Music director Carl St.Clair conducted Tchaikovsky’s Pathetique symphony.
The last time I heard this live was part of the symphony's departure series, five years ago.
Back then, Carl shared his unique interpretation of the piece.
For example, of the second theme of the first movement (the love melody), "What it this was not a love melody, but a farewell to life?"
This time, the main question he left for the audience to ponder was, "Was this Tchaikovsky's auto-biography?"
Was the first movement a bunch of musical sighs, and indeed a farewell to love and life?
Was the broken waltz in the second movement moving away from the joys of the waltzes in his ballet pieces?
Was the victory march in the third movement his determination to face death?
My favorite part of this piece is when the audience applauds after the third movement.
Today's concert they were already clapping after the first and second movements!
Maybe European style? :)
(I also heard a cricket-ish sound throughout the fourth movement...)
Carl gave a teaser for the next and final Casual Connections Concert.
Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet, the "happy ending" version, with narrators and dancers! :)
A recording of the Saturday evening concert will be broadcast on KUSC on July 5 this year.
Listen to Alan Chapman's preview on SoundCloud.
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