Dvorak's "New World" Symphony

It is opening weekend for the Utah Symphony Masterworks Series and I could not have been more excited for last night's concert because it featured three pieces that I really like!  The orchestra began with Symphony No. 9 "From the New World" by Antonin Dvorak.  It is one of the most popular symphonies performed in this country and it is one of the few that I recognize by name instantly when I hear it!  I especially love the recurring fanfares by the brass which are repeated by the woodwinds in the first movement and the beautiful but almost mournful melodies played by the horns and strings in the second movement.  It was also fun to hear variations of these themes appear once again during the powerful conclusion.  After the intermission, the orchestra was joined by soloist Aubree Oliverson for Samuel Barber's Violin Concerto.  Oliverson made her debut with the Utah Symphony's annual Salute to Youth concert when she was eleven years old so she told the crowd how excited she was to be back.  I really enjoyed her evocative interpretation of this piece, especially the dynamic, almost urgent, rhythms performed along with the woodwinds in the final movement.  I also loved the main theme played by the solo violin along with a playful theme by the piano in the first movement and a plaintive theme played by a solo oboe in the second.  Oliverson received an enthusiastic standing ovation prompting her to play "Por Una Cabeza" by Carlos Gardel (the arrangement by John Williams used in The Scent of a Woman) with the orchestra as an encore.  The concert concluded with Bolero by Maurice Ravel which I was eagerly awaiting all evening because it is the first piece of classical music that I ever loved!  When I was young my Dad had an 8-track tape featuring various classical pieces programmed on a Moog synthesizer.  My favorite was Bolero and I listened to it over and over again (I loved it when the synthesizer simulates applause at the end).  I didn't even know that I was listening to classical music because it was the coolest thing ever!  It begins almost imperceptibly with a snare drum (playing the same rhythm throughout the entire piece in an incredible feat of endurance) and then a melody is played by a solo flute.  This melody is repeated over and over by the various instruments in the orchestra (my favorite is the solo trombone), building in intensity and volume for over fourteen minutes until a dramatic crescendo at the end.  I may or may not have gotten a tad too enthusiastic while listening to this epic performance (I apologize to everyone I was sitting by).  This entire program is amazing, but if you have never heard Bolero performed live, do yourself a favor and get a ticket for tonight's concert (go here).

Note:  The orchestra plays "The Star-Spangled Banner" during the opening concerts of the new season and, for some reason, I find this very exciting!  Even before I became a subscriber I would always try to attend the opening concert so I could hear it!