from 1904.

It was, in short, a well-chosen mix of drama, romance, and irresistible dance rhythms. There was even, in the Webern, some perky humor (which one does not normally associate with Webern).

In a somewhat unorthodox move, Mr. Stare elected to perform the first three works on the program—“Gesang der Parzen,” “Im Sommerwind,” and “Schicksalslied”—without breaks for applause in between, as though they were three movements of a single piece. That might seem odd, given that nearly forty years separates the oldest work from newest, but in practice it made great emotional sense. Webern wrote “Sommerwind” when he was 21, before being seduced by Serialism, so it looks backward to the romanticism of the mid-19th century, while the Brahms works are rather forward looking in their harmonies. The resulting juxtaposition highlighted their similarities more than their differences.

This was most apparent in the “Schicksalslied.” The serenity of its opening section, with lyrics describing “the paradisiacal existence of the deities” (to quote Paul Schiavo’s program notes), seemed to flow logically from the shimmering, Richard Straussian languor of “Sommerwind”. The parallel is emphasized by the references in the lyrics to “gleaming breezes divine” (“Glänzende Götterlüfte”) and “sacred harp strings” (“Heilige Saiten).” The contrast between the idyllic world of the Webern and the rather medieval fatalism of the reflections on the indifference of the gods in “Gesang der Parzen” (“O Fortuna,” anyone?) was also very effective. As an old radio guy, I suppose I’m a bit of a sucker for the ingenious segue, but I really think this was an exceptionally smart bit of programming on Mr. Stare’s part.

It has been decades since “Schicksalslied” and “Im Sommerwind” were performed at Powell (“Gesang der Parzen” was a symphony premiere) so this music was probably unfamiliar to most of the musicians. You wouldn’t have known that, though, from the quality of the performances. Amy Kaiser’s chorus sounded and robust and polished as usual and the many little solo passages sprinkled throughout the Webern were lovely. Principal Flautist Mark Sparks, Acting Co-Principal oboe Barbara Orland, Principal bassoon Andrew Cuneo, and Associate Concertmaster Heidi Harris all had chances to shine here. I also loved the way Mr. Stare drew out that final, ethereal chord in “Sommerwind” and held the silence for a few seconds.

The second half of the evening, suffused as it was with the spirit of the Viennese waltz, offered a nice contrast to the philosophical weight of the first half. I was reminded that one of the many things Mr. Stare and Mr. Robertson have in common is their willingness to accord “light” music like the “Artist’s Life” waltz the same respect as the more heavy-duty stuff. He gave us a lilting and nuanced performance that felt just right.

The closing suite from Richard Strauss’s romantic comedy/drama “Rosenkavalier” was impressive as well, from the exceptionally dramatic reading of the opening Con molto agitato, graphically depicting the exuberant and perhaps overly fast love-making of the young page Octavian (with those jubilant horn yelps flawlessly played by Roger Kaza and company), to the final “fast waltz” (Schneller Walzer, Molto Con Moto), in which Baron Ochs gets his comeuppance, this was a wonderfully paced and impeccably played performance.

Although scored for a large orchestra, the suite contains many moments of intimacy that provide multiple opportunities for individual players to take center stage. Those included, once again, Mr. Sparks, Mr. Cuneo, and Ms. Harris (who got a big hug from Mr. Stare), as well as Principal clarinet Scott Andrews, the ever-reliable Peter Henderson on celesta, Associate Principal cello Melissa Brooks, Toronto Symphony Principal Trumpet Andrew McCandless, and harpists Megan Stout and Claire Happel. The percussion section deserves a big pat on the back as well.

P.S.: because they are being so echt German, the symphony is providing free beer and pretzels at the concerts, courtesy of Anehuser-Busch and Companion, respectively. I passed on the Bud Light (insert "making love in a canoe" joke here), but the pretzel was tasty.

Next on the calendar: Friday, April 26, at 10:30 AM and 8 PM and Saturday, April 27, at 8 PM, Bernard Labadie conducts an all-Mozart program consisting of the 33rd and 40th symphonies and the Clarinet Concerto with Scott Andrews as soloist. For more information: stlsymphony.org.

