The music of Russian composers at the St. Louis summer concert

¶ … attended a summer concert series staged in an outdoor arena in a public park in St. Louis, Missouri. This was a special event concert called The Music of Russian Composers, featuring music of Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich, and Prokofiev. I was looking forward to this concert in particular because I have come to appreciate the music of the Russian composers. The outdoor arena created a relaxed and casual environment to experience the music of the symphony orchestra, which uses the town park as its temporary summer home. One of the primary draws to this concert in particular, other than its featuring Russian composers, was the pianist Kirill Gerstein and guest conductor Oliver Knussen.

From the moment the music started, the audience was enraptured by the skillful playing and rendition of the pieces. The concert opened with Shostakovich's Piano Concerto Number 2, then Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy, followed by Prokofiev's Piano Concerto Number 1. The pieces were chosen with attention to the skills of the pianist, but also with awareness of the need for variety and nuance. While there were some common musical threads between the three pieces, each had its own internal dynamics which blended with one another to create a cohesive concert whole. The entire symphony participated in each of the pieces, offering a full and rich instrumentation that complemented the addition of the lead pianist.

The most dynamic of all the pieces was the Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy, which started off as being a subtle and peaceful piece using clarinet, oboe and other reed instruments before bursting into a rich and lively textured intensity engaging the entire orchestra. The opening movement of the Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy had a melancholy tone, due to the reliance of the lower registers and bass tones, but also in part to the soporific opening using cellos and double-bases. Harps were also engaged in the first movement of this interesting piece, which seemed to suddenly switch moods, just as the nature of the Shakespearean drama itself. The piece did seem to recall the tragic tale of the two lovers who believed in each other and in their romance, but who were thwarted and eventually died due to the unfortunate circumstances of their families and an unwelcoming community. The Russian composer's sensitivity to the emotionality of the Romeo and Juliet story certainly permeated the piece. Movements that were languid and somber alternated with those that were poignant and punctuated by the use of strong percussive instruments like the bass drum.

In contrast, the Prokofiev Piano Concerto Number 1 remained intense throughout. The percussion section was more engaged during this piece than any other during the Russian Composers concert. In fact, the pianist's skills really shone through here, given the lively staccato and mechanical difficulty of the piano section. Syncopation was used liberally in this piece, as the piano played off with the other sections of the orchestra, almost as if using a call-and-response type approach. This showcased the communication between pianist, conductor, and orchestra, working together with point and counterpoint.

After the first movement of this concerto, there was a crescendo which highlighted the need for perfect timing, which the symphony did have and used well throughout the concert. The orchestra served to support the pianist during the key moments of this piece, which was as richly textured as the Tchaikovsky piece but completely different in emotional content. The Prokofiev piano concerto seemed almost happy, at least for a Russian composer. It is worth noting that Prokofiev was the earliest of the three Russian composures, chronologically, featured in this concert series. However, all three of these Russian composers lived at the early 20th century and would have experienced the Russian Revolution. The ups and downs of that tremendous upheaval in Russian society must have permeated the music of the nation's most famous composers.

Like the Prokofiev piano concerto, the Shostakovich Piano Concerto Number 2 featured the pianist prominently. The tone and style of this piece was completely different from the Prokofiev. Almost militaristic in nature, the Shostakovich boasted a marching band-like time signature with strong percussive elements. In this sense, it was similar to the Prokofiev piece. There is a sense of uplifting energy and glory, as if the composer wanted to create an anthem or piece suggesting victory and glory. The two piano concertos were much different in tone than the Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy, which is as intense emotionally as the two piano concertos but much more filled with pathos. The two piano concertos, with their strong percussive elements, were not melancholic but celebratory. In fact, the Shostakovich piece seemed the most "modern" in style because it offered pure solo time to the pianist unaccompanied by anything but the subtle drone of a woodwind instrument for harmonics.