Symphony Review: The St. Louis Symphony says 'bon voyage' with a big night of orchestral showpieces

It was a veritable love fest at Powell Hall last Thursday, March 16th. Stéphane Denève professed his love for pianist Víkingur Ólafsson. Ólafsson declared his love for the musicians of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and the audience. And the audience demonstrated their love for all of them with multiple standing ovations. To top it off, the opening work on the program was Prokofiev’s “Love for Three Oranges” suite.

[Find out more about the music with my symphony preview.]

Denève conducts the SLSO
Photo courtesy of the SLSO

The occasion for this outpouring of affection was a special “bon voyage” concert in which Denève and the band presented the program that they and Ólafsson will be playing on their four-country, five-city European tour March 21 through 31. In addition to the Prokofiev, that program consists of Grieg’s Piano Concerto, Rachmaninoff’s valedictory “Symphonic Dances,” and encores by Bernstein and Bizet. If it goes as well on the tour as it did Thursday night, St. Louis will be well represented on the other side of the Atlantic.
 
Denève said that he chose the suite Prokofiev created from the score for his 1921 opera “The Love for Three Oranges” because it was a showcase for the excellence of the SLSO musicians. He then proved that point with a performance of this wildly colorful score that reflected all its many eccentric moods. The second movement, “Magician Celio and Fata Morgana Play Cards,” was a perfect combination of menace and mock pomposity, with great crashes of sound from the brass and percussion. The fourth movement “Scherzo” was light, fleet, and a striking study in contrasts. And in “The Prince and Princess” (the fifth movement) the voice of the strings was both romantic and uneasy.

Prokofiev composed both the opera and the suite with an American audience in mind, which may be one reason why the music sounds like a cross between a circus and a lunatic asylum. It is, in any case, flashy and entertaining and gave every member of the band a chance to show why the SLSO can be fairly described as an orchestra of virtuosos.

Vikingur Ólafsson plays the Grieg Concerto
Photo courtesy of the SLSO

Up next was Grieg’s enormously popular Piano Concerto. This dependable old warhorse is so well known that you’d think it would be difficult to find anything new in it. But Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson demonstrated that it can still be done.

When Ólafsson last played the concerto with Denève and the SLSO in 2021 I was struck by the originality and energy of his approach. This was especially true in the first movement cadenza, which was something of a microcosm of the performance as a whole. Both then and this past Thursday, it was a study in extremes, nearly coming to a complete halt before building steadily to the boiling power of the big restatement of the main theme.

Ólafsson was less physically demonstrative than he was when he made his debut here in 2021, but no less artistically and technically solid. The near-capacity house rewarded him with warm applause, and he reciprocated with a subtly beautiful encore: Ólafsson’s own arrangement of the “Ave Maria” by his fellow countryman Sigvaldi Kaldalóns (1881–1946). Those of you keen on hearing it again can find it on Ólafsson’s 2022 album “From Afar” on Spotify.
 
The concert concluded with Rachmaninoff’s “Symphonic Dances,” another large-scale work that also showed off the band to good advantage. Unlike Prokofiev’s frenetic suite, though, this was not a soundscape drenched in bright primary colors. The sonic world of the “Symphonic Dances” is one of encroaching shadows and nocturnal imagery. Not surprisingly, it was the last thing Rachmaninoff wrote.

Denève conducts the SLSO
Photo courtesy of the SLSO

Denève last conducted this in 2019. At the time I felt that he had brought a wide variety of expression to the work, with tempos on the slow side, a feeling of intense emotional commitment, and recognition of the way the composer used silence as a musical element. That was still true this time around, although there were some tweaks here and there. The Non allegro first movement, for example, got off to a brisker start than I recall, but that could just be my memory playing me false.

No matter: it was still a grand performance with important solo moments finely rendered. That includes, among many others, Michael Weiss-Holmes’s melancholy alto sax solo in the first movement and Concertmaster David Halen and English horn Cally Banham in the second. There was some darned fine playing throughout by Peter Henderson on piano, Principal Harp Allegra Lilly, and the flutes under Matthew Roitstein. Congratulations to all.

But, wait: there was more!  The orchestra is bringing along a pair of high-energy encores: the overture to Leonard Bernstein’s 1956 opera/operetta/musical (it has been through multiple revisions over the years) “Candide” and the “Farandole” from Bizet’s incidental music for the play “L'Arlésienne.” The latter, with its insistent percussion and quotes from the Provençal Christmas carol “La Marche des rois,” is always a guaranteed rouser. They both got an enthusiastic reception Thursday night, despite coming as surprises at the end of a long concert.

More information about the SLSO’s upcoming tour is available at the orchestra’s web site, including pictures from Thursday’s concert.

Next at Powell Hall: Powell will be dark while the band is away, except for a concert by bluegrass banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck on Friday March 31 at 7:30 pm. St. Louis Speakers Series presents Anthony Ray Hinton on Tuesday, April 11 at 8 pm. One of the longest-serving death row prisoners in Alabama history, Hinton was released after 30 years of time for a crime he did not commit.

Regular concerts resume in mid-April. Note, however, that the Powell Hall lot will be closed as of March 20th as the renovation and expansion of Powell Hall begins. More information about parking is available at the SLSO web site.

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

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of March 20, 2023

To get your event listed here, send an email to chuck [at] kdhx.org Your event information should be in text format (i.e. not part of a graphic), but feel free to include publicity stills.

Albion Theatre presents Harold Pinter’s The Birthday Party Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm through March 26. “In a small boarding house at the English seaside.  Stanley, the only lodger, has a secret.  Two mysterious strangers arrive with a job to do.  Nothing is what it appears to be but what happens at Stanley’s birthday party changes everyone’s lives.  Combining realism and absurdism, humor and menace, this classic of British theater remains as powerful as it did when first performed in 1958.” Performances take place at the Kranzberg Arts Center 501 N. Grand in Grand Center. For more information: albiontheatrestl.org.

Chuck Lavazzi and Carol Schmidt

The Cabaret Project and The Blue Strawberry present a Singers Open Mic Tuesday, March 21, from 7 to 9:30 pm. “Chuck Lavazzi is your host, with pianist and music director Carol Schmidt. If you plan to sing bring sheet music or a chart in your own key, and perform your favorite Broadway, pop, or jazz tunes. Medium/up-tempo songs are encouraged but not required. Or you can just relax, have a drink and dinner or a snack, and enjoy the music. No admission or cover, but there is always a tip jar! All proceeds go to The Cabaret Project, a 501c3 non-profit dedicated to promoting, developing, and sustaining the art cabaret in St. Louis."  The Blue Strawberry is at 364 N. Boyle. For more information: thecabaretproject.org.

