Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloé: Love and Transformation

Music Director Stéphane Denève, IN UNISON Chorus Director Kevin McBeth, and St. Louis Symphony Chorus Director Erin Freeman join Assistant Conductor Sam Hollister to reflect on a season defined by connection, collaboration, and growth. Together, they explore the themes of love and community at the heart of a program featuring Kevin Puts, Nathalie Joachim, and Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloé, including the long-awaited premiere of Joachim’s Family. The conversation offers a look back at meaningful moments from the season and a glimpse ahead to what’s next for the SLSO.

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:04

Welcome to Noted, a podcast that offers a quick look at the personal stories and perspectives behind each SLSO classical program. I'm Sam Hollister, assistant conductor of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. This week we're joined by a group of artists who represent the many voices that make up the SLSO family. Music Director Stefan Deneve, In Unison Chorus Director Kevin Macbeth, and St. Louis Symphony Chorus Director Aaron Freeman. Thank you all so much for being here. Thank you. Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 0:35

Thank you, Sam.

SPEAKER_03 0:36

Together, this team will bring to life a program centered on connection and community. It opens with Virlet by our composer in residence, Kevin Putz, continues with the world premiere of Family by Natalie Joachin, written especially for the In Unison chorus, and concludes with Maurice Revell's Daphnis and Chloe. Now, a question for all of you. When you each think back on this first full season, returning to Powell Hall, what's one moment in performance with your ensemble that felt especially memorable?

SPEAKER_02 1:10

I would say the moment in the Britain War Requiem when we got to the final chorale and to hear those voices demonstrate such restraint, and to hear the hall become part of the instrument of the chorus, it was truly astonishing.

SPEAKER_00 1:33

If I'm not mistaken, I think that the In Unison Chorus was the first ensemble to sing in the Education Learning Center. And to be in that space, it's so clean and it's a forgiving space in one way because I think the voices just sound beautiful, but then to just sort of christen our new home. I mean, there there were tears in rehearsal that evening. They just they couldn't believe we were home, they couldn't believe we were in this beautiful space. And so I'll always remember those first rehearsals in that room.

SPEAKER_03 1:59

All of our first moments back in the hall were so filled with emotion. What do you think, Stefan?

SPEAKER_01 2:04

Oh, definitely the very first note we played back, we all had tears in our eyes. And there was a moment of family meme feeling because you were there and uh Erin was there, and Leonard Sladkin, my predecessor, was there too. And we all thought, like, oh my god, it sounds even better. And it was hard to accept that it will not be the same, but better. That was very, very memorable. And I remember the first time I sung thanks to Inuison Chorus. I joined the chorus on stage during our community event, and as I was facing the audience, I was like, what a fabulous view! Because of course I always turn my back, so I don't have the pleasure to see this amazing rotunda and the audience and this red velvet and all those lights and these gold leaves. It's so beautiful. So yeah. What's your best moment?

SPEAKER_03 2:57

You're part of the family with the youth orchestra. Yeah. One of the proudest moments that I felt this season with the youth orchestra is uh we just performed The Planets in our second concert of the season. And you know, The Planets is a mammoth piece with uh incredible difficulty for every instrumentalist involved. And the scope of the piece is massive. The the number of instruments you need, you have to find a bass oboe, you have to have organ, and of course, you have to have a choir. You have to have six-part soprano, soprano, alto, soprano, soprano, alto vocal ensemble ready to go for Neptune in the balcony. And this was our first ever collaboration between the St. Louis Symphony Chorus and the Youth Orchestra. Really?

SPEAKER_02 3:47

It was the first of the history of the organization?

SPEAKER_03 3:49

The history of the organization.

SPEAKER_02 3:50

Oh my gosh. I know, I know our Sopralto's, as I like to call them. Sopral really enjoyed doing it.

SPEAKER_03 3:56

Well, with all of these collaborations throughout this season, is there anything in particular that any of you feel you've learned from each other?

