Concert recorded on the morning of Friday, October 25, 2024 at Touhill Performing Arts Center at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, and broadcast by STLPR on Saturday, October 26, at 7.30 p.m. local time
Meet the Slatkins – Leonard, Cindy, and Daniel, each a composer, Leonard an arranger on this occasion, an attractive selection of five Keyboard Sonatas of Domenico Scarlatti now gifted to an Orchestral Wind Ensemble, that of the St. Louis Symphony for this World Premiere performance. Having looked through all 555 Sonatas, Slatkin chose five for a varied confection. His deft assorted-instrument arrangements are skilful and persuasive, the music retaining its originality. Of the five, I recognised only the delightful E-major, Kk380, here piping pastorally.
Either side of the Scarlatti there was the welcome opportunity to revisit two pieces. Beforehand Timepiece (2000) by (Leonard’s wife) Cindy McTee and, aft, Voyager 130 (2024) by his son Daniel. The former is a brilliant woodblock-driven eight-minute showpiece in which McTee winds-up and releases time vibrantly and wittily – given a spectacularly rhythmic and colourful outing by the SLS and Slatkin, mutually synonymous over half-a-century-plus, he currently in his eightieth-birthday season, that milestone reached on September 1. Voyager 130 was recently launched in Dublin, followed by Lyon, now St. Louis, and soon Detroit. 130 is the Opus Number of Beethoven’s B-flat String Quartet, from which the sublime ‘Cavatina’ that travelled with both Voyager spacecrafts and which Daniel incorporates into his piece alongside electronics and recorded speeches, a gripping creation, a journey into the infinitesimal unknown, powerfully pictured, that here enjoyed a stellar performance.
Please see below for further words on Timepiece and Voyager 130, ***and also for an audience-filmed video for the surprise that followed the latter; suffice to say that it involves Daniel and a local-hero baseball player***.
Finally, Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony, central to Leonard Slatkin’s repertoire (twice recorded by him, SLS and Detroit), here with a brooding, purposeful and lyrically intense first movement, with bubbling woodwind detail, then – attacca – a spacious and soulful Andante cantabile, distinguished by a fine horn solo (I assume from Roger Kaza), refulgent strings (David Halen, concertmaster) and passionate climaxes. With the final two movements, not attached, respectively flowing yet lilting, and spirited (attempting to escape demons) and eventually victorious (majestic trumpets gleaming), this was a rendition to remind of the numerous SLS/Slatkin glory days.
This concert is given again today (27th) at 3 o’clock, same venue.
CINDY MCTEE: Timepiece
SCARLATTI/arr. LEONARD SLATKIN: Five Sonatas for Orchestral Wind Ensemble (World Premiere)
DANIEL SLATKIN: Voyager 130 (U.S. Premiere)
TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No.5
Appendices…
https://www.stlpr.org/arts/2024-10-24/it-wasnt-about-just-me-at-80-conductor-leonard-slatkin-reflects-on-a-life-of-collaboration (broadcast by STLPR on October 24)
***The video that was embedded here has been removed by request, for reasons of privacy. Of course, I have done so, albeit with regret, given it preserved a touching occasion, with my descriptive wording retained*** > Daniel Slatkin composer-conductor of Grand Slam Fanfare; guest appearance from Ozzie Smith, retired baseball shortstop who played for the St. Louis Cardinals. Leonard said he was “knocked out” by the surprise.