Call to Conscience Interactive Theater for Social Change presents Say it Flo, written and performed by Michelle T. Johnson, Thursday through Saturday at 7 pm, March 23 – 25. “Say it Flo pays homage to Missouri born Florynce Kennedy. An Attorney/Activist Florynce worked as an activist for feminism and civil rights on cases that not only damaged black people, but they also damaged women, gay people, ex-prison inmates, prostitutes, children, old people, handicapped people, and native Americans. Kennedy was one of the lawyers in the Abramowitz v. Lefkowitz case, the class action suit that wanted to repeal New York's strict abortion laws which used women who suffered from illegal abortions as expert witnesses instead of relying on physicians. These tactics were eventually used in the Roe v. Wade case, in 1973, which overturned restrictive abortion laws.” Performances take place in the Legend Room at the National Blues Museum, 615 Washington. For more information:     acalltoconscience.org

Clayton Community Theatre presents Ordinary People Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm, March 23 – April 2.  “Conrad Jarrett had an older brother named Buck, and now Buck is gone. What's left of young Conrad's family, with his successful, well-intentioned father and his beautiful, organized and remote mother, is in terrible jeopardy, as is Conrad himself. They are all "ordinary people," and each is fighting a hard battle. This play goes to the essence of a young man, his friends, and family, their relationships and survival.” Performances take place at the Washington University South Campus Theatre, 6501 Clayton Rd. For more information: www.placeseveryone.org.

Tootsie the Comedy Musical

The Fabulous Fox presents Tootsie the Comedy Musical opening on Tuesday, March 21 and running through April 2.  “This laugh-out-loud love letter to the theatre tells the story of Michael Dorsey, a talented but difficult actor who struggles to find work until one show-stopping act of desperation lands him the role of a lifetime.” The Fabulous Fox is on North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: fabulousfox.com.

The Lemp Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre and Jest Mysteries present Murder at the Abbey through May 6th. "Immerse yourself in a world full of aristocracy, old money a perhaps a touch of murder!  You’ve been invited to the dinner party held by the Earl of Grantham himself. Some would kill for the opportunity to meet the Crawley family.  They’ll all be there!  The Earl, his beautiful wife and three daughters…not to mention all your favorite characters in, and around, the Grantham house." The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place in south city. For more information: www.lempmansion.com

Just One Look
Photo: The Midnight Company

The Midnight Company presents Just One Look by Joe Hanrahan, starring Kelly Howe as Linda Ronstadt Wednesdays at 7:30 pm through March 29 and again Wednesday through Friday April 12-14. “Linda Ronstadt ruled the pop charts and filled stadiums in the 70’s and 80’s. The reigning rock goddess of her era, she later took on light opera - Gilbert and Sullivan on Broadway - and The Great American Songbook with Nelson Riddle. Her involvement in social issues accelerated during her relationship with California Governor Jerry Brown, then running for President. But for Linda, it was always a search for the next great song. Kelly Howe will portray Linda Ronstadt and sing her sensational songs.” Performances take place at The Blue Strawberry, 356 N. Boyle. For more information: bluestrawberrystl.com

Grand Horizons
Photo: John Gitchoff

Moonstone Theatre Company presents Grand Horizons by Bess Wohl  through April 2. “The comedy is sophisticated, funny, delightful, and sometimes provocatively honest, as it takes an intimate look at the unpredictable and enduring nature of love. Happily married for 50 years, Bill and Nancy practically breathe in unison. They anticipate each other’s sighs, sneezes and ends of sentences. But just as they settle into their new retirement home in Florida, Nancy wants out. As their two adult sons struggle to cope with the news, they’re forced to question everything they assumed about the people they thought they knew best.” Performances take place at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center in Kirkwood, MO. For more information: moonstonetheatrecompany.com

New Jewish Theatre presents Duncan MacMillan's Every Brilliant Thing Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm, through April 2 “You're 7-years old. Mom's in the hospital. Dad says she's "done something stupid." She finds it hard to be happy. So you start to make a list of everything that's brilliant about the world. Everything that's worth living for.  1. Ice cream.  2. Kung Fu movies.  3. Staying up past your bedtime and being allowed to watch TV.  4. The color yellow. You leave it on her pillow. You know she read it because she's corrected your spelling. Soon the list will take on a life of its own. A play about depression and the lengths we go to for those we love.” Performances take place at the SFC Performing Arts Center, 2 Millstone Campus Drive. For more information: jccstl.com/arts-ideas/new-jewish-theatre.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, adapted for the stage by Ken Ludwig through April 9. “It’s 1934, just after midnight, and a snowstorm has stopped the opulent Orient Express sleeper train in its tracks. A wealthy American businessman is discovered dead, and the brilliant and beautifully mustachioed Hercule Poirot must solve the mystery before the murderer strikes again.” Performances take place on the main stage at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus. For more information: www.repstl.org

The St. Louis Writers' Group presents Bits and Pieces, an open workshop for playwrights Tuesday, March 21, at 6:30 pm. "If you are an aspiring writer of work for performance, then this evening is for you. We invite anyone with some work that they have at any stage of development, whether complete or not to come along.  The intention is for ideas to be explored, discussion of concepts, part-completed scripts to be read by experienced actors so writers can hear what they sound like, plots to be evaluated, or indeed any bits and pieces that you have to be brought out.  To ensure that there is plenty of scope, we are setting a limit of 20 pages on any material submitted."
 The reading takes place upstairs at Big Daddy's, 1000 Sidney in Soulard. For more information, visit the St. Louis Writers' Group Facebook page.

Take Two Productions presents the Stephen Schwartz musical Godspell through March 25. “A small group of people help Jesus Christ tell different parables by using a wide variety of games, storytelling techniques and hefty doses of comic timing. An eclectic blend of songs, ranging in style from pop to vaudeville, is employed as the story of Jesus' life dances across the stage. Dissolving hauntingly into the Last Supper and the Crucifixion, Jesus' messages of kindness, tolerance and love come vibrantly to life.” Performances take place at Third Baptist Church, 620 N. Grand in Grand Center. For more information: www.taketwoproductions.org.

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 Calendar.

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.

Symphony Preview: The Grand Tour

Music Director Stéphane Denève and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra are off on their annual European concert tour on March 21st. But before they leave, they’re offering a one night only “bon voyage” concert of the music they’ll be playing on the tour on Thursday, March 16, at 7:30 pm.

[Preview the music with the SLSO's Spotify playlist.]

It all starts with the lively and acerbic suite Sergei Prokofiev (1891 – 1953) created in 1924 from the score for his 1921 opera “L'amour des trois oranges” (“The Love for Three Oranges”).  Prokofiev wrote both the music and the libretto for the opera, which was commissioned by the Chicago Opera Association during the composer’s 1918 visit to the USA. He based it on the 1761 commedia dell’arte farce “L'amore delle tre melarance” by Carlo Gozzi (1720 – 1806) which was itself based on the fairy tale of the same name by 16th century Italian poet Giambattista Basile (1583 – 1632).

Prokofiev in New York, 1918
Photo by Bain News Service

“The story,” writes Benjamin Pesetsky in this week’s program notes, “is too silly to dwell on.” He’s right, so we won’t (although Wikipedia has a detailed synopsis for the curious). Let’s just say Prokofiev combined his ancient Italian sources with a jigger or two of sarcasm, a pinch of surrealism, shook the whole thing vigorously and served it over ice to an audience which found it somewhat baffling.

