By Ben Watson
In Salt Lake City’s Abravanel Hall, familiar strains and new refrains wrap up a Utah Symphony season unlike any other with Thierry Fischer Conducts Jessie Montgomery, Mozart, Schoenberg, & Copland and with extensive measures in place for both the musicians and an audience diminished to ⅓ its usual size. Entering the venerable confines of Abravanel Hall and being immersed in this program was like breathing fresh oxygen after being underwater.
Maestro Thierry Fischer opens the program with Strum by the multitalented American composer Jessie Montgomery. Montgomery is the recipient of the Leonard Bernstein Award from the ASCAP Foundation. This piece, composed on commission from Community MusicWorks, is a lighthearted, lyrical play on a variety of stringed instruments. Whether plucked, bowed, or strummed, the notes combine into a glittering gem of new music. The orchestra, composed entirely of members of the string ensemble, shows why this piece belongs on public performance and the audience is enthralled by her spell.
From the opening notes of the second piece, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the receptive audience finds itself on familiar ground. This four-movement suite, executed flawlessly with rich and colorful interpretation by the string ensemble, is a calming and smile-inducing masterpiece which has worked its way into popular culture. For some, the cheery beginning theme is all they know, and they may be surprised at the complexity and scope of the piece at large. Especially in the recapitulation late in the fourth movement, Mozart touches inspired greatness with his soaring coda, descending into the grand resolution of the initial and unforgettable tune. Fischer’s enthusiastic and energetic leadership coaxes greatness out of the assembled artists.
Arnold Schoenberg’s Chamber Symphony No. 2 stands in stark contrast to the familiarity of Mozart. Schoenberg’s two-movement composition is at once unsettling and intriguing, both for its almost atonal non-melody and for its frequent shifts into phrases which sound very faintly like his contemporary, Richard Strauss. Fischer and his musicians create a sense of swirling, progressive movement. It is a weighty piece, but not overbearing, and the unsettling feeling invokes attention to hear what is coming next.
What would a season finale concert be without the incomparable Appalachian Spring? The quintessential American work by composer Aaron Copland begins with a pastoral lilt and builds gradually to the soaring power associated with a Copland masterpiece. Borrowing frequently and effectively from the Quaker hymn “Simple Gifts,” the imagery shifts quickly from nature to the supernatural. Fischer’s deft baton guides the full orchestra to utilize everything from deep oboe tones to dancing flute passages. Percussion elements, as are typical of Copland, serve to advance the structure to its majestic and simple conclusion, leaving the audience and orchestra suspended in a magic moment as the final notes fade to silence.
The overall effect of this program is a wonderful gift to both casual listeners as well as loyal symphony-goers, rewarding them for their resilience and dedication in this most difficult of years.
Audience members for this year’s programs should be assured that the Symphony is continuing to take appropriate measures to protect its audiences and musicians. Only 30% of the seats are filled to allow for social distancing, and masks are required of every person in the building. Hand-washing and sanitizing options are available throughout every public area. Each program has been abbreviated so there is no intermission. These measures create a comfortable, safe atmosphere and contribute to a wonderful experience.
This concert is appropriate and accessible for children as well as adults. There are only two more performances and seats are very limited, so hurry to Abravanel Hall for a brilliant capstone to an unusual and amazing season.
Utah Symphony Presents Thierry Fischer Conducts Jessie Montgomery, Mozart, Schoenberg, & Copland
Abravanel Hall, 123 W S Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
May 27-29, 2021, 7:30 PM
Tickets: $17-95
Contact: 801-533-5626
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