Direct from Sweden: The Music of ABBA

Last night the Utah Symphony was joined by Direct from Sweden: The Music of ABBA, an incredible ABBA tribute group, and to say that I had fun at this concert would be an understatement!  I don't think I have ever seen such a boisterous crowd at Abravanel Hall because people were enthusiastically singing and dancing to every song!  This group looks and sounds just like ABBA with costumes (I loved the cat mini dresses with white go-go boots), choreography, and vocal performances that are incredibly authentic.  They introduced themselves at Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny, and Anni-Frid and they stayed in character all night with lots of amusing interactions with the crowd (especially a group from Sweden).  The first set included "Mamma Mia," "Super Trouper," "Knowing Me, Knowing You" (my favorite ABBA song), "When All Is Said and Done," "Ring Ring" (which was sung in Swedish), "S.O.S.," "Fernando" (which sounded amazing with the orchestra), "The Name of the Game," "Money, Money, Money," and "Waterloo" (with video footage from when ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974).  After the intermission, they performed "Voulez-Vous" and then passionate renditions of "I Have a Dream" and "The Winner Takes It All."  They continued with "Chiquitita," "Take a Chance On Me," "Does Your Mother Know," and then ended this set with a rocking version of "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)."  For the encore, they performed "Thank You for the Music" and ended the evening with "Dancing Queen" complete with a disco ball.  I love the music of ABBA and I have so many memories of listening to it when I was a child (it was part of my family's road trip playlist) so this whole concert was incredibly nostalgic for me (it always amazes me when I can immediately remember lyrics from song I haven't heard in a long time) and I loved every minute.  I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here) for tonight's concert but act quickly because it was almost sold out last night!

Danny Elfman's Percussion Concerto

I always love it when I walk into Abravanel Hall and see lots of percussion instruments on the stage because I know that I am in for a good time!  Last night's Utah Symphony concert featured more percussion instruments than I've ever seen assembled and it was amazing!  The concert began with a spotlight on percussionist Colin Currie as he performed a piece for a solo marimba called Tromp Miniature by Bryce Dessner (who founded the band The National with his brother Aaron).  Currie described it as a lullaby and I found it to be almost hypnotic.  Next, the orchestra joined Currie on stage for Danny Elfman's Percussion Concerto and, as a huge fan of Oingo Boingo, I was beyond excited for this and I loved it!  Currie, as the soloist, played 12 instruments (and assorted other objects) himself but there were also five additional percussionists along with the strings and piano.  The piece was instantly recognizable as an Elfman composition because, like all of his film scores, it is intense and dramatic but also a little bit playful.  I loved the interaction between the percussion instruments in the first movement, the themes played by the strings in the third movement, and the vibraphone in the spectacular final movement.  I also enjoyed seeing Currie run across the stage to reach all of the instruments in order to keep up with the frenetic pace.  I am so glad that I got to hear this thrilling and exciting piece (and I highly suggest that fans of Elfman get a ticket to tonight's performance sooner rather than later because there were very few empty seats in Abravanel Hall last night).  After the intermission, the concert concluded with Symphony No.1 by Johannes Brahms which was also quite exciting and dramatic.  I really loved the slow and somewhat ominous introduction to the first movement by the timpani followed by a palpable tension between the woodwinds and the violins, the themes played by the bassoons and the horns (meant to mimic an alpenhorn) in the second movement, and the themes played by the strings and then repeated by the woodwinds and then the full orchestra (which sounded very similar to "Ode to Joy" from Beethoven's Ninth Symphony) in the final movement.  This was one of my favorite concerts this season and I highly recommend it (go here for tickets to tonight's performance).

Strauss' Don Juan

I attended another wonderful concert at Abravanel Hall last night during which the Utah Symphony performed pieces composed in the 18th, 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries (the latter was a world premiere).  Former Associate Conductor Conner Gray Covington was back on the podium leading the orchestra beginning with Symphony No. 88 by Franz Joseph Haydn (representing the 18th century).  I really loved all of the beautiful melodies throughout, especially a flute solo in the first movement and the use of trumpets and timpani in the second movement.  Next came Trombone Concerto "Sonorous" by Quinn Mason (representing the 21st century) and this was my favorite piece of the concert (it is always really exciting to be the first to hear new music).  It was composed in collaboration with former Utah Symphony Principal Trombonist Mark Davidson who requested a piece that allowed the trombone to sing and I believe that Mason succeeded in fulfilling that request because the sound of the trombone seemed to float above the orchestra. Mason was in attendance to introduce the piece featuring Davidson as soloist and it was absolutely amazing!  I particularly loved