Florence Price's Piano Concerto

I had been looking forward to last night's Utah Symphony concert for quite some time because Shostakovich was on the program (you know how I love the Russian composers) but I was also blown away by the first two pieces!  The orchestra began with Elegia Andina by Gabriela Lena Frank and I loved this moody and atmospheric piece!  The composer was inspired by Peruvian folk music but, to me, it sounded like a thunderstorm with temple blocks imitating the sound of raindrops falling in the aftermath and dueling flutes and clarinets imitating birdsong.  Next came Piano Concerto in One Movement by Florence Price and I also really loved this piece!  Price was a brilliant composer but she didn't commanded the respect she deserved because she was an African American woman.  However, when the score for the Piano Concerto was discovered at her abandoned summer home in 2009, it brought her some well-deserved recognition because it has had many performances over the past few years.  The orchestra was joined by the amazing Michelle Cann, who is a champion of Price's works, for a sparkling rendition of it.  Even though there is only one movement there are three very distinct sections.  The first is incredibly romantic and passionate, the second is slow and lyrical with a beautiful theme played by the solo piano and an oboe, and the third is jaunty and playful (it reminded me of ragtime).  Cann performed it with so much emotion and expression and I loved watching her (the only thing that could distract me from her fabulous gown and the diamond clip in her hair was seeing her fingers flying up and down the keyboard).  The audience exploded into cheers and applause so she gave a marvelous encore featuring a jazz arrangement of Rachmaninoff's Prelude in C sharp Major by Hazel Scott (which I, of course, loved).  After the intermission came Symphony No. 10 by Dmitri Shostakovich which is absolutely epic (in my opinion, any piece that features the gong is automatically epic).  Many believe it is in response to the terror of Stalin's reign with a conclusion that depicts the ultimate triumph of the individual over tyranny.  There are beautiful and wistful themes played throughout by the various woodwinds which represent Shostakovich and violent and urgent themes by the strings, brass, and percussion (the aforementioned gong is spectacular) which represent Stalin and are quite unsettling.  Luckily, Shostakovich is the winner in this battle of wills in the powerful conclusion!  The orchestra was under the baton of guest composer Tito Munoz and I enjoyed watching him lead the orchestra through a wonderful performance that I highly recommend!  Go here for tickets to tonight's concert which features the same program.