Soirée de Vienne

Radu Lupu
Photo by Mary Roberts

Who: The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra conducted by David Robertson with pianist Radu Lupu
What: Music of Johann Strauss, Jr.; Beethoven; and Brahms
Where: Powell Symphony Hall
When: February 8-10, 2013

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Radu Lupu plays a genial and low-key Beethoven 4th piano concerto and David Robertson leads the orchestra in a lush Brahms “Symphony No. 2”, and it all starts with a Gemütlichkeit-filled cruise down the “Beautiful Blue Danube” of Johann Strauss, Jr. It must be another first-class evening with the St. Louis Symphony.

There was a goodly crowd at Powell Hall Friday night. The program was a solid one of Viennese classics, Maestro David Robertson was back on the podium, and the guest artist was a pianist well known to lovers of the classics, with substantial honors and a long recorded legacy. They were rewarded with a wonderfully polished evening, highlighted by that Beethoven concerto.

As Paul Schiavo points out in his program notes, the 4th concerto was not a success in Beethoven’s lifetime. It was premiered in 1808 at an absurdly long concert in a poorly heated theater with an under-rehearsed orchestra and the notoriously spiky composer at the piano. Add the fact that it’s less showy and more lyrical than Beethoven’s other concerti and you can see why the work went unappreciated until Mendelssohn revived it nearly a decade after Beethoven’s death.

Today, of course, it’s recognized as the masterpiece it is. It has always been a favorite of mine, certainly. The integration of the solo part with the orchestra is really quite seamless and the balance between light and dark couldn’t be better. The Andante con moto second movement, in particular, has always struck me as particularly dramatic, with the piano’s chorale-like melody pitted against the martial declamations from the strings.

Mr. Lupu’s performance was remarkable on multiple levels. His playing, to begin with, had that seemingly effortless grace that you find in (for example) the dancing of Fred Astaire. You know it’s darned difficult but it certainly doesn’t look that way. The keyboard just seemed to be a natural extension of his fingers. He also looked at the orchestra more than some soloists do, in my experience, even when he was playing. Soloists always have to listen carefully, of course, but Mr. Lupu seemed very sincerely engaged with his fellow musicians. He and Mr. Robertson were clearly very much in synch with each other as well, with predictably happy results.

Equally happy were the results of Mr. Robertson’s approach to Brahms’s “Symphony No. 2”, which closed the program. Brahms’s psychological state at the time of the symphony’s composition was reportedly quite happy and it was widely regarded as the most tranquil of the Brahms symphonies. Some writers have gone so far as to compare it to Beethoven’s “Pastorale.” Brahms himself, on the other hand, told his publisher “I have never written anything so sad, and the score must come out in mourning” (although he may have had tongue firmly in cheek at the time).

The reality is that, to continue with the pastoral imagery, the 2nd presents a dramatic balance of clouds and sun. The lyrical first movement, the dark and dramatic second, the lilting third, and the ultimately blazing finale all add up to an irresistible 45 minutes or thereabouts of music.

Mr. Robertson and the musicians brought all of Brahms’s colors to vivid life. Mr. Robertson gave us a beautifully shaped, fully integrated reading that allowed the individual character of each movement to come through while still maintaining a through-line that led inevitably to the joyous final pages of the score.

Orchestral playing was at its usual high level here and, indeed, throughout the evening. There’s a great deal of lovely writing for the horns in the 2nd, for example, and principal Roger Kaza and fellow players Julia Erdmann, Tod Bowermaster, and Larry Strieby did it up proud. All the sections were in fine form, though.

The concert opened with a somewhat leisurely but nonetheless gratifying performance of Strauss’s ever-popular “An der schönen blauen Donau” (“On the Beautiful Blue Danube”). I’m happy to say I only occasionally had flashback images of a rotating space station.

