Symphony Review: Leonard Slatkin celebrates his 80th birthday with the gift of a dynamic program with the St. Louis Symphony

Leonard Slatkin celebrated this 80th birthday by gifting audiences on Oct. 25 and 27 with his direction of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) and a program that reflected personal and professional milestones in his life. Slatkin and the SLSO have a remarkable relationship and his influence was still tangible during the celebratory event titled Slatkin’s Legacy: A Birthday Celebration. The concert showcased his deep connections to the orchestra and his lifelong contributions to classical music, as well as the compositional talents of his wife, Cindy McTee, and son Daniel – plus a send-off Tchaikovsky-style.

The program included McTee’s “Timepiece,” a piece significant to Slatkin because it marked her first collaboration with the SLSO, as well as Slatkin’s own wind ensemble arrangements of works by Domenico Scarlatti. The program also featured the younger Slatkin’s “Voyager 130,” which was the U.S. premiere of the composition. The second half of concert was the performance of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5, a work closely associated with Slatkin’s tenure as SLSO Music Director, which lasted from 1979 to 1996.

The program began with McTee’s “Timepiece,”  a masterful composition that featured a precise-yet-celebratory blend of rhythmic vitality and orchestral color. It featured complex crosscutting time signatures and dovetailed rhythms that created an energetic musical landscape. With its octatonic scales and 12-tone rows, the piece felt playful yet dissonant while taking unexpected-yet-delightful turns. Slatkin’s direction highlighted the composition’s clever touches, like percussion punctuating ethereal string textures, as well as McTee’s sophisticated artistry and inventive spirit.

Next, Slatkin directed his own arrangement for orchestral wind ensemble of five of Domenico Scarlatti’s 555 keyboard sonatas. Completed during the pandemic, Slatkin’s choice of five complementary compositions takes full advantage of the keyboard virtuosity of the original works by adapting them to the distinctive qualities of wind instruments. This suite exemplifies Scarlatti’s harmonic ingenuity and Spanish influences, while offering contrasts in texture and mood. Slatkin’s arrangement preserves Scarlatti’s lively, playful style. The performance elevated and emphasized the wind ensemble’s ability to highlight the rhythmic drive and intricate harmonic details of the sonatas. Proof of Slatkin’s deep understanding and love of Scarlatti was the feeling that the pieces had always been for wind ensemble and that the orchestra could have played on and on. They were that pleasant and immersive.

The performance then moved from the familiar to the familial with Slatkin’s direction of Daniel Slatkin’s “Voyager 130,” which had recently received its world premiere in Dublin. Daniel Slatkin is a composer whose works reflect a fusion of classical traditions with contemporary influences. He often works on soundtracks, and “Voyager 130” had a cinematic vibe and featured innovative orchestral textures, which the senior Slatkin clearly evoked. The composition is an imaginative and evocative tribute to the Voyager space mission that draws inspiration from the Golden Record aboard the spacecraft. The piece integrates electronic soundscapes, spacecraft-inspired effects and a poignant fragment of Beethoven’s Cavatina from String Quartet No. 13. A highlight of the work was a captivating duet between the principal violin and cello that added a heartfelt, intimate dimension amidst the cosmic exploration.

After intermission, Slatkin’s legacy celebration continued with Tchaikovsky’s ever-popular Symphony No. 5 – a performance that definitely evoked fond memories of the symbiotic relationship between the director, the SLSO and the composer. The performance was a masterclass in interpretive depth and orchestral finesse. A celebrated work in Slatkin’s repertoire, this symphony has long been a platform for his ability to balance emotional intensity with structural clarity.

The performance showcased his trademark attention to detail, with an extraordinary sense of pacing that allowed the work’s dramatic transitions to feel organic and inevitable. From the somber opening motifs to the sweeping grandeur of the finale, Slatkin brought a refined sensitivity to every moment, drawing radiant textures from the strings and immaculate transparency from the winds and brass. The Andante cantabile was especially striking, with the interplay between woodwinds and strings creating an almost conversational intimacy.

What set this performance apart was Slatkin’s ability to infuse the symphony with freshness and reverence, reflecting his lifelong connection to Tchaikovsky’s music. His experience was evident in his command of the orchestra and his nuanced approach to dynamics. The climaxes in the final movements were exhilarating, never overblown, and the SLSO responded to Slatkin’s baton with exceptional precision and expressive power.

Slatkin’s Legacy served as a fitting homage to his leadership that included the elevation of the orchestra’s reputation through innovative programming, Grammy- and other award-winning recordings, support for emerging composers and engaging community initiatives. The performance also proved – yet again – that the SLSO and Slatkin can still impress an audience – and that was the true gift of the concert.

Slatkin’s Legacy: A Birthday Celebration with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra was performed on Oct. 25 and 27, 2024 at the Touhill Performing Arts Center.