St. Louis Symphony Music Director David Robertson sat down with Cityscape host Steve Potter for a year-end reflection on the accomplishments in the first four months of the 2013-14 season as well as a look at what is still in store.
Topping Robertson’s list of Fall highlights is the Carnegie Hall performance of Britten’s opera “Peter Grimes” which received much critical acclaim including being named in the top five classical concerts in 2013 by New York Times classical music critic Anthony Tommasini.
Robertson conducts the St. Louis Symphony in the final holiday offerings of the year including concerts featuring the music of John Williams on December 27, 28 and 29 and the New Year’s Eve Celebration on December 31. As usual, the New Year’s Eve program is a surprise, and although Steve Potter tried to coax a hint, Robertson did not oblige. St. Louis Public Radio listeners will be able to hear the New Year's Eve concert by tuning to 90.7 FM at 7:00 p.m. or going to stlpublicradio.org.
The Symphony’s Beethoven Festival opens the new year on January 10 and continues through February 2. Each program includes a major work by Beethoven including the Seventh, Third and Fifth Symphonies as well as the “Emperor” Piano Concerto. In addition, each program includes works that are not as well known, but have some connection to the Beethoven one. Robertson explained the rationale behind the January 24 and 25 program which pairs Brett Dean’s “Testament” which musically depicts Beethoven’s increasing hearing loss with the Third Symphony which marked the point when the composer realized he would no longer be able to perform in public.
Robertson also looks forward to the May 1-4 concerts which feature the same sort of musical pairing. The well-known Orff masterpiece “Carmina Burana” will be preceded by Steve Reich’s “The Four Sections.” Said Robertson, “One of the fun things about this is that anybody who goes and hears the “Carmina Burana” probably won’t know the Steve Reich “Four Sections,” but it’s one of those things that if they like the “Carmina,” they are going to love that piece and I am so excited to introduce people to something that will become a new favorite for them.”
Related Events
David Robertson Conducts the St. Louis Symphony in Music by John Williams
December 27 and 28, 2013
7:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 29, 2013
2:00 p.m.
Powell Hall, 718 N. Grand Blvd.
(314) 534-1700
St. Louis Symphony Website
David Robertson and the St. Louis Symphony Present a New Year's Eve Celebration
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
7:30 p.m.
Powell Hall, 718, N. Grand Blvd.
(314) 534-1700
St. Louis Symphony Website
St. Louis Public Radio Live Broadcast of the St. Louis Symphony's New Year's Eve Celebration
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
7:00 p.m.
90.7 FM or St. Louis Public Radio Website
Cityscape is produced by Mary Edwards and Alex Heuer, hosted by Steve Potter and funded in part by the Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis, the Regional Arts Commission and the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.