Next on the regular calendar: David Robertson conducts an American program featuring music from Copland’s score for the film “Our Town,” John Adams’s “City Noir” (which the orchestra is recording for Nonesuch), and Bernstein’s “Age of Anxiety” symphony with Orli Shaham at the piano. Performances are Friday at 10:30 AM and Saturday at 8 PM, February 15 and 16. For ticket information: stlsymphony.org

A family affair

Who: The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra conducted by David Robertson with violinist Gil Shaham
What: Music of Johann Strauss, Jr., Haydn, and Beethoven
Where: Powell Symphony Hall
When: November 23-25, 2012

When Gil Shaham stopped to tune his violin after the massive workout that is the first movement of the Beethoven concerto his brother-in-law, maestro David Robertson, turned to the audience and quipped, "it's from 1699; you’d think it would be in tune by now." That one little moment was a distillation of the easy good humor that characterized not only the concerto but the Haydn Symphony No. 104 ("London") and the Strauss Tales from the Vienna Woods as well.

The fact that the Strauss was performed with the original zither solos at the beginning and end (gracefully done by Kurt von Eckroth) was just icing on the torte.

Like many of the great 19th century composers, Beethoven wrote only one concerto for the violin, but it’s a corker. He was, unfortunately, so tardy in completing it that the soloist at the work’s 1806 premiere, Franz Clement (for whom Beethoven had written the piece) had no time to rehearse and reportedly sight read the thorny solo part. Not surprisingly, the premiere was a flop (despite a showy encore in which Mr. Clement played the violin upside-down) and the concerto didn’t begin to enter the standard repertoire until nearly two decades after the composer’s death.

Now, of course, it’s recognized as a masterful blend of solo showpiece and symphonic statement, with a substantial first movement that accounts for over half of the concerto’s 45-minute running time, a mostly serene second, and a cheerfully flashy third. Mr. Shaham’s performance was technically flawless (with a spectacular run through the cadenza Fritz Kreisler wrote for the first movement) and deeply felt, as was Mr. Robertson’s conducting. The transition from the Larghetto to the concluding Rondo was especially dramatic, and the cheerful camaraderie between Mr. Shaham and Mr. Robertson in the finale was a joy to behold. Few things are more gratifying that seeing artists taking delight in their work.

The other big work on the program was Haydn’s 104th and final symphony, usually referred to as the "London", since it was the last of a series of twelve he wrote for his visit to the English capitol. First performed at the Haymarket Theatre on May 4th, 1795, it was a huge hit with critics and public alike. "The whole company was extremely pleased, and so was I," Haydn wrote in his journal, and then noted "I made four thousand guilders this evening." He was nothing if not practical.

The symphony is classic Haydn: structurally straightforward, melodically inventive, and filled with good humor. The finale, with its drone base and cheerful central theme (based on the first strain of the Croatian folk song "Oj, Jelena, Jelena") is especially irresistible. Mr. Robertson’s tempi were a bit on the slow side for my taste, but his interpretation was nevertheless wonderfully precise and winning, and the orchestra played beautifully.

The concert opened with one of the greatest hits of Johann Strauss, Jr., Tales from the Vienna Woods. It was one of six waltzes for which the composer wrote a solo part for the zither, an instrument which, while common enough in Strauss’s Vienna, is a bit harder to find in contemporary America. Happily, the symphony found Mr. von Eckroth, so we got to hear the work as the composer intended.

Or almost as he intended, anyway. Strauss probably didn’t have quite as large a band to work with as Mr. Robertson does and I expect that Mr. Robertson’s tempi might have given dancers pause. They worked very well in a concert setting, though. The result really did feel more like a miniature symphonic poem than a simple dance piece and made for a happy opening to a concert that overflowed with good cheer.

Next on the calendar: David Robertson welcomes pianist Kirill Gerstein (last seen here in a bravura reading of Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in January of 2011) for the St. Louis premiere of Thomas Adès’ In Seven Days along with Richard Strauss’s Don Juan and Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks and Hindemith’s "Matis der Mahler" Symphony. Performances are Friday at 10:30 AM (a Coffee Concert with free Krispy Kreme doughnuts) and Saturday at 8, November 30 and December 1. For ticket information: stlsymphony.org