The suite is great fun, though, combining the composer’s quirky sense of humor, inventive orchestration, and rhythmic drive to create a colorful musical circus complete with acrobats, clowns, and strutting sorcerers. The third movement “March” was once quite well-known, having been appropriated as the theme for the CBS radio crime drama “The FBI in Peace and War,” which ran from 1944 through 1958. If you’re curious as to what that sounded like, the GSMC Classics podcast network offers all 88 episodes via Apple Podcasts. And probably via every other podcast platform as well.

Denève last conducted the suite with the band in 2007. Sadly, I missed that concert, so I’m looking forward to this one.

Up next is the popular Piano Concerto in A minor, op. 16, written in 1868 by Edvard Grieg (1843 – 1907). It was his first and only piano concerto. Indeed, it was his only completed concerto of any kind.

The interior of Grieg's hut at Troldhaugen

That’s because Grieg was fundamentally a miniaturist. He was at his best in short forms like his “Lyric Pieces” and other works for the piano. Longer works like his “Symphonic Dances,” the “Lyric Suite,” and his incidental music for Ibsen’s gargantuan drama “Peer Gynt” are, ultimately, little more than a collection of short pieces. It’s what he did, and he did it darned well.

It’s not surprising, then, that his piano concerto tends to sound a bit episodic. The episodes are all entrancing, though, and the concerto was an instant hit at its 1869 Copenhagen premiere by the Royal Danish Orchestra with Edmund Neupert as soloist. Neupert, to whom the concerto was dedicated, wrote to Grieg (who was unable to attend because of a scheduling conflict) describing the happy event:

The triumph I achieved was tremendous. Even as early as the cadenza in the first movement, the public broke into real storm. The three dangerous critics, [composer Niels] Gade, [pianist/composer Anton] Rubenstein, and [composer Emil] Hartmann, sat in the stalls and applauded with all their might. I am to send you greetings from Rubenstein and say that he is astounded to have heard a composition of such genius. (Cited in program notes by Robert C. Bagar and Louis Biancolli for the Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York).

Our soloist this Thursday (and at every performance on the tour) will be Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson, who has earned praise for his recordings of everything from Bach to Philip Glass. He was the soloist the last time Denève and the SLSO presented the Grieg concerto in 2021. At the time I wrote that he made “a stunning impression…with a performance that blended nuance and poetry with virtuoso flair.”

Rachmaninoff in 1921
Public Domain, Wikimeida Commons

During the intermission that follows, you’ll have the opportunity to see why taking an orchestra on tour is just a major logistical effort the SLSO production team assembles large cargo trunks in the foyer. Immediately after this concert, large instruments will be packed into trunks and begin their journey to Europe on Friday.

This evening concludes with the "Symphonic Dances" by Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873 – 1943). It’s a work I have found oddly compelling since I first heard it on a 1961 LP recording by the Philadelphia Orchestra under Eugene Ormandy, who conducted the work's first performance in 1941. I was immediately struck by the "late night" feel of the piece--and not just because of the chimes in the last movement. It was only later that I learned that Rachmaninoff had, in fact, originally titled the three sections "Noon," "Twilight," and "Midnight." The composer dropped the titles, preferring the let the music speak for itself, and it does so eloquently.

The work is filled with evidence of Rachmaninoff's genius as an orchestrator, with elaborate and complex string writing, inventive use of brasses and winds (including a short but poignant solo for alto sax), and an effective but never overwhelming use of the large percussion battery. This is dramatic music that is nevertheless steeped in autumnal melancholy. The final movement is a struggle between the “Dies Irae” and the “Resurrection” theme from Rachmaninoff’s 1915 “All-night Vigil” which, while emphatically resolved in favor of the latter, still seems to carry the sense of a life approaching its conclusion.

In the program notes for the SLSOs last performance of the work in 2019, Denève described it as “redeeming--it's a piece of hope. The ending is an Alleluia, a triumph over death. It was his last work, and maybe, because he composed this piece, he felt he could die."

The Essentials: Stéphane Denève conducts the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and pianist Vikingur Ólafsson in a one-night-only preview of the program they will take on the orchestra's March European tour. The concert consists of Prokofiev's "The Love for Three Oranges" Suite, Grieg's Piano Concerto, and Rachmaninoff's "Symphonic Dances." The concert takes place on  Thursday, March 16, at 7:30 pm. Stephanie Childress will conduct the SLSO Youth Orchestra and Concerto Competition winner Ayan Amerin in the Allegro non troppo from the Violin Concerto in D major by Brahms and the Symphony No. 5 by Shostakovich on Sunday, March 19 at 3 pm. The regular concert season resumes in mid-April.

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

Symphony Review: Nicholas McGegan brings a pair of theatrical hits by Beethoven and Mendelssohn to Powell

As our little group approached Powell Hall Friday night (March 10th), a tour bus pulled up with what appeared to be a group of students who were there to take in a St. Louis Symphony Orchestra concert. If so, their chaperones made a good choice.

[Find out more about the music with my symphony preview.]

With early music guru Nicholas McGegan (who has a long association with the SLSO) at the podium, this fast-paced and entertaining pair of works for orchestra and chorus by Beethoven and Mendelssohn would certainly have made for an ideal introduction to classical music and the whole SLSO experience. At just over 90 minutes (including intermission), it was a bit shorter than the typical evening at the symphony (normal run time is around 2 hours or so) and the music was listener friendly. No experience was required, and a good time was had by all.

Sarah Price

The evening began with the Beethoven’s “Selections from Egmont,” op. 84, composed on commission for an 1810 revival of Goethe’s 1788 tragedy. The play is a fictionalized account of the execution of Lamoral, Count of Egmont, Prince of Gavere (1522–1568), who was beheaded for resisting Spanish rule and the imposition of the Inquisition on the Netherlands. Running around a half-hour, Beethoven’s Op. 84 consists of a noble and emotionally charged overture along with two songs (for the fictional character of Clärchen, Egmont’s love interest), four entr’actes (scene change music), two bits of underscoring, and a final “Victory Symphony.” That last bit is essentially a repeat of the final 90 seconds of the overture and follows Egmont’s call for independence.

McGegan approached all this with that combination of unbridled joy and meticulous attention to detail which has characterized his work here in the past. The opening of the overture set the tone for the performance overall. Marked Sostenuto ma non troppo (“Sustained, but not too much,” literally), it was majestically slow—which made the gradual build to the main theme all the more commanding. The two-note “execution” violin motif just before the Allegro con brio coda was striking decisive and the coda itself was stirring, with nice accents by Ann Choomack on piccolo.

