Photo by Charles "Doc" Brookman, Courtesy of Gateway Festival Orchestra
One of the joys of summer is the banquet of musical activities it brings to the table. Opera, outdoor concerts, musical theatre, pops concerts, with accompanying picnics on the lawn or casual get-togethers afterwards, all provide great opportunities to renew our spirits right along with the greening of the season.
The 2011 season in St. Louis promises to be particularly stimulating and varied, providing food for the brain as well as pleasure for the senses.
Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents a particularly thought-provoking array of productions this season, running from May 24 through June 25. Mozart's Don Giovanni, a reflection on morality versus the pursuit of desire, satiety versus restraint, contrasts with the lighter atmosphere of Donizetti's Daughter of the Regiment. Listeners will be able to trace the development of Mozart's melodic elegance into the florid and effervescent bel canto style perfected by Donizetti and the Italian school. Melody, however, acquires a haunting and meditative treatment under the hands of Debussy in his sole opera, Pelleas et Melisande, also appearing on OTSL's line-up. Interestingly, although Debussy's music represents an evolved departure from earlier styles, he drew the inspiration for much of his work from classical mythology and Medieval-based figures.
What is surely to be one of OTSL's most compelling productions ever will be its staging of John Adams' The Death of Leon Klinghoffer, based upon the murder of the Jewish passenger by Palestinian hijackers aboard the cruise ship Achille Lauro in 1985. American composers have led the movement to bring recent history to the stage, and Adams' work is a stark example. In an era in which terrorism seems to have erected a stage of its own, the ideas this opera presents are worthy of our attention.
Union Avenue Opera also enters the political arena with its production of Jake Heggie's Dead Man Walking, with libretto by Sister Helen Prejean, whose work among Death Row inmates is the subject of this opera. UAOT will also stage two unfailing works from the Italian repertoire, Rossini's La Cenerentola and Puccini's Turandot. Does anything more need to be said? Opera-goers will have a full-course feast this summer.
But there's more. The Gateway Festival Orchestra will present its annual series again this summer at Washington University's Brookings Quadrangle, and director James Richards has developed some interesting themes for each concert. July 10 will feature Various Variations, and July 17 will highlight the key of G Minor, including the Bruch Violin Concerto. July 24 will bring a Classical Collection, with the mandatory inclusion of Prokofiev's Classical Symphony, and the July 31 program, intriguingly captioned "West by Northwest," will feature music by Eastern European composers and music carrying an Eastern theme, ranging from Mozart to Dvorak to Bartok.
The St. Louis Symphony's summer series truly provides the proverbial "something for everyone." From Classical's Greatest Hits on May 20 (see if the selections line up with your own) to a portrayal of "Symphonic Hollywood" on June 4 (classical music, and its composers, impact Hollywood far more than most people realize) to a sing-along version of The Sound of Music on June 10, to tributes to the Rat Pack (June 17) and the Carpenters (June 26), the hard-working musical athletes of the SLSO will deliver the unerring artistry we rely upon.
Although all of the above highlights only some of the summer events in the area, they clearly demonstrate the kaleidoscope of what is planned. What stands out this year is that we are offered not only a vast selection of styles, periods and media, but also a wide range of comedy, seriousness, light-heartedness, tragedy, love and controversy. This season promises to be one to be grateful for, and one to remember.
Gary Scott blogs about music, education and life in general at scottmind.blogspot.com.
