St. Louis Symphony: Tchaikovsky 4

Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4 was written while the composer was somewhat in the weeds. He wanted to craft a symphony that did not sound particularly Russian (that ponderous, monumental sound) while also avoiding a strictly "technical" piece of music. He solved this problem by juxtaposing different musical ideas in close succession, creating a sense of movement and excitement. Erich Korngold was also at a crossroads when he composed Tänzchen im alten Stil. Only 21 when he wrote it, he was long past the days of being a child prodigy and was yet to establish his voice as a mature, serious composer. (Korngold would go on to score numerous films during Hollywood's golden age.) Tänzchen begins almost as a waltz, and then drops a major hint toward his future work with a cello solo that hints at his Romantic tendencies. It's a piece Finnish conductor John Storgårds has conducted and recorded in the past, and this weekend he leads the St. Louis Symphony through both works, plus Ravel's Piano Concerto in G. Tchaikovsky's No. 4 is performed at 10:30 a.m. Friday, 8 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday (November 10 to 12) at Powell Hall (718 North Grand Boulevard; www.slso.org). Tickets are $25 to $112.