WHAT A COINCIDENCE - SO IS OURS!

Seen in the symphony hall parking lot.      

HOLIDAYS AT THE SYMPHONY HALL

Mrs. C and I have been subscribers to the St. Louis Symphony for something like 43 or 44 years. It is one of the best in the United States, a jewel of this medium-sized city. Powell Symphony Hall was built in 1925 as a movie and vaudeville palace. It reopened for the SLSO in 1968, a few months after I showed up here. Our first date was here in the spring of 1973, when we heard Mahler's 1st. I can't guess how many times we have returned. It looks warm and inviting in its holiday decor.            

HOLIDAYS AT THE SYMPHONY HALL

We are fortunate to have one of America's finest symphony orchestras. It is the second oldest in the country, behind only the New York Philharmonic (which once had Gustav Mahler as its conductor so how you gonna beat that). Our new music director,  Stéphane Denève, has brought the St. Louis Symphony to even greater artistic achievement. Mrs. C and I have been subscribers for 43 years.

Powell Symphony Hall is gorgeous at this time of year. This is how we were greeted last weekend when we attended a program of the music of Handel and Bach.     

Ellie Goes to the Symphony 2

I think the kid has been to a small scale circus in Powell Hall but never a performance of the symphony. Mrs. C and I have been subscribers to the SLSO for something over 40 years. It was a real pleasure to share with Ellie something that has been such an important part of our lives.

In the first picture, Ellie and our daughter Emily pose on the grand staircase, seen from above in the third photo. And, if she has a mind to, she knows how to pose.          

Ellie Goes to the Symphony 1

When Mrs. C and I are off to somewhere, Ellie frequently pipes up with "I go there sometime?"  We always say yes or we hope so. She has mentioned this several times when we were going to the symphony. Last night was her turn,

The marvelous St. Louis Symphony Orchestra has several holiday programs. This weekend it's excerpts from Disney animated films with the orchestra playing the scores, led by resident conductor Gemma New. Ellie was spellbound as the screen went through old and new favorites, including Moana, Frozen, Winnie the Pooh and several more. More pix to come of her experience.

A Heck Of An Introduction

After thirteen years, the St. Louis Symphony's beloved music director, David Robertson, will leave us at the end of this season. I don't know how he has kept it up this long. His home is in New York. His wife is the concert pianist Orli Shaham. They have twin sons. I saw that he is conducting Cosi Fan Tutti at the Metropolitan Opera this spring. Oh, and he is also chief conductor or the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. It has been a great pleasure to have him here.

Time passes. Our new music director, starting with the 2019-2020 season, is Frenchman Stéphane Denève. This weekend was his only guest appearance this year and we've never heard him before. O M G. He conducted a program of French music, featuring sisters Christina and Michelle Naughton, below, playing the Poulenc Concerto for Two Pianos. There arms are so fluid they looked like four octopus tentacles. Denève is a spectacular talent. We look forward to hearing much more from him.

The handsome couple below saw me taking the picture of the Naughtons on my phone at intermission. They asked me to take their picture on his phone. We are glad to have more young people in the audience.

Madeleine Monday: At Element, Powell Symphony Hall And Meeting Santa

Yes, it's time for my favorite moppet, out for a whirl this weekend. Top, the guest of honor with mom Emily at Element Friday night. (She's always the guest of honor.) Middle, her first visit to Powell Symphony Hall with daddy Brian (that's grandpa's girl - I didn't get to Carnegie Hall until I was, I think, 12 or 13) for this weekend's performance by Circus Flora with the St. Louis Symphony. Bottom, first face-to-face encounter with Santa at a church Christmas pageant. Getting pretty worn out by that point. Second and third pictures by Emily, iPhone and Canon 5D Mark II, respectively.

The child does not lack for stimulation.                          

Backstage

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Just a quickie - working too late, have to pack for the weekend, etc. etc. We're going to Kansas City today and on to Marysville, Kansas, tomorrow. Carolyn's mother's birthday is right around our Thanksgiving holiday and she'll be 94 in a few days. We need to show up.

The first two pictures are in the men's locker room backstage at Powell Hall. The other two are of the orchestra members' lounge. The men (and it's about 50-50 men and women these days) share 2 or 3 to a locker. There seems to be a bit of attitude. Notice the "No Practice Zone" sign in the third picture. The last pic is part of the musicians' coffee/tea cup nook. The first space, "D Halen", the concertmaster David Halen, is empty. One or two have dry tea bags hanging off the side. Also note the  pretzels in Row 2, Column 1.

May or may not be a post tomorrow on our country's Thanksgiving holiday. Maybe I'll find something in KC tonight. Maybe something will go up in the morning my time, instead of the usual midnight.

Inside The Hall

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The auditorium of Powell Symphony Hall tells you that you are in an important place. Our orchestra is in the top tier in the United States, up there with New York, Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles. The feel is traditional, but then a lot of what is heard is the work of what Peter Schickele calls decomposers. The SLSO's music director, David Robertson, makes sure that the work of the 21st and late 20th Centuries is well represented. (Geez, The Rite of Spring is 99 years old. Get with it already.)

The colors of the hall are red, cream and gold. The music has even more hues.

Powell Symphony Hall

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A couple of weeks ago the St. Louis Symphony held an event for subscribers (which we've been for 35 years). You could tour Powell Hall with a docent, front and back of the house, learning its history and secrets. Cameras were welcome.

This is the grand hall between the auditorium and the street. It was patterned on the chapel in Versailles. Not identical - it lacks the grand paintings - but our colleague Cieldequimper may recognize the pattern of columns and balconies. 

We will visit the auditorium tomorrow.

BTW, we attended yesterday afternoon's performance, featuring Ukranian-Israeli violinist Vadim Gluzman playing the Tchaikovsky concerto. Holy bleep! I would never imagine that human fingers could move so fast. Brilliant.