Photograh courtesy of the St. Louis Symphony
The St. Louis Symphony opens its 133rd season the weekend of September 28 with Witold Lutosławski's Concerto for Orchestra, Chopin's Second Piano Concerto (performed by guest artist Emanuel Ax), and Ottorino Respighi's sparkling Pines of Rome.
But on Wednesday at 7 p.m., they're hosting an unofficial kickoff to the season with a free outdoor concert on Art Hill in Forest Park, just like last year. Ward Stare conducts, and the program includes a nice balance of popular tunes, pure classical, and inbetweeners like Copland's "Hoe Down":
SMITH (arr. Sousa/Damrosch), "The Star-Spangled Banner "
SUPPÉ, Overture to Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna
MOZART, First Movement from Symphony No. 40, K. 550 J.
STRAUSS, JR., Artist's Quadrille (after Motives from Favorite Masters)
J. STRAUSS, SR., Radetzky March
SIBELIUS, Finlandia
COPLAND, "Hoe Down," from Rodeo
( arr. Hayman), “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”
WILLIAMS Olympic Fanfare and Theme
ARLEN (arr. Morley), The Wizard of Oz: Fantasy for Orchestra
BADELT/arr. Ricketts, Pirates of the Caribbean
SOUSA, "Stars and Stripes Forever"
It's a good idea to bring a blanket, a folding chair, or whatever your derriere needs to be comfortable for lawn seating. Picninc baskets are encouraged. And those partirotic selections are foreshadowing: at the end of the concert, there will be a big fireworks display. Which we suspect many people will also be excited about, considering no one got to see fireworks on Indepdenence Day, thanks to the drought (not that we would have been out watching them anyway, because it was still 100 degrees after dark).
On Thursday, the Symphony presents its first Pulitzer Season Concert at (natch) the Pulitzer (3716 Washington) with a program featuring Ravel, Debussy, and John Adams; on Friday, there is a tribute to Ray Charles, and this Saturday, Kenny G. joins the Symphony for one night. That's a lot of music for an unofficial opening weekend. There's more where that came from, too: go here for the Symphony's full season calendar.