SPEAKER_02 4:05

Oh. Okay. I want to talk about Kevin Macbeth, because we should always talk about Kevin Macbeth. Really? Without Really. You know, when COVID first hit, I remember someone taught me this saying people first, content second, technology third, because we were working so hard to integrate technology into our lives, and we were forgetting that there are people. And I feel like sometimes in my work, I got super serious and I forget that joy in humanity needs to come first. And if you have that, then you will have that excellence. And so when I watch you and watch how you work and watch how you approach all the people on stage with you or in the rehearsal with you, I am just reminded that without joy, the excellence doesn't reach as high as it could. And so I learned so much from you when I'm watching you rehearse. So thank you for that.

SPEAKER_00 5:00

Well, that's that's very special. I appreciate that greatly. And and on and by the same token, you know, watching uh both Erin and Stefan rehearse. I think that's really where our work comes. Uh our audiences see us, you know, in in performance, but by that time, you know, I'm I'm just directing traffic at that point. You know, it's just making sure that everybody gets through the intersections the way that they need to. The work really happens in rehearsal. And so watching both of them rehearse, just the way that their minds work and the way that everything comes together, and the demand for excellence, but the understanding that uh it is it it continues to be a process. And so I think we continue to to learn from each other because that's the uh that's the the sort of the teaching ground for us.

SPEAKER_01 5:40

I often say that um music is the shortest way from one heart to another. It became a little bit of a motto, not that I wanted to, but uh uh We're getting t-shirts that say. Yes, the t-shirts are in the print shop already. But actually, this season, it's still true, but we abolished the distances because I mean you've been conducting indeed from uh the foyer where when we do the Waur QM, and uh we we have had those ones where we are are far from each other, and I was listening to your rehearsal from the very last um row on the balcony on the very top of the hall, and I said to her, it feels like you you are so close, and somehow what I learned is that there is a possibility uh when you do music to abolish distance between people, between hearts, and uh truly connect, really. I say it very just in the main sense of the word, connect. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:36

And then Sam, what I get from Sam, y'all should just like hang out with Sam, the audience, go hang out with Sam, because there is excitement, and I'll use that word joy again, in the way it feels to me like you approach detail is through this sense of curiosity and joy. And so it reminds me that when I'm working on my score to approach my details like that, and don't get stressed out about it, but just really ask questions about each one of these little items that when they compound together become this incredible massive whole. And and I I just uh appreciate that about you. Well, thank you. Is this a first where there are four conductors in a room like praising and lifting each other up? I mean, I feel like like no knives are out. I mean, this is kind of uh seems to be on honestly.

SPEAKER_03 7:23

That'll be your first two of them.

SPEAKER_02 7:24

I think so. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 7:25

Well, speaking of feelings of love and community, are there any particular places in this program that each of you find those themes coming through the most?

SPEAKER_00 7:34

I'll go first because mine's the easiest. I mean, uh the the the piece is family and written, you know, about love and community. And and I I remember just recently I was at a conference talking to colleagues about what you know, everybody wants to know what do you have coming up, and I talked about this commission and and uh and we got a chance to meet Natalie, and she's an incredible person and it's really cool music. And then I said, and the libretto, the text, is made up of conversation that she had with several chorus members, and everybody's just speechless at that point. They're like, you know, the fact of taking the time to do that and and getting the feedback from the chorus, and and uh without really probably in the the intention, uh they're so dialed into this piece because it's about them. It's you know, they know it's uh it's it's from their words, and so they're working really hard to be the best at this piece that they can. And of course the whole thing is about the connection to family, mother and brother and father and sister. You'll hear the whole lineage i in all of the text and and um uh the fact that we want everybody to feel that way when they're a part of an experience here at uh at the hall. So uh it's just naturally baked into what we're doing for the music, sure.

