Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 1 & Mozart with Awadagin Pratt

My favorite composers are Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, and Mozart so I was thrilled to attend a Utah Symphony concert featuring all three of them last night.  The orchestra, under the baton of newly appointed Principal Guest Conductor Delyana Lazarova, began with Fantasy for Orchestra "The Rock" by Sergei Rachmaninoff.  This is a tone poem based on the short story "Along the Way" by Anton Chekhov which tells of a chance meeting between a young girl and a troubled older man who have both stopped at an inn seeking refuge from a winter storm.  The man spends the evening recounting stories from his life which reveal all of his regrets and the young girl pities him but, when the morning comes, she continues on her journey leaving him standing in the snow staring after her.  I loved the ominous motif played by the lower strings to introduce the old man, the light and airy melody played by the flute to represent the young girl, and the melancholy march played by the brass to depict the old man's sobs of desperation as she leaves him.  Next, the orchestra was joined by Awadagin Pratt for Piano Concerto No. 23 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.  Pratt was very charismatic and entertaining the last time he appeared with the Utah Symphony so I was looking forward to seeing him again.  He is very creative and agile so I enjoyed watching his fingers fly up and down the keyboard, especially during the third movement.  This piece, like most of Mozart's work, is incredibly beautiful and lyrical but I particularly love the second movement because it is much more poignant with almost mournful themes played by the piano along with the clarinet, flute, and bassoon.  After the intermission, the concert concluded with Symphony No. 1 "Winter Daydreams" by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.  I had never heard this piece before but, to me, it was quintessentially Russian and I loved the inclusion of folk songs.  The first movement evokes a sleigh ride through the snow and I really enjoyed the melody played by the flute and bassoon which is then further developed by the clarinet (in my mind I could see the horses galloping as I listened).  The second movement calls to mind the vast loneliness of the countryside and I loved the stately theme played by the horns.  The third movement is playful and unpredictable (the timpani near the end was my favorite) while the final movement is almost triumphant after a somber melody played by the bassoons is followed by boisterous themes played by the entire orchestra and a dazzling conclusion featuring timpani, cymbals, and brass!  I feel like this concert was programmed just for me with all of my favorite composers (it was just missing Sibelius!) and I loved every minute!  I highly recommend getting a ticket to tonight's performance (go here).