For the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra
On Beethoven’s “Egmont” Overture, Schumann’s Piano Concerto, and Nielsen’s Symphony No. 3 (October 23 & 24). Beginning on p. 26.
On Wagner’s Parsifal and Beethoven’s Ninth (Oct. 9-11). Beginning on p. 25.
On Richard Strauss (September 25 & 26, 2015). Beginning on p. 26.
http://tinyurl.com/qbwkr3z
On Elgar, Glanert, Brahms (April 25 & 26, 2015). Beginning on p. 26
On Fauré, Wagner, and Bruckner (March 6 & 7, 2015). Beginning on p. 26
Unusual All-Beethoven Program (January 23 & January 24). Beginning on p. 26.
On Brahms/Glanert and Brahms (October 4 & 5, 2014). Beginning on p. 26.
On Brahms, Vaughan Williams, and Nielsen (September 12 & 13, 2014). Beginning on p. 26.
On Brahms, Wagner, and Schoenberg (March 28 & 29, 2014). Beginning on p. 26. http://www.stlsymphony.org/media/production/notes/3933.pdf
On Mendelssohn and Brahms (February 7-9, 2014). Beginning on p. 26. http://www.stlsymphony.org/media/production/notes/3928.pdf
On S. Berg, Nielsen, and Beethoven (January 10 and 11, 2014). Beginning on p. 26. http://www.stlsymphony.org/media/production/notes/3924.pdf
On Smetana, Sibelius, Dvorák, and Rautavaara (Joshua Bell Returns: November 29, November 30, and December 1, 2013/2014). Beginning on p. 26.
On Rossini, Paganini, and Berlioz (April 12-14, 2013). Beginning on p. 22. http://www.stlsymphony.org/media/production/notes/3516.pdf
On Sibelius, Prokofiev, and Sibelius (February 1-2, 2013). Beginning on p. 26. http://www.stlsymphony.org/media/production/notes/3497.pdf
For the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra
On Adam Schoenberg, Copland, Mahler, and Respighi (June 1, 2014)
On Wagner, Elgar, and Tchaikovsky (March 23, 2014) http://www.stlsymphony.org/media/production/notes/4304.pdf
On Buxtehude/Chávez, Pärt, Britten, and Dvórak (November 24, 2013). http://www.stlsymphony.org/media/production/notes/4303.pdf
On Kabalevsky, Saint-Saëns, Debussy, Shostakovich http://www.stlsymphony.org/media/production/notes/3789.pdf
On Bizet, Marshall, Brahms (March 10, 2013). Beginning on p. 31. http://www.stlsymphony.org/media/production/notes/3788.pdf
On Schubert, Glière, Rachmaninoff (May 20, 2012) http://www.stlsymphony.org/media/pdf/notes/1112/20120520.pdf
On Mozart, Stravinsky, Debussy, Rimsky-Korsakov (March 9, 2012). http://www.stlsymphony.org/media/pdf/notes/1112/20120309.pdf
For the Dallas Symphony
On Piazzolla and Schumann (Remix concert) (March 7 & 8, 2014) https://www.dallassymphony.com/blog/2014/3/4/program-notes-tango-to-argentina-(march-7-8).aspx
On the music of the Cotton Club (November 8-10, 2013) https://www.dallassymphony.com/media/255565/insert_8_cottonclub_final.pdf
On the music of Hitchcock (October 25 & 26, 2013) https://www.dallassymphony.com/media/252920/hitchcock_-_insert_6_final.pdf
For PlaybillArts (classical music site)
On the premiere of John Adams’s Doctor Atomic Symphony by the SLSO (February 2008) http://www.playbillarts.com/features/article/7556.html
A Passion for Piston (January 2007)
http://www.playbillarts.com/features/article/5853.html
http://www.playbillarts.com/features/article/4242.html
Miscellaneous Writing
On Emily Hahn (guest post on St. Louis Public Library Scribbler) http://slplscribbler.wordpress.com/2013/04/22/guest-post-rene-saller-on-emily-hahns-no-hurry-to-get-home/
On the death of Vic Chesnutt (guest post on Boogie Woogie Flu) http://boogiewoogieflu.blogspot.com/2009/12/of-loss-and-longing-and-sloppy-satori.html
On spending Christmas as a fille au pair (for the Illinois Times)
http://www.illinoistimes.com/Springfield/article-4682-lost-in-translation.html
On Fiona Apple’s Extraordinary Machine
http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/dramatic-re-entry/content?oid=44417
Many, many music reviews for the Illinois Times (2004-2008)
http://www.illinoistimes.com/Springfield/by-author-126-1.html
http://www.illinoistimes.com/Springfield/article-4025-the-brain-of-bird.html
Many, many music articles, reviews, and features for Riverfront Times and sister papers (1998-2003) http://www.riverfronttimes.com/authors/ren-spencer-saller/
http://www.riverfronttimes.com/2000-09-06/music/calling-from-home/
http://www.riverfronttimes.com/2001-12-05/music/minstrel-tension/
http://www.dallasobserver.com/2002-11-14/music/mann-power/
http://www.dallasobserver.com/2002-10-03/music/slugging-it-out/
http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2001-09-20/music/band-aid/
http://www.riverfronttimes.com/2001-07-11/music/pew-fellowship/
http://www.riverfronttimes.com/2001-10-17/music/berry-berry-good/
http://www.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/childss-play/Content?oid=1066606
http://www.riverfronttimes.com/1999-12-15/music/sally-timms/
http://www.riverfronttimes.com/1998-12-09/music/the-rolling-stones/
A couple of short record reviews for The Boston Phoenix
http://thephoenix.com/authors/rené-spencer-saller/
Award-Winning Music Essays
Association of Alternative Weeklies, 2005 MUSIC CRITICISM Circulation < 50,000 First Place: Sound Patrol: Reviews of Ike Turner’s “His Woman, Her Man”; Wilco’s “A Ghost Is Born,” and Eminem’s “Encore.”
http://www.illinoistimes.com/Springfield/article-1177-flashback-to-iconic-.html http://www.illinoistimes.com/Springfield/article-1211-haunted-by-high-expectations-wilco-produces-a-minor-ghost.html http://www.illinoistimes.com/Springfield/article-1640-sound-patrol-12-9-04.html
http://illinoistimes.com/article-1640-sound-patrol-12-9-04.html
Interview regarding AAN award:
Other AAN awards:
http://www.altweeklies.com/aan/rene-spencer-saller/Person?oid=7882 http://www.altweeklies.com/files/ILTIMESsaller.pdf
http://www.illinoistimes.com/Springfield/article-2985-case-of-the-missing-heart.html http://www.illinoistimes.com/Springfield/article-3031-the-stuff-that-dreams-are-made-of.html http://www.illinoistimes.com/Springfield/article-2763-rediscovering-kate-bush.html
I knew your writing career has been impressive. But – I did not know how extensive. You are so insightful and deep into the meaning of your subjects, be they people, literature, music, or everyday life events. So much consideration! I am impressed!
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Aw, thank you so much, Lecil. That is very kind of you to say. I’m glad you enjoyed dipping into it. I plan to start posting more of my Dallas annotations soon; the vast majority of my program notes aren’t online, only published in the printed programs.
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