As a card carrying Russophile (I absolutely love Russia and have been there twice), I have been looking forward to this weekend for a long time! Not only did I get to see Ballet West's production of Onegin on Friday night but I also got to see a Utah Symphony concert featuring the works of Rachmaninoff (my favorite) and Shostakovich last night! I loved both the ballet and the concert so much! The orchestra began with Dances of Galanta by Zoltan Kodaly. I was unfamiliar with this piece but I really enjoyed the Hungarian folk music heard throughout and I loved the themes played by the woodwinds. Next the orchestra continued with Concerto No. 4 for Piano and Orchestra by Sergei Rachmaninoff. I love this piece so much, especially the second movement which is incredibly romantic and emotional but tinged with just a bit of melancholy. Soloist Simon Trpceski played it brilliantly with a lot of expression. He was so energetic and fun to watch! He literally bounced up and down on the piano bench and his fingers seemed to fly up and down the keyboard. The concert concluded with a powerful rendition of Symphony No. 12 by Dmitri Shostakovich. This piece is quite dramatic and I really loved the themes played by the brass and the timpani, especially the triumphant conclusion. It was an amazing evening of music and I thoroughly enjoyed myself!
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