Missouri Classical Music News

Not long ago, the typical maestro would ride into town, bark Central European-accented commands at the orchestra, conduct some concerts, attend a banquet, and move on. These days, music directors have an expanded job description: they must not only convey the repertory to an extant audience of music lovers but also try to explain it to the great silent majority who rarely go to concerts. A singular thing about Robertson, who was born in Santa Monica, California, and has led the Ensemble Intercontemporain, in Paris, and the National Orchestra of Lyon, is that he actively enjoys his evangelical duties; not many maestros at his level condescend to lead Young People’s Concerts on a Tuesday morning. He’s also a brilliant musician and a master programmer. The St. Louis Symphony, which has gone through various financial crises and labor blowups in recent years, has seldom sounded so wide awake. It proved as much to New York audiences before Thanksgiving, with a strong pair of concerts at Carnegie Hall.