The returned Wednesday night to open its 59th season at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in what has become a ritual: a Tchaikovsky spectacular. Besides people as far as the eye could see on the lawn and a full amphitheater, there was a hometown conductor on stage in Marin Alsop, the orchestra's new principal guest conductor, who was last at SPAC in 2017.

Dressed in a long white jacket, she led the orchestra through a stately national anthem with many in the crowd singing the words. Then the concert began with five selections from Tchaikovsky's “The Nutcracker.” They ranged from the delicate to the robust with melodies that floated along or tempos that had good drive. The audience loved it and cheered.

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