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Was this spectacular SLSO concert a preview of coming attractions?
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If the rest of the performances in 2009-10 are as spectacular as Friday’s season-opening concert by the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, patrons are in for a memorable 130th season.
The evening of imaginative programming opened with a moving version of our national anthem, featuring an audience that was in very good voice. “You’re getting good at this,” said music director David Robertson before giving a light and informative introduction to “Azul” (Spanish for “blue”), by Argentinian composer Osvaldo Golijov.
The four-part, 27-minute piece, composed in 2006, is brand-new, 21st-century art in so many ways. A new, electronically enabled instrument called a hyper-accordion (invented and played by Michael Ward-Bergeman) was spotlighted along with Daniel Lee’s 18th-century cello, performed with modern verve by the SLSO’s principal cellist.
Lovely melodies were interspersed with sounds of nature, particularly those of birds flying in what only could have been a sky of azul. Also in the mix were percussion instruments. Keita Ogama looked like a one-man band as he seemed to tap everything but his chair. Jamey Haddad joined in on his drums, as did Thomas Stubbs, SLSO assistant principal timpanist. With Lee drawing the notes from the strings, the percussive portion of “Azul” resembled a classical jam session, to the delight of the audience. A pulsing dénouement that ended in a whisper tied this piece together. “Azul” clearly merits another hearing (and this percussion fan hopes to snare a recording of it one day).
One hundred two years before “Azul” was created, Gustav Mahler squeezed every bit of his emotions into his gargantuan Symphony No. 5.
The stage veritably bulged with musicians. While every instrument had its say, the leader of the band was the trumpet, played astoundingly Friday night by principal trumpet Susan Slaughter. The legendary first lady of classical brass, who is retiring at the end of this season, was spot-on. In Mahler’s universe, Slaughter set the tone that the rest of the orchestra followed. Her opening notes were clear and bright. An hour later, still on the money, she accompanied her mates in a riotous finish.
In between, the strings took center stage during the touching Adagietto, played in movement four. Despite the annoying hacking by a rude member of the audience, Robertson brought out all the emotion Mahler intended, with no schmaltz allowed.
Upon the closing of this nigh-perfect rendition of challenging music, an effusive Robertson wrapped concertmaster David Halen in a bear hug, then he went to the rear of the stage to raise the hands of Slaughter and principal horn Roger Kaza.
The standing ovation is almost a cliché in nice St. Louis. But on this night, after the playing of both pieces, the SLSO deserved the applause of an audience on its feet.
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