After a long pause for latecomers (who had, perhaps, not noticed that the concert started at 7:30 rather than 8) soprano Danielle Yilmaz gave a defiant performance of “Die Trommel gerühret” (“Beat the drums”), in which Clärchen declares her love and support for Egmont in militaristic terms. Clärchen’s other song, “Freudvoll und leidvoll” (“Full of joy, full of sorrow”), got an equally strong performance from soprano Sarah Price. She let us hear the emotional ambiguity of the lyrics, which move from waver between doubt (Andante con moto) and ecstasy (Allegro assai vivace) before finally settling on the latter.

Enrico Lagasca
Photo: Jiyang Chen

The entr’actes and underscore pieces were all neatly done, with some fine oboe solos by Jelena Dirks and excellent playing by the horns, especially in “Clärchen’s death.” The “Victory Symphony” brought it all to an electrifying finish.

The second half of the concert belonged to Mendelssohn’s 1843 revision of his setting for chorus and orchestra of Goethe’s 1799 dramatic poem “Die Erste Walpurgisnacht” (“The First Walpurgis Night”). In what was, surprisingly, the work’s first performance here, McGegan led the orchestra and chorus in a real barnburner of a performance. It was sung in English, as many of Mendelssohn’s choral works were even in his day. The multi-lingual composer knew he was a Hot Property in Britain and made sure his music would work just as well in English or German.

The story deals with a group of German Druids who prefer to celebrate Beltane eve in the old-fashioned way, without interference from Christian authorities. Their solution is to scare the Christian forces away by disguising themselves as assorted imps, devils, and demons. The opportunities for high drama here are obvious, and Mendelssohn made the most of them in a score filled with big, commanding choruses and an orchestra unusually rich in brass and percussion parts. “It’s very high energy music,” observed McGegan in an interview for my video blog. “Mendelssohn lives in the era before decaf.”

The sturm und drang gets off to a rousing start with the turbulent “Overture: bad weather.” The “dark and stormy night” tone painting is reminiscent of the “Hebrides” Overture—not exactly surprising, since it was written at around the same time—and McGegan’s reading was so vivid you could almost feel the wind and rain. His entire podium presence, in fact, was a wonderful mix of precise cueing and physical enthusiasm.

There are a few solo numbers in “The First Walpurgis Night,” but the chorus is the real star of the show. Under the direction of Webster University’s Trent Patterson, the SLSO singers displayed just the right mix of power and precision that’s called for here. Their enunciation was admirably crisp, although it wasn’t obvious just how good it was until I heard the Saturday night broadcast, since Powell Hall’s acoustics can muddy things a bit.

That said, the soloists were impressive as well. Tenor Thomas Cooley was a radiant Druid welcoming the spring as well as a comically petrified Christian soldier who decided “onward” is not his preferred direction. Bass-baritone Enrico Lagasca was an imposing Priest, although he was having a bit of trouble with his high notes on Friday (I suspect allergies might have been the issue). In any case, he sounded fine in Saturday night’s broadcast.

The SLSO Chorus
Photo: Dilip Vishwanat for the SLSO

For my money, though, the most impressive performance was that of alto Victoria Carmichael (of the SLSO Chorus) as “An aged woman of the people” warning of the violence that can be expected from the Christians if the Druids are discovered: “On their ramparts they will slaughter / Mother, father, son, and daughter!” That’s potent stuff that calls for exactly the kind of forceful delivery it got from Carmichael.

It was good to see and hear the chorus in action again, especially in music that gives them a chance to display their strength as an ensemble. And I have always found McGegan to be a welcome presence on the podium. His association with the SLSO goes back a long way—to a 1986 “Messiah” in fact—so his rapport with the band has, by now, a kind of cozy familiarity.

Next at Powell Hall: Stéphane Denève conducts the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and pianist Vikingur Ólafsson in a one-night-only preview of the program they will take on the orchestra's March European tour. The concert consists of Prokofiev's The Love for Three Oranges Suite, Grieg's Piano Concerto, and Rachmaninoff's "Symphonic Dances." The concert takes place on Thursday, March 16, at 7:30 pm. Stephanie Childress will conduct the SLSO Youth Orchestra and Concerto Competition winner Ayan Amerin in the Allegro non troppo from the Violin Concerto in D major by Brahms and the Symphony No. 5 by Shostakovich on Sunday, March 19 at 3 pm. The regular concert season resumes in mid-April.

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

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of March 13, 2023

To get your event listed here, send an email to chuck [at] kdhx.org Your event information should be in text format (i.e. not part of a graphic), but feel free to include publicity stills.

Albion Theatre presents Harold Pinter’s The Birthday Party Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm through March 26. “In a small boarding house at the English seaside.  Stanley, the only lodger, has a secret.  Two mysterious strangers arrive with a job to do.  Nothing is what it appears to be but what happens at Stanley’s birthday party changes everyone’s lives.  Combining realism and absurdism, humor and menace, this classic of British theater remains as powerful as it did when first performed in 1958.” Performances take place at the Kranzberg Arts Center 501 N. Grand in Grand Center. For more information: albiontheatrestl.org.

The Lemp Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre and Jest Mysteries present Murder at the Abbey through May 6th. "Immerse yourself in a world full of aristocracy, old money a perhaps a touch of murder!  You’ve been invited to the dinner party held by the Earl of Grantham himself. Some would kill for the opportunity to meet the Crawley family.  They’ll all be there!  The Earl, his beautiful wife and three daughters…not to mention all your favorite characters in, and around, the Grantham house." The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place in south city. For more information: www.lempmansion.com

Just One Look
Photo: The Midnight Company

The Midnight Company presents Just One Look by Joe Hanrahan, starring Kelly Howe as Linda Ronstadt Wednesdays at 7:30 pm through March 29. “Linda Ronstadt ruled the pop charts and filled stadiums in the 70’s and 80’s. The reigning rock goddess of her era, she later took on light opera - Gilbert and Sullivan on Broadway - and The Great American Songbook with Nelson Riddle. Her involvement in social issues accelerated during her relationship with California Governor Jerry Brown, then running for President. But for Linda, it was always a search for the next great song. Kelly Howe will portray Linda Ronstadt and sing her sensational songs.” Performances take place at The Blue Strawberry, 356 N. Boyle. For more information: bluestrawberrystl.com

Moonstone Theatre Company presents Grand Horizons by Bess Wohl March 16 through April 2. “The comedy is sophisticated, funny, delightful, and sometimes provocatively honest, as it takes an intimate look at the unpredictable and enduring nature of love. Happily married for 50 years, Bill and Nancy practically breathe in unison. They anticipate each other’s sighs, sneezes and ends of sentences. But just as they settle into their new retirement home in Florida, Nancy wants out. As their two adult sons struggle to cope with the news, they’re forced to question everything they assumed about the people they thought they knew best.” Performances take place at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center in Kirkwood, MO. For more information: moonstonetheatrecompany.com

New Jewish Theatre presents Duncan MacMillan's Every Brilliant Thing Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm, March 16 – April 2 “You're 7-years old. Mom's in the hospital. Dad says she's "done something stupid." She finds it hard to be happy. So you start to make a list of everything that's brilliant about the world. Everything that's worth living for.  1. Ice cream.  2. Kung Fu movies.  3. Staying up past your bedtime and being allowed to watch TV.  4. The color yellow. You leave it on her pillow. You know she read it because she's corrected your spelling. Soon the list will take on a life of its own. A play about depression and the lengths we go to for those we love.” Performances take place at the SFC Performing Arts Center, 2 Millstone Campus Drive. For more information: jccstl.com/arts-ideas/new-jewish-theatre.

