Mozart, Bernstein & Nielsen - Utah Symphony

After more than a month of absence, this week maestro Theirry Fischer, Artistic Director of the Utah Symphony, made a triumphant return to the podium. Though Mark Wigglesworth and Jerry Steichen did wonderful work with the symphony, it is extremely a welcome sight to see Fischer back!

Opening the concert was one of classical music's greatest hits and most well-known pieces: "Eine kleine Nachtmusik" (Serenade No. 13 for strings in G major, K 525) by Wolfgang Amadé Mozart. The reduced string section presented the famous work and with Fischer at the helm did a historically informed piece that remained true to its authenticity yet provided a remarkably fresh interpretation that was as exciting as it was familiar.

Kathryn Eberle, associate concertmaster of the Utah Symphony, gave a excellent performance of Leonard Bernstein's Serenade (after Plato's "Symposium"). The work is characteristic of Bernstein, full of wit and charm. Bernstein's symphonic work has an unbridled quality about it, free of convention and the working of a unrestrained creative genius. Maestro Fischer and the young Eberle were an excellent team from the exquisitely passion-filled lyricism of the first movement to the showy, theater-like final movement. Eberle showed an incredible range of capabilities and handled the piece like a true master.

Thierry Fischer

After an extremely audience-pleasing performance of the Overture from Candide, the symphony presented Danish composer Carl Nielsen's Symphony No. 5. Often associate with war, the symphony is one of Nielsen's most powerful works. It challenges the concepts of classical form and is unpredictable modern writing, consisting of only two movements. Principle clarinetist, Tad Calcara, dazzled as usual as he played the lyrical and evocative lines. Also of note was Keith Carrick on snare drum. Through the first movement the snare pierces through the texture and Carrick improvised so powerfully that it gave new emotion to the oft-oversimplified instrument, at a tempo independent of the rest of the orchestra (as if trying to throw the rest of the orchestra off). The impending doom and excitement alluded to by the snare came helm as the orchestra swept the audience away in such a grand statement of the theme. Nielsen is truly a wonderful composer and this work is one of his greatest. The symphony was in absolute top form playing this powerful symphony so exquisitely throughout and it was a remarkably expressive and memorable performance.