The Noorda Center for the Performing Arts at UVU, Utah Symphony’s Dvorak’s “New World” Symphony Transcends Tradition in Orem

By Kathryn Olsen

Orem’s The Noorda Center for the Performing Arts at UVU has only been officially open for a day, but on Tuesday night, it welcomed the Utah Symphony to its Utah County home for an evening of beloved and brilliant music.  According to Utah Valley University President Astrid S. Tuminez, “Arts break our hearts and open our minds” and this new partnership strives to connect the world-renowned orchestra with a wider audience in Utah communities.  Every performance at the Noorda Center is, as Tuminez states, intended to “build, create and lift” and the Symphony fulfilled all three objectives.  The ensemble christened the concert hall during the “Week of Dreams” festival with the first notes to be performed there.  The concert featured Giacchino Rossini‘s “William Tell Overture” as well as Antonin Dvorak‘s Symphony No. 9 (“From the New World”).  Both pieces are familiar to audiences worldwide and provide a fitting fanfare for this new venue. 

Rossini’s overture was first performed in 1828 as an introduction to the last of his 39 operas, but the work’s modern fame is largely due to its wide use.  While there is a morning prelude and pastoral scenes, the “March of the Swiss Soldiers” that concludes the overture can be heard anywhere from Bugs Bunny cartoons to a Reebok commercial.  The Utah Symphony, in fact, uses it annually in a concert provided for autistic children as an enjoyable and relatable expression of energy.  By contrast, Dvorak’s 9^th Symphony is known as much for its sublime Largo to the unstoppable force of its finale.  It is considered his most acclaimed symphony as well as one of the most popular symphonies of all time and was composed while the Czech composer was the conductor of an American orchestra far from his homeland.  At its premiere in New York, it was greeted with thunderous applause, and over a century later, the work still invokes powerful emotions from audiences.

While Maestro Thierry Fischer is responsible for the overall tone, cohesiveness, and interpretation of the concert, both works rely heavily on solo passages.  The first notes of the night were a soulful, powerfully-reverberating prelude by cellist Rainer Eudeikis.  The Overture is known for its mellow middle section and the frenetic finale, but this introduction madeThe sildenafil online india drug dilates the genital blood vessels that fetch blood to the main area. You may or may not peel the skin viagra cipla off. Does it interact with other viagra pfizer pharmacie medicines? This product interacts with many drugs. This is named as cheap viagra from canada for its cheap rate and its high performance. an emotional connection with the audience that rivaled more energetic passages. 

Eudeikis likewise shone in the opening moments of the Symphony No. 9, but it was in the Largo movement that his simple harmonic duet concertmistress Madeline Adkins instilled a breathless reverence in the audience.  Adkins, for her part, is a virtuoso who has been showcased both in Symphony concerts and solo performances, but she excelled at transforming simple melodies into memorable moments. Lissa Stoltz provided the lilting English horn melody that begins the second movement, which forms the basis of a soaring and unstoppable force in the rest of the work.

Fischer is always a good fit for energetic music.  He is a conductor who commits his entire body to some moments of direction, but also lets the orchestra respond to its own magic and leads at times with economy of movement.  His influence was most noticeable in the Dvorak, where he made changes to dynamics and articulation that set it apart from every other performance I have been privy to. In the Largo, the ensemble accompaniment created such a tranquil support system for the solos that the melody, which has been used for folk songs and even a lullaby-like French hymn, seemed to be a natural part of a peaceful night at home. The most exhilarating section of the work was wrought as he chose to increase the tempo of the closing minutes of the Symphony so that when the magnificent tumult of the intricate finale resolves into a serene sequence of chords, it is undeniably an expression of a new world.

In a presentation prior to the beginning of the concert, a quote from Pablo Picasso was cited: “The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.” There can be no doubt that the Utah Symphony’s offering left audience and ensemble transformed. UVU’s other “Week of Dreams” events can be enjoyed through March 30. While this was a one-night event at The Noorda Center, the Utah Symphony will be performing the Dvorak Symphony this coming weekend.  To experience the same magic felt at Tuesday night’s performance, come relive this magic at Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake City. In addition, last night’s concert launched the new six-part concert series at The Noorda during our 2019-20 season. Group tickets and subscriptions are on sale now.

The Utah Symphony Presents Dvorak’s “New World” Symphony
The Noorda Center for the Performing Arts at UVU 800 W University Pkwy, Orem, UT 84058
March 26, 2019 7:30 PM
Tickets:  $15-30
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