Nine
Photo: Gerry Love

New Line Theatre presents the musical Nine Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 pm, through March 25. “Based on filmmaking legend Federico Fellini’s iconic 1963 (semi-)autobiographical film 8 1/2, the musical NINE is a funny, crazy psychoanalytical roller coaster ride through the mind of a troubled, self-doubting genius who's suffering a midlife crisis. Underneath the comedy, it's a story about creation and creators, the sacrifices and compromises and demons, and the mysterious, delicate process of making great art.” .  Performances take place at the Marcelle Theatre in Grand Center. For more information: www.newlinetheatre.com

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents the New Works Collective Friday through Sunday, March 16 - 18 at 7:30 pm. “Experience the future of opera with three all-new 20-minute works! Last winter, more than 130 artists applied to create new operas with OTSL. Ultimately, just three multi-genre teams were selected by a panel of St. Louis artists, advocates, and community leaders. Now, those three teams are about to prove just how innovative, inclusive, and fun opera can be. These stories will whisk audiences from 1920s Harlem to the modern-day Supreme Court, and from the exuberance of drag ball culture to the empowerment of a young female inventor. Get ready for a night full of boundary-breaking surprises and joyful voices as we celebrate diverse cultures, stories, and the power of the human spirit!”  The performance are sung in English with projected English supertitles and takes place at the Berges Theater at COCA in University City For more information: opera-stl.org

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, adapted for the stage by Ken Ludwig, March 17 – April 9. “It’s 1934, just after midnight, and a snowstorm has stopped the opulent Orient Express sleeper train in its tracks. A wealthy American businessman is discovered dead, and the brilliant and beautifully mustachioed Hercule Poirot must solve the mystery before the murderer strikes again.” Performances take place on the main stage at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus. For more information: www.repstl.org

The St. Louis Writers' Group presents a free reading of Act II of Broom by Mario Farwell Wednesday at 6:30 pm “Broom is an experimental play dealing with the origins and ramifications of police brutality in America. The play is structured around the events of the brutal assault on a Haitian American by the New York Police Department. Abner Louima was arrested in1997 and charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. He was taken to the 70th precinct in Brooklyn, NY, and soon after his arrival at the precinct was taken to a bathroom and sodomized with a broomstick by two of the arresting officers.." The reading takes place at The High Low, 3301 Washington. For more information, visit the St. Louis Writers' Group Facebook page.

Take Two Productions presents the Stephen Schwartz musical Godspell March 17 - 25. “A small group of people help Jesus Christ tell different parables by using a wide variety of games, storytelling techniques and hefty doses of comic timing. An eclectic blend of songs, ranging in style from pop to vaudeville, is employed as the story of Jesus' life dances across the stage. Dissolving hauntingly into the Last Supper and the Crucifixion, Jesus' messages of kindness, tolerance and love come vibrantly to life.” Performances take place at Third Baptist Church, 620 N. Grand in Grand Center. For more information: www.taketwoproductions.org.

The Theatre Guild of Webster Groves presents the drama Stranger in the Attic. “Brian, a true crime writer, receives a late-night visitor claiming to have all the details of a murder that has not happened yet. Defying pleas from his wife and his own better judgement to report this to the police, Brian decides to interview the stranger. Dana, Brian’s wife, becomes fearful Brian may be sympathizing with the murderer, as Brian helplessly allows himself to be drawn deeper into the plot.”  Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2 pm through March 19. Performances take place at the Guild theatre at 517 Theatre Lane, at the corner of Newport and Summit in Webster Groves. For more information: theatreguildwg.org.

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 Calendar.

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.

Symphony Preview: All Goethe all the time

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) was, as the late Philip Weller notes in the Grove Dictionary of Music, “[O]ne of the most important literary and cultural figures of his age…recognized during his lifetime for his accomplishments of almost universal breadth.” This weekend (Friday and Saturday, March 10 and 11) Nicholas McGegan will conduct the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Chorus, and vocal soloists in a pair of big, dramatic works inspired by Goethe.

[Preview the music with my Spotify playlist.]

Goethe age 38 by Angelica Kauffmann
commons.wikimedia.org

The works in question are the overture and incidental music Beethoven composed on commission for an 1810 revival of Goethe’s 1788 tragedy “Egmont” and Mendelssohn’s 1843 revision of his setting for chorus and orchestra of the 1799 dramatic poem “Die Erste Walpurgisnacht” (“The First Walpurgis Night”). The two works have much in common, including the fact that they both deal with the issues of political and religious freedom. Which makes them rather relevant right now.

The protagonist of Goethe’s play is the historical Lamoral, Count of Egmont, Prince of Gavere (1522–1568), who was beheaded for resisting Spanish rule and the imposition of the Inquisition on the Netherlands. In Goethe’s fictionalized version of events, Egmont becomes a heroic defender of individual freedom who, before his execution, delivers a rousing speech demanding national independence.  

The story appealed tremendously to Beethoven, a dedicated republican (in the classical sense of “anti-monarchist”) who was chafing at the occupation of Vienna by the French in 1809. That appeal and Beethoven’s great admiration for Goethe combined to produce a noble and emotionally charged overture along with two songs (for the fictional character of Klärchen, Egmont’s love interest), four entr’actes (scene change music), two bits of underscoring, and a final “Victory Symphony.” That last bit is essentially a repeat of the final 90 seconds of the overture and follows Egmont’s call for independence.

In an interview on my YouTube channel, McGegan described the entire score as “top-rate Beethoven…right up there in the vintage period of middle Beethoven.” Chronologically it falls between the Sixth (“Pastoral”) Symphony and the exuberant Seventh, which the authors of the Grove entry on Beethoven describe as time of “ever-increasing technical virtuosity.” Certainly the combination of high drama, lyricism, and tragedy in these ten short movements is immensely appealing even if you’re not familiar with the play. Which, of course, most of us are not.

Goethe loved the music but was less impressed by Beethoven himself when they finally met in the summer of 1812 at Teplitz. McGegan notes that he found the composer “a little bit feral,” while Beethoven, for his part, found the elegant writer “too much of a toady…too courtly for his taste.” It’s a reminder, I suppose, that it’s not always wise to meet one’s heroes in person.

Beethoven in 1803
Painted by Christian Horneman

After intermission the full chorus joins the band for the local premiere of the English language version of “The First Walpurgis Night." Once again the issue is freedom in general and freedom from religious persecution in particular.

