For Reset, the St. Louis Symphony performed the United States premiere of John Cage’s Thirty Pieces for Five Orchestras (1981). Cage’s work required five conductors and nearly ninety musicians to be staged in separate ensembles throughout the galleries. St. Louis Symphony Director David Robertson seized the opportunity to assemble musicians in almost every available public space of the building, and as guests remained stationary in their seats, unseen sounds emanated and echoed around them. The orchestras later changed their location and played again, offering guests both a repeat performance and an alternate experience at the same time. Robertson selected Brett Dean’s Sketches for Siegbert (2011) for the program as well, which juxtaposed a composition for solo viola against the massive undertaking required for Cage’s Thirty Pieces.
Performance
Reset: St. Louis Symphony Concert
- This program is part of the series:
- St. Louis Symphony
Live at the Pulitzer