Tchaikovsky & Copland feat. Anne Akiko Meyers, Nashville Symphony: at Schermerhorn Symphony Center (Nashville, TN) Sat. March 2, 2013

Tchaikovsky & Copland feat. Anne Akiko Meyers, Nashville Symphony

SunTrust Classical Series

Nashville Scene Critic's Pick …

Upon first listen, pinpointing the similarities between Tchaikovsky and Copland is about as easy as establishing common ground between the varying landscapes detailed in their works. Tchaikovsky’s controversial Symphony No. 5 is a direct interpretation of his brisk Russian homeland, and Copland’s El Salón México — deviating from his signature American style — serves as a window into the colorful Latin culture he lovingly admires. But one trait remains constant: Both composers have a distinct affinity for cultural identity, and they prove it through thunderous, booming tributes. Likewise, Mason Bates marries his own world of electronic music with classical through the newly commissioned Violin Concerto. Standard symphonic instruments merge with Bates’ digitized idiosyncrasies from his years DJing in San Francisco, as he incorporates Anne Akiko Meyers’ violin with his own primal modernity. Spanning three generations, the evening’s bill is a prime evolutionary cross-section of Western composition influenced by three distinctly vibrant cultures.

—Matt Fox