By Kathryn Olsen
This weekend closes the 2021-2022 season of the Utah Symphony and the program of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, Messaien & Ravel is a fitting fireworks display for the occasion at Abravanel Hall. Maestro Thierry Fischer closes out his penultimate season with the ensemble with a mix of well-known classics and modern aesthetics and gives audiences a taste of what is to come next. A long-time fan of the Beethoven concerto, I looked forward to hearing an unfamiliar soloist’s take on it as well as acquainting myself with two pieces unfamiliar to me.
The program opens with the Concerto for Violin in D Major, Op. 61 by Ludwig van Beethoven, rendered by German-born Veronika Eberle and played on a 1693 violin by Antonio Giacomo Stradivari. Composed in 1806, it was considered unplayable and did not enjoy popular acclaim until after Beethoven’s death. The concerto begins with a lengthy orchestral introduction before the soloist is introduced with ascending octave jumps and relatively-simple passages before she takes on the variations of the melody. With this serene opening, the progression through the introspective second and the frenetic third to a surprisingly meek finale is a work of genius writ large in musical storytelling. Eberle rises to the challenge of playing the intricate solo passages and famous cadenzas, but infuses ornamental flourishes and tempo changes that give new life to a piece that is widely-performed these days. The ovations that she received both after the concerto and the encore were well-deserved.
The ensemble is then reconfigured for the remarkable demands of Oliver Messaien’s contribution to the program. This performance concludes the Symphony’s performances of his Des Canyons aux Etoiles (From the Canyons to the Stars) with “Les Ressuscités et le chant de l’étoile Aldebaran” (“The Resurrected and the song of the star Alderaban”) and “Zion Park et la Cité céleste” (“Zion Park and the Celestial City”). The music brings to mind the sounds of Utah’s national parks, whether with the birdsongs or the sound of horses’ hooves, while the bells of the finale celebrate the divine. The percussionists of the ensemble are featured in technically-demanding solos that seem other-worldly and exciting. It is a work that was composed in 1974, but feels forward-seeing.
The program closes with Maurice Ravel‘s Daphnis et Chloé Suite No. 2. The three movements are lovely and approachable and aptly described by the composer as a “choreographic symphony.” The orchestral accompaniment to various solos brings to mind flowing water and a world at rest in the first movement. In the “Pantomime.” love is offered, refused, and finally appreciated. It is then followed by a bacchanale movement so that the orchestra is expected to express a wide range of tones and emotions in the music. Those who enjoy Ravel’s “The Fairy Garden” will particularly appreciate the fae nature of the “Lever du jour” that begins the suite, but there is something to stir the soul in every moment of this suite, whether the virtuosic performance of a flutist or the joyful energy of the dance at the end.
In the midst of this is a short video looking forward to the 2022-23 season. It will begin with A Toast to Thierry as the renowned conductor embarks on his final season with the Symphony. It is a season with something for any audience, whether they enjoy a horn concerto penned by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, want to experience the sublime Enigma Variations by Edward Elgar, or thrill to the more contemporary sounds of Aram Khatchaturian‘s violin concerto. Films in Concert include The Goonies, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1, and Star Wars Episode 7: The Force Awakens. Audiences young and old can enjoy a visit from Santa Claus or The Gentlemen of Hip Hop and guests such as Broadway star Bernadette Peters and Costa Rican trumpeter Jose Sibaja are guaranteed to delight audiences.
Tickets are still available for the season finale of this year, so make sure to leave plenty of time to get from Zion Park to the box office before it closes. Audiences of all ages will want to celebrate the stories of this program.
Utah Symphony Presents Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, Messaien & Ravel.
Abravanel Hall, 123 W South Temple, Salt Lake City, UT84101
March 3-5, 2022, 7:30 PM
Tickets:: $10.50-95.00
Contact: 801-533-5626
www.usuo.org
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