But first a bit of history. “Walpurgis Night” refers to the evening of the feast day of Saint Walpurga, a British healer who (to quote McGegan) “ended up in Germany as a sort of missionary to the Goths and all those tribes who wore horns on their heads.” After her canonization her name was tacked on to the ancient Celtic festival of Beltane, traditionally celebrated on May 1st. It’s one of the old cross-quarter days, so called because they fall between the equinoxes and solstices. Beltane comes between the Vernal Equinox and the Summer Solstice.

The business of rebranding the old pagan holidays was common as the early Church went about the business of “Christianizing” the heathens. As marketing decisions go it was pretty smart. It’s much easier to convert folks if you don’t mess with their holidays. As the Encyclopedia Britannica relates:

Walburga [sic] is traditionally associated with May 1 because of a medieval account of her being canonized upon the translation of her remains from their place of burial to a church circa 870. Although it is likely that the date of her canonization is purely coincidental to the date of the pagan celebrations of spring, people were able to celebrate both events under church law without fear of reprisal.

“The First Walpurgis Night” deals with a group of German Druids who prefer to celebrate Beltane eve in the old-fashioned way, without interference from Christian authorities. Their solution is to scare the Christian forces away by disguising themselves as assorted imps, devils, and demons. “Help, my comrades,” sings a Christian guard (naturally, he’s a tenor), “see a legion / Yonder comes from Satan’s region!” Thrown into panic by the combination of the Druid’s costumes and their own imaginations, the would-be persecutors take it on the lam, leaving the Druids free to celebrate spring in their own way, thanks very much.

All this unfurls in nine scenes plus an overture that sets the scene. There are parts for solo alto, tenor, and bass-baritone, but for the most part the story of “The First Walpurgis Night” is told by the chorus. “It’s a really good sing for the choir,” observes McGegan. “It’s very high energy music…Mendelssohn lives in the era before decaf.” It’s also quite an entertaining and highly theatrical work, so it will be good to hear it sung in English.  Projected translations are great, but they can create a slight distance between the music and the audience.

Portrait of Mendelssohn by
James Warren Childe, 1839
en.wikipedia.org

About the English translation: it's not clear whether the chorus will be singing the one the multilingual Mendelssohn had prepared when he composed the work or the one William Bartholomew did in 1899. Either way, it will make the work that much more accessible.

The guest choral conductor this weekend is Trent Patterson, Director of Choral Studies and Music Education at the Webster University Department of Music.  Patterson is also the choral director at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Webster Groves, where four Webster music students serve as Scholar Singers in the Emmanuel Choir.

The Essentials: Nicholas McGegan conducts the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in Beethoven’s overture and incidental music to “Egmont” and Mendelssohn’s “The First Walpurgis Night.” Soloists in the Beethoven are sopranos Sarah Price and Danielle Yilmaz. For the Mendelssohn the solo singers are alto Victoria Carmichael, tenor Thomas Cooley, and bass-baritone Enrico Lagasca. Performances are Friday at 7:30 pm and Saturday at 8 pm, March 10 and 11 at Powell Symphony Hall in Grand Center. The Saturday concert will be broadcast live on St. Louis Public Radio and Classic 107.3.

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

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of March 6, 2023

Now including both on-line and live events during the pandemic. To get your event listed here, send an email to chuck [at] kdhx.org Your event information should be in text format (i.e. not part of a graphic), but feel free to include publicity stills.

Albion Theatre presents Harold Pinter’s The Birthday Party Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm, March 10 through 26. “In a small boarding house at the English seaside.  Stanley, the only lodger, has a secret.  Two mysterious strangers arrive with a job to do.  Nothing is what it appears to be but what happens at Stanley’s birthday party changes everyone’s lives.  Combining realism and absurdism, humor and menace, this classic of British theater remains as powerful as it did when first performed in 1958.” Performances take place at the Kranzberg Arts Center 501 N. Grand in Grand Center. For more information: albiontheatrestl.org.

The Blue Strawberry presents presents a Singers Open Mic on Tuesday, March 7, from 7 to 9:30 pm. “Focusing on Pop, Standards old and new, Broadway and Musical Theater. But Anything Goes! Bring sheet music in your key.” Ken Haller is your host with Ron McGowan at the piano. The Blue Strawberry is at 364 N. Boyle. For more information:  bluestrawberrystl.com

To Kill a Mockingbird
Photo: Julieta Cervantes

The Fabulous Fox presents Aaron Sorkin’s 2018 adaptation of Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird through March 12.  Richard Thomas plays Atticus Finch in this adaptation, directed by Bartlett Sher. The Fabulous Fox is on North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: fabulousfox.com

First Run Theatre presents the Spectrum 2023 Short Play Festival, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm, through March12. The program consists of seven new one-act plays by local playwrights. Performances take place at The Chapel, 6238 Alexander Drive in Clayton. For more information: firstruntheatre.org/

Fly North Theatricals presents free performances of the musical Peter and the Starcatcher through March 12. Performances take place at the Greenfinch Theater and Dive at 2525 S. Jefferson. For more information: www.flynorthmusic.com

The Kirkwood Theatre Guild presents the Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap through March 12. “After a local woman is murdered, the guests and staff at Monkswell Manor find themselves stranded. It soon becomes clear that the killer is among them, and the seven strangers grow increasingly suspicious of one another. A police detective interrogates the suspects: the newlyweds running the house; a spinster with a curious background; an architect who seems better equipped to be a chef; a retired Army major; a strange little man who claims his car has overturned in a drift; and a jurist who makes life miserable for everyone. When a second murder takes place, tensions and fears escalate!” Performances take place at the Robert Reim Theatre in Kirkwood, MO. For more information: ktg-onstage.org

The Lemp Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre and Jest Mysteries present Murder at the Abbey through May 6th. "Immerse yourself in a world full of aristocracy, old money a perhaps a touch of murder!  You’ve been invited to the dinner party held by the Earl of Grantham himself. Some would kill for the opportunity to meet the Crawley family.  They’ll all be there!  The Earl, his beautiful wife and three daughters…not to mention all your favorite characters in, and around, the Grantham house." The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place in south city. For more information: www.lempmansion.com

Just One Look
Photo: The Midnight Company

The Midnight Company presents Just One Look by Joe Hanrahan, starring Kelly Howe as Linda Ronstadt Wednesdays at 7:30 pm through March 29. “Linda Ronstadt ruled the pop charts and filled stadiums in the 70’s and 80’s. The reigning rock goddess of her era, she later took on light opera - Gilbert and Sullivan on Broadway - and The Great American Songbook with Nelson Riddle. Her involvement in social issues accelerated during her relationship with California Governor Jerry Brown, then running for President. But for Linda, it was always a search for the next great song. Kelly Howe will portray Linda Ronstadt and sing her sensational songs.” Performances take place at The Blue Strawberry, 356 N. Boyle. For more information: bluestrawberrystl.com

Nine
Photo: Gerry Love

New Line Theatre presents the musical Nine Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 pm, through March 25. “Based on filmmaking legend Federico Fellini’s iconic 1963 (semi-)autobiographical film 8 1/2, the musical NINE is a funny, crazy psychoanalytical roller coaster ride through the mind of a troubled, self-doubting genius who's suffering a midlife crisis. Underneath the comedy, it's a story about creation and creators, the sacrifices and compromises and demons, and the mysterious, delicate process of making great art.” .  Performances take place at the Marcelle Theatre in Grand Center. For more information: www.newlinetheatre.com

The Theatre Guild of Webster Groves presents the drama Stranger in the Attic. “Brian, a true crime writer, receives a late-night visitor claiming to have all the details of a murder that has not happened yet. Defying pleas from his wife and his own better judgement to report this to the police, Brian decides to interview the stranger. Dana, Brian’s wife, becomes fearful Brian may be sympathizing with the murderer, as Brian helplessly allows himself to be drawn deeper into the plot.”  Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2 pm, March 10-19. Performances take place at the Guild theatre at 517 Theatre Lane, at the corner of Newport and Summit in Webster Groves. For more information: theatreguildwg.org.

