The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra was at Carnegie Hall Tuesday evening, but not to do its own full-fledged program. Rather, the orchestra played with pianist/composer Brad Mehldau, pictured, who headlined the evening with a piece titled "Highway Rider" that was played at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis Nov. 5 & 6.
The New York Times reviewed the Mehldau piece favorably, adding this final paragraphy focused just on the SPCO:
"Clearly unwilling to squander a visit to New York by performing as a backing band, the orchestra also played a short preconcert program devoted to Shostakovich's Chamber Symphony in F (Op. 73a, actually Rudolf Barshai's 1990 orchestration of the Third String Quartet). The arrangement works brilliantly. The passion of Shostakovich's 1946 meditation on World War II is magnified not only by the heftiness of the string textures but also by the broadened palette afforded by the winds and harp. The orchestra, led by its concertmaster, Steven Copes, produced a wonderfully focused, opulent sound."
Suggested links:
A recent Star Tribune story about Mehldau and his new composition.
In heated western Minn. GOP congressional primary, outsiders challenging incumbent
Minnesota Sports Hall of Fame: A class-by-class list of all members
This retired journalist changed professional wrestling from Mankato
