SLSO Blog - Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra

More Voices to Love

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:31:33 -0600

Amy Kaiser, Saint Louis Symphony Chorus director, sent in a clarification to clearly identify the beautiful voices that were singing in Wednesday's rehearsal:

Monk in St. Louis

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:21:33 -0600

Meredith Monk's appearance in St. Louis has gained attention both locally and nationally with mentions in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the Riverfront Times, and she'll be on KWMU's Cityscape Friday morning and on KFUO's intermission interview with David Robertson and Ron Klemm Saturday night. And, Alex Ross gives her a shout out in Unquiet Thoughts.

Fog Tropes

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:21:07 -0600

With March Madness imminent, it's only appropriate that the SLSO play in Columbia Tuesday night, offering the Mizzou Tiger fans the precision and elegance of Stravinsky and Mozart to appease their roundball hungry hearts. For what else in sports has quite the precision and elegance of the 64-team bracket?

Powered by Chocolate

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:06:49 -0600

On just about every night that David Robertson conducts the SLSO, he has a piece of the famous (or should be famous) flourless chocolate cake that is available at the pastry table in the foyer. It comes from Truffes, created by the master baker Helen Fletcher. While I was waiting in line for a piece of that cake one time, a woman told me that she was from Austria, and whenever she was in St. Louis and took in an SLSO concert, she made a point of getting that cake. Austrians know their cake. I don't know too many people who can eat a single piece by themselves, except maybe an Austrian. And, of course, David.

Mars Attack!

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 09:40:58 -0600

In this week's video blog, Chris Woehr praises youth orchestras, Stephen Lange dispraises the classic rock band Chicago, and the SLSO rehearses a Mars attack.

My Favorite David

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 14:10:47 -0600

My favorite David Robertson directive to the orchestra during the rehearsal of Stravinsky's Danse concertantes Wednesday morning: "Could you be slightly more mindless in the way you're playing?"

Open the Pod Bay Doors, HAL

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 09:31:27 -0600

A member of the Saint Louis Symphony Chorus, who shall be identified as the SLS Chorus mole for this post, sent in this report:

Road Trip

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:00:42 -0600

Dare I say it? It is starting to feel a little bit like spring is a possibility this year. And if you're feeling it too and you can afford the gas--time for a road trip!

On the Charts

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:56:52 -0600

In the seventh-floor conference room there is an easel with a large tablet with many pages for people to draw graphs and charts and such so that they can impress others in meetings. The seventh-floor conference room also serves as a dressing room for guest artists, especially when we have an array of vocalists as we did last weekend for Mozart's Requiem. I know, it looks like a great big hall from the outside, but inside we are always scratching for space.

See It in Her Eyes

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 10:00:40 -0600

In this week's video blog, I want you to pay close attention to Nancy Allison's eyes when she talks about the previous evening's chorus-only rehearsal with Roberto Abbado. She says wonderful things about the rehearsal experience, but her eyes tell you just how wonderful it was.

There's Always Hope

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:02:17 -0600

The tail end of a conversation overheard between a stage hand and a musician prior to the first rehearsal of Haydn's "Drum Roll" Symphony, the musician speaking: "Hopefully, the notes come out."

The Death of Mozart

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:20:30 -0600

With the Requiem to be performed this week, the death of Mozart hovers round. Is there any artist whose passing continues to be mourned as Mozart's is, more than 200 years after?

Never Failed

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 14:11:19 -0600

Friday night at the Black History Month concert Dr. Robert Ray was deservedly celebrated, with SLSO President Fred Bronstein and St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay starting the evening with an official city proclamation noting the contributions and general special-guy qualities of the sole director for the In Unison Chorus throughout its 15-year history.

Pentatonic

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:12:17 -0600

There have been education concerts all week, two a day since Tuesday.

Kids get everything these days. They learn what a pentatonic scale is by way of Ravel, and they get to hear music from Pirates of the Caribbean, with Ward Stare conducting in a tri-cornered hat. When I was a kid, we got nothin'.

Pitchers and Catchers

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:29:35 -0600

Here in Cardinal Nation we celebrate the arrival of pitchers and catchers to spring training. And perhaps no one celebrates this harbinger of spring--which is also the harbinger of many, many Cardinal victories--than Special Ops Forces Commando Maggie Bailey.