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 Calendar.

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.

Theatre Review: The sands of time have not been kind to "The Desert Song"

The 1926 operetta “The Desert Song,” with music by Sigmund Romberg and a libretto by Oscar Hammerstein II, Otto Harbach, and Frank Mandel, was an unqualified hit on Broadway (471 performances) and in London (432). In his Encyclopedia of Musical Theatre, historian Stanley Green described it as “the most durable of all Bway [sic] operettas.” In Operetta: A Theatrical History, Richard Traubner called it “one of the 1920s’ greatest operettas.”

“The Desert Song” was filmed three times (each one more unlike the original than the last one) and was, until recently, a favorite of student and community theatres. The Muny produced it a dozen times between 1930 and 1979. It also presented the last local staging of it (in concert form) back in 1996.

Lauren Nash Silverstein and Colin Levin
Photo: Rebecca Haas

It hasn’t been seen here since then to the best of my knowledge. This Friday and Sunday (March 3 and 5) Winter Opera St. Louis (WOSTL) is giving those of us who know the work only through recordings or the silver screen the chance to find out what all the fuss was about.

This “Desert Song” has a new book by Ball State University theatre professor David Little that’s intended to downplay the sexism and trite Orientalism of the original while still retaining all of the music and characters. Having seen the final dress rehearsal on Wednesday, I’m not sure the results are entirely successful. Winter Opera’s cast members are outstanding singers and credible actors, but there’s only so much a performer can do with a libretto that, despite the revisions, still feels antiquated and silly.

The 1926 “Desert Song” was a mashup of standard operetta tropes and then-current events and literary trends. The real-world events included the 1925 uprising of the Riffs against the occupying French army in Morocco and the adventures of T.E. Lawrence (a.k.a. “Lawrence of Arabia”). Fictional influences included the silent screen passion of Rudolph Valentino and the sexually tinged fiction of Elinor Glyn. Little’s revision appears to retain the literary inspirations but turns Morocco into the fictional Sharabhat and the French into the Marnish.

He needn’t have bothered. Hammerstein and Harbach’s Morocco is just as unreal as Little’s Sharabhat, and the plot—a mélange of “Robin Hood,” “Zorro,” and “The Sheik”—is absurd no matter where it takes place.

The capsule version goes like this:

Under the leadership of the mysterious masked hero known only as The Red Shadow, the Riffs are conducting a guerilla war to rid themselves of the oppressive French (sorry: Marnish) army under the command of General Birabeau, whose apparently feckless son Pierre is secretly The Red Shadow. In his red mask, Pierre falls hard for the enticing Margo Bonvalet despite her engagement to the dull Capitan Fontaine. Fontaine, meanwhile, has not quite gotten over his infatuation with the sensual and treacherous dancing girl Azuri. Throw in a comic romantic subplot with the somewhat fey reporter Bennie Kidd and his brassy blond secretary Susan and, for no discernable reason, a troupe of Spanish dancers who are (sort of) prisoners in the harem of The Red Shadow’s ally Ali Ben Ali, and you have a narrative that requires maximum suspension of disbelief.

Lauren Nash Silberstein and Jason Mallory
Photo: Rebecca Haas

The performances of Winter Opera’s fine cast and the playing of the small but mighty orchestra under the baton of Dario Salvi are what make “Desert Song” entertaining enough to be worth nearly three hours of your time, at least for lovers of operetta. Others might find it less enticing.

Pride of place must go to the Margo of soprano Lauren Nash Silberstein, whose clear voice leaps easily up to those high notes so fond of operetta composers. When I saw her in Winter Opera’s “La Rondine” last fall, I described her as “sparkling and charismatic.” She is here as well, despite the sheer silliness of her character. Apparently taking the advice of Liza in “Lady in the Dark” (“Don’t make up your mind!”), Margo waffles back and forth in her affections so frequently that she seems a bit demented. Nash Silberstein’s performance was great fun to watch nevertheless, which is a signal accomplishment.

Lyric baritone Colin Levin is charmingly fatuous as Pierre, but his Red Shadow is more pompous than heroic. With or without the mask, though, he’s an excellent match for Nash Silberstein in vocal agility and power. Their big duets (“Then You’ll Know” and the title song) radiate exactly the kind of musical enchantment one wants to hear in an operetta.

Speaking of great voices, let’s throw a laurel wreath towards lyric tenor Taylor Comstock making his WOSTL debut as the Red Shadow’s second in command, Sid El Kar. His heroic high notes in the opening numbers “High on a Hill” and the famous “Riff Song” get the show off to a rousing musical start, backed by the solid male chorus. He also gets to show off his stunning head voice and falsetto in “One Flower in Your Garden” in Act II.

Tenor Alexander Scheuermann captures just the right comic spirit as Bennie. ”It,” his act I duet with alto Holly Janz’s Susan, is funny without stooping to camp, although the once-topical references might send many audience members to Professor Google for clarification. Janz, for her part, does the classic blonde airhead bit quite well.

Kelsey Amanda and Jason Mallory
Photo: Rebecca Haas

Another fine singer, baritone Jason Mallory is a persuasively stuck up Capitan Paul Fontaine, and his gradual meltdown under the intense heat of Kelsey Amanda’s Azuri in Act II is nicely done. As Ali Ben Ali, baritone Jacob Lassetter displays the same surprisingly potent low notes that so impressed me in his Ford at Union Avenue Opera’s “Falstaff” last August.

Other notable performances include Christian Bakhoum Sanchez’s stout hearted Clementina, rebellious head of the Spanish dance troupe, and baritone Gary Moss’s General Birabeau. A WOSTL regular, Moss has displayed his flair for comedy in many productions over the last decade or so and does it again here.

