Trans-Siberian Orchestra revives Beethoven at Show Me Center concert

It began with a quiet Beethoven piano melody from a nearly dark stage. The audience applauded and murmured approval because they knew thundering bass was only a few measures away.

It's a marriage of classic and rock music, and spans decades of age ranges.

"I've always been interested in seeing this group," said Ray Shoaf, 69, of Morley, Mo. He had considered a trip to St. Louis with his grandson from Jackson to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra. When this concert came up, he enthusiastically said, "Let's go."

TSO founder Paul O'Neill has said it was as if Beethoven's fifth symphony was written by Aerosmith or Led Zeppelin.

The performance is scaled down from the wildly flashing Christmas tours, but the famous chords of Beethoven's fifth are punctuated by 20-foot flames. The concert needed five trucks to haul the equipment.

Thursday's Show Me Center event brought an audience of just fewer than 2,000. It netted $1,879 for United Way of Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois.

"Beethoven's Last Night," narrated by a booming voice, sees a devil figure tries to claim the composer's music and soul during a midnight thunderstorm. Beethoven realizes his music is the reason for his existence, and decides that he would rather suffer for eternity than have it destroyed.

Mary Greaser of Cape Girardeau has been to all TSO's concerts here, and her enthusiasm rubbed off on a friend who accompanied her. Bobbie Wengert of Perryville, Mo., said a previous concert "just gave me goosebumps right off the bat because it was so electrifying."

"We love Beethoven, so we thought we'd see what they are doing with it," said Helen Hammond of Cape Girardeau, who, with husband Dick, heard TSO at Christmas. "I like all this [theatrical] stuff."

TSO is a top-selling group. Its latest album, "Nightcastle," is certified gold.

The group finds local musicians to perform with it. Rhett Hendrickson, a local violist, has played with the group a total of five times now.

The group has nearly solid daily performances for the next week in the upper Midwest and then heads back to the studio to finish its next album, a rock opera based on the Bolshevik Revolution.

Pertinent address:

1333 N. Sprigg Street, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701