Sinaisky in St. Louis

Just some brief observations from tonight’s performance of the SLSO:

Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet has been made cliche, so it’s a little difficult to get involved with. But Vassily Sinaisky, the guest conductor, was so enthusiastically animated and the entirety of the strings were so dead-on that this performance was surprisingly fun.

The Playbill had be ready to be fascinated by Witold Lutoslawkski’s Dance Preludes and Walter Piston’s Clarinet Concerto, but they both just bored me so that my mind wandered. Scott Andrews drew amazing range and fluidity from the clarinet, but that just wasn’t enough.

The real discovery of the night is Dmitry Shostakovich’s first Symphony. It was engaging, passionate, and full or energy. If anything, it got a bit over-the-top and seemed like the composer was showing off, but the musicians handled it with aplomb and left me hungry for more. I’ll be seeking out more from Shostakovich during my next music binge.