Stage Director Jon Truitt, who has shown such skill in maneuvering large casts around the Winter Opera stage in the past, has his work cut out for him here. The creators of the 1926 “Desert Song” envisioned (and originally got) a large cast with sizeable singing and dancing choruses. Neither Winter Opera’s budget nor the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center’s stage can support anything as lavish, but even so there are times when that stage is packed with people. That’s especially true during the many dance numbers which, frankly, should probably have been cut. Yes, Romberg wrote some charming music for them, but the Winter Opera choristers are much better singers than they are dancers.

The bottom line, for me, is that while I have greatly enjoyed Winter Opera’s previous forays into the realm of classic operetta—their 2016 “Merry Widow” is still the stuff of legend—attempting to rehab a theatrical antique like “The Desert Song” might have been a bridge too far. Granted, I saw a somewhat rocky dress rehearsal. But even so, Romberg, Hammerstein, Orbach, and Mandel set out to create a lavish swashbuckling spectacle, and in the hands of a company with very deep pockets and a very big stage (Lyric Opera of Chicago, for example), it could probably still be one.

You can get some sense of that from the surviving scenes of  the 1929 film version available on YouTube. “The Desert Song” does not, however, downsize that well, despite the large amount of talent involved in this production.

Performances of Winter Opera’s “The Desert Song” are Friday at 7:30 pm and Sunday at 2 pm, March 3 and 5, at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center. For more information, visit the Winter Opera St. Louis web site.

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

Symphony Preview: The three ages of man

This weekend, March 3 and 4, Stephanie Childress conducts the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra  in a program of music from three different centuries written by composers at three very different stages of their lives and careers. It’s just as varied as you might expect.

[Preview the music with the SLSO's Spotify playlist.]

Oswald Huỳnh
Photo: Allison Davis

The concerts open with the premiere of “Gia Đình” (“Family”) by Oswald Huỳnh (b. 1997), one of three composers chosen for the 2021–2022 Mizzou New Music Initiative, a joint project of the University of Missouri and the SLSO. Written in collaboration with Childress and members of the orchestra, “Gia Đình” is described in Skyler Dykes’s program notes as a reflection of the Vietnamese diaspora that “draws from a sampling of Vietnamese folk melodies and religious texts and plays with experimental techniques, such as chant and improvisation.”

In that respect, it sounds very much like the “Ngū Hành (2022) and “Frequent Wind” (2021), the only other works by Huỳnh that I have been able to find online. Both combine Vietnamese traditions with innovative performance practices. “Frequent Wind,” for example, uses an amplified music box. “Gia Đình” is scored for a conventional orchestra of winds, strings, and percussion, but even so I’d expect some unusual sounds in performance.

From new music by a 21st century composer at the beginning of his career, we leap back in time to a popular concerto by a middle aged 18th-century master. Franz Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) composed his Keyboard Concerto No. 11 in D major, Hob. XVIII (referring to its position in the catalog of Haydn’s works by Dutch musicologist Anthony van Hoboken) in 1784 or thereabouts. He had just inked a new contract with his long-time employer, the House of Esterházy, that allowed the composer to sell his own works on the open market, and the D major concerto was one of them. Its lively and genial style has made it a favorite of audiences and performers alike.

Haydn circa 1770
Painting by
Ludwig Guttenbrunn

It was also, in its own way, something of a cutting-edge piece. Haydn’s earlier keyboard concertos were, according to the Grove Dictionary, likely composed for organ and often played on the harpsichord. The D major concerto was written with a relatively new instrument in mind: the fortepiano. This forerunner of the modern concert grand was smaller (a range of four or five octaves, depending on the maker) and lighter, both in tone and weight, due to the fact that the frame was wooden rather than the cast iron of the modern instrument. Not as radical as an amplified music box, of course, but fairly “with it” for Haydn.

Like many keyboard concertos of its time, Haydn’s D major assumes a lot of latitude for the performer. The score is short on expressive and dynamic indications and while Haydn wrote of a couple of his own cadenzas for it, most performers feel free to improvise their own. That means the soloist this weekend—our own trusty and well-beloved Peter Henderson—should have plenty of opportunities to put his own stamp on the work.

After intermission, it’s time for the Big Event of the evening, the Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, op. 97 (“Rhenish”), by Robert Schumann (1810–1856). It was composed and orchestrated in just one month in 1850, the year in which Schumann arrived in Düsseldorf to assume the position of Music Director.

Schumann had been strongly recommended by Ferdinand Hiller, the outgoing MD, despite the former’s lack of conducting experience. This was a bit surprising, since the job would put Schumann in charge of the orchestra and chorus (Gesangverein) of the Allgemeiner Musikverein and oblige him to oversee the music on major feast days at St. Maximilian and St. Lambertus, Düsseldorf’s principal Catholic churches as well.

Still, Schumann accepted the job because the salary would lessen the financial strain on Clara (whose concertizing was the family’s principal source of income) and because Düsseldorf’s location on the Rhine just north of Cologne placed it, as Judith Chernaik writes (in Schumann: The Faces and the Masks), in “one of the most beautiful and poetic regions of Germany.”

Schumann in 1850
en.wikipedia.org

Celebrated in German song, story, and (thanks to Wagner) opera, the Rhine held a particular fascination for Schumann. “Schumann had taken a steamboat down the Rhine in his youth,” writes Chernaik, “and the great river had magical associations for him.” He was especially taken with the great Gothic cathedral at Cologne. When we saw it last year as part of a Rhine River cruise the cathedral’s exterior was in the midst of a massive clean-up and restoration project, but even so it was awe-inspiring both inside and out. I can only imagine how stunning it must have been over 170 years ago. Not surprisingly, the cathedral gets its own musical selfie—marked feierelich (solemnly)—in the fourth of the symphony’s five movements.

Although Schumann was, at the time, only four years away from the crippling mental illness that would confine him to an asylum and eventually lead to his death at the age of 46, the “Rhenish” shows no sign of any weakening of his musical powers. Quite the opposite, the work’s bottomless well of melodic invention and logical construction mark it as the product of a mind overflowing with creative energy. “Schumann certainly took on a new lease off life when he wrote it,” observes Julius Harrison in The Symphony Vol. 1: Haydn to Dvorak. “Its form is classical and the music itself developed with inspiration and great skill…[H]ad he lived ten years longer, what might he not have done in the world of the symphony?”

We’ll never know the answer to that question, of course, but we at least appreciate the wonderful legacy he left us. From the dramatic rising E-flat major chords of the first movement (often seen as an homage to Beethoven’s “Eroica”) to what Harrison accurately describes as “the imposing ending full of joie-de-vivre” of the last, this is music guaranteed to grab you by the lapels and not let go.

The Essentials: Stephanie Childress conducts the orchestra and piano soloist Peter Henderson in Haydn’s Keyboard Concerto No. 11 in a program that also includes “Gia Đình” (“Family”) by Oswald Huỳnh and the Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, op. 97 (“Rhenish”), by Robert Schumann. Performances are Friday at 7:30 pm and Saturday at 10:30 am, March 3 and 4, at Powell Hall in Grand Center. The Saturday concert will be recorded live and broadcast at 8 pm the same day on St. Louis Public Radio and Classic 107.3.

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