By Kimberlee St. Clair
At Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake City, the Utah Symphony plays Brahms’ Violin Concerto for a full house. This piece is the only violin concerto Brahms ever wrote and is considered by some to be one of the four great German violin concerti. The performance is conducted by Mario Venzago, Principal Conductor and Artistic Director of the Bern Symphony Orchestra and Artist in Association at Finland’s Tapiola Sinfonietta. He partners with renowned violinist Stefan Jackiw who will be appearing throughout North America, as well as in Europe, this year.
The Symphony opens with Beethoven’s Leonore Overture No. 2, Op. 72a, and Venzago jubilantly enters the stage. His expressive conducting style is exciting to watch throughout the concert. The Symphony ensemble tells a beautiful story with a regal trumpet echoing from behind the audience in the balcony.
Brahms’ Concerto in D major for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 77 hails the entrance of the amazing Jackiw. He beautifully displays the questions and answers between soloist and the Symphony throughout the entire piece. His expressive dynamics on the violin are equal to his physical expressions throughout the three movements. Movement II introduces an oboe solo, calm and dramatic in direct opposition to the fast pace of both Movement I and Movement III. The final movement increases tempo, and the Symphony creates phenomenal feelings with huge emotive responses to the violinist. During the standing ovation from the audience, I was touched by the sweet embrace between Venzago and Jackiw.
The audience is in for a surprise number by Jackiw as he performs a violin solo from Johann Sebastian Bach. His violin skills bring the story that music creates to life. He is flawless in his presentation and captivates his audience with his ebb and flow throughout his performance. He is truly a master of his instrument and displays a charismatic performance that makes him enjoyable to hear.
I was thrilled to hear Venzago tell the story of “Valse triste” from Sibelius’s Kuolema, Op. 44. His dramatics in storytelling set the stage for the performance and made this short but expressive piece come to life.
The final number, “Ballet for the Queen” from Verdi’s Don Carlos, is absolutely stunning. It is not a well-known piece, as the ballet is not performed often in the United States. The Symphony expertly tells the story of a royal ballet, complete with regal announcements from the horns, big sweeping movements that are reminiscent of a dance hall filling with people, and quick, upbeat tempos that could be court jesters entering the room. This is followed by dramatics from the double bass section, and the piece concludes with royal horns and a final, dramatic jump into the air by Venzago.
Mario Venzago and Stefan Jackiw, in conjunction with the Utah Symphony, present Brahms’ Violin Concerto, and they captivate and thrill with beautiful musical stories filled with vibrant imagery. Their second and final performance is tonight, February 23rd. Don’t miss it!
The Utah Symphony presents Brahms’ Violin Concerto, with Mario Venzago and Stefan Jackiw
Abravanel Hall, 123 W S Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
February 22 – 23, 2019, 7:30 PM
Tickets: $15 – $84, available to 8 years old and up
Contact: 385-468-1010
Utah Symphony Facebook Page
Brahms’ Violin Concerto Facebook Event
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