SPEAKER_01 8:40

Can you imagine that family was actually born sadly during the COVID time, and that those dialogues had to be distanced, you know, they were virtual, and that even the premiere was cancelled because of this moment where we were separated from each other, and what a revenge that finally we performed for the first time with all the vocal forces and the full orchestra, and and that we we are all united to be so close and again now to not fear to be close.

SPEAKER_02 9:13

For us, it's a little different. We don't have any text. So there are no words for me to connect to and say this this piece has the word family or brother or sister. It's all mmm, various versions of the vowel ah. But what's super fun about that is we are truly part of the orchestra in this, you know. So I love wordless pieces with the orchestra because we give ourselves over to that sound and we become part of that sound. There, I think for me, there are two parts that are really family and community. When the chorus comes in at the end of the big sunrise, that part is stunning, stunning. And it wouldn't work if there weren't voices. I'm just saying. And then there's this moment in the final dance where everyone is dancing and celebrating together, right? Where the chorus goes. They're doing they have this um off beat, and then there's this quarter note rest, and they go bah, that beat two. For me, that beat two, where it where it's finally not syncopated, is this gathering of energy and forces and community all together on that beat too. That is my favorite beat of the piece.

SPEAKER_03 10:27

Yeah, yeah. Now, Stefan, you've had a long working relationship with Kevin Putz, including the SLSO's commission and premiere of Virle in 2019. How has your collaboration with him evolved over time?

SPEAKER_01 10:43

Well, it's quite amazing because friendship actually can reveal itself right away. And I believe that's what happened with Kevin. I would say it's kind of friendship at first sight, you know. I always felt very at ease with him, and he has an amazing sense of humor, and we laugh together a lot. So I would say it just gets I mean even more brotherhood feeling. And uh what I find remarkable is that he's extremely open to discuss his music. He really wants you to improve it if possible. And I as an interpret myself, who sadly doesn't have the genius to be a composer, it's the closest I get from this feeling of uh influencing the birth of a piece. And so that for me, this trust that that he seems to have, in my point of view, is something very touching. And uh during the season we had some really touching moments where when we performed again the concert of orchestra, he saw how much the orchestra, the musician, and myself we we started where we left it in a way. And it's like friendship, right? You can continue where you were, you know, like time doesn't have an effect on it. And I felt it kind of the same. Like we we basically started where we were at the last concert and built from there to even higher. So he was a happy composer, and uh I don't find the right rhyme here. You said a happy wife, happy life, so happy composer. Well, happy conductor too, anyway.

SPEAKER_03 12:12

Now, Aaron, the chorus opened the season with Kevin Puts's House of Tomorrow, and now it's closing the season with Daphnis and Chloe. How have you seen the chorus grow or change over the course of the season?

SPEAKER_02 12:25

Wow, you know, it's kind of hard to say only because when you have a different project each time and a different style of music each time, you judge it by how it meets that style of music. So whether it's messiah or magic flute or a movie score or whatever, there's something different to attack in that rehearsal process. But as I think about the entire season, I think about all of the different colors that we've had to bring to the stage. You know, we've had the sort of Bachmeet 21st century Kevin Putz, right? We have the incredibly diverse sets of colors in the Britain War Requiem from opera to Renaissance, we had the melismas of Messiah and the characters of Magic Flute. And so I'm looking forward to incorporating all of the various colors that we've had to explore in our variety of repertoire in this piece. That's where I feel like we continue to grow is our exploration of colors and our ability to do all kinds of styles. And I think that Daphns will give us the chance to show that off a little bit.

SPEAKER_03 13:34

Now, Kevin, I'll start with you for our last question, which is if you look ahead to next season and think about next season, is there anything in particular that you're excited for?

