In Sunday’s (9/4) Post-Dispatch (Saint Louis), Sarah Bryan Miller writes, “Dance is in the forefront of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra’s 132nd season, with programs that include great ballet scores by Igor Stravinsky and Maurice Ravel, a touch of flamenco, and the return of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (Feb. 17-19). There are crowd-pleasing scores by Ludwig van Beethoven (the Symphony No. 5 and Piano Concerto No. 5, ‘Emperor’), Antonio Vivaldi (‘The Four Seasons’) and Ravel’s ‘Bolero.’ … There’s new music, including the world premiere of a new piano concerto by Steven Mackey, performed by Orli Shaham; the U.S. premiere of Philippe Manoury’s ‘Synapse,’ performed by violinist James Ehnes (Oct. 14 and 15); and Juan Carmona’s ‘Sinfonia Flamenca’ (complete with guitar ensemble and flamenco dancers, Nov. 25 and 26). … On Sept. 16 and 17, Robertson and the orchestra get down to business and begin their seasonlong focus on dance with two of Stravinsky’s best-known ballet scores (‘Petrushka,’ ‘The Rite of Spring’) and one receiving its SLSO debut, the neoclassical ‘Les Noces.’ It’s a fascinating work scored for soprano, alto, tenor and bass soloists, mixed chorus, percussion and four pianos.”
Posted September 8, 2011