SPEAKER_00 13:44

Uh, I mean, I'm always excited about venturing into some new territory. And uh, we've got some great guest artists who are coming, and so always excited about those new collaborations. Uh Isaac Cates from Kansas City will be with us. And then, of course, uh, you know, the incomparable Jennifer Lewis is coming in at Christmas time. And uh when Jennifer's in town, it's just always a party. She brings that energy to the uh to the stage, and so just excitement on all those levels of being able to work with people of that caliber, and also talking about a feeling of growth. I finally feel after these six years that In Unison Chorus uh really is has built its number back up. That was the thing that took us a little while, was just sort of regaining our membership back. And so we finally, I think, uh sort of have a solid now roster of singers, and so just excited about tackling all of that uh that great music for next season. Wonderful.

SPEAKER_03 14:35

What about you, Stefan? What are you looking forward to the most?

SPEAKER_01 14:37

You ask me again to choose between my children, which is very hard. Always no because people sometimes don't know how much time and care you put in creating those programs. So of course you you start to obviously love all of them. But of course, being here in great company of uh amazing choir directors.

SPEAKER_02 14:57

Yeah, I was gonna say you better choose the choral concert.

SPEAKER_01 15:01

I feel the pressure watching. Yeah, no, but it's true that I'm myself I come from the opera world at the start of my career, and I love voices, and I love to have this amazing vocal, you know, uh choirs. And so we have an amazing programme with um L'Enfant les Sortilèges of Ravel, which is the most enchanting piece ever, and the Gloria of Poulinque, which is glorious. And uh so I I I I have to say I'm of course very much looking forward to that programme, and and um well we will end our season with Malo's third symphony, and that's another amazing Everest, you know, amazing mountain of life-changing piece. So uh well, you know, I can list every concert better than six, uh Schock of Instein and and Brahm's third and and Pies of Rome, and uh I mean it's one after the other, really. I mean, it's a Tchaikovsky six. I mean yeah, a lot of big, big symphonies next season, and I'm looking forward to have this journey. It's always an amazing journey, and I know that I'll do this journey in the best possible environment with the best musical forces, so uh it's humbling. And what about you, Erin?

SPEAKER_02 16:11

Wow, well, you know, next year we kick off our 50th anniversary season, so we have the opportunity to be on a lot of different concerts and do a lot of different repertoires. So uh we're singing in English, Latin, French, German and nonsense syllables. We're singing the music of Stravinsky, sort of a little angular, um, but also stunningly beautiful. We're doing the Poulank with uh Stefan, which is kind of can meat, French. I mean, it's such a unique rum of a piece. I love it. Um, and uh Mendelssohn and Haydn and I'm looking forward to the variety again, letting us show off all the different styles that we're able to do.

SPEAKER_00 16:59

And of course, uh your opportunity to conduct at Christmas. Oh, right.

SPEAKER_02 17:03

I did forget the most important concert of the year, which would be the Mercy Holiday Pops, where I'm conducting. And fantastic. So, Sam, what about you? What are you looking forward to next year?

SPEAKER_03 17:14

Well, I know there will be so much to look forward to with the youth orchestra. You know, we tend to try to program as we get to know who has auditioned and who will be in the group. So we hold the programming on ice for a little bit. But with SLSO, there will be so many things this coming season that I'm looking forward to conducting. Two of the playlist concerts might be the ones I'm looking forward to the most. There's Pictures at an Exhibition and WC's La Mer. And those are both pieces that captivated my heart and my soul when I was a kid listening to them on recordings for the first time. When I was a young pianist, I tried playing most. I think at some point I had all of pictures in my fingers from the original piano suite. And it's just the music that I fell in love with, so it feels very special to be able to work on that music and so much more great repertoire in the coming season. Well, what a phenomenal privilege to have all of you with us today. Thank you all so much for helping us reflect on this monumental season. It's been a real pleasure speaking with all of you. Thank you. Thank you, Sam. Merci. And to our listeners, thank you for joining us for this first season of Noted. We'll be back with more episodes next season, so stay tuned and visit slso.org to explore our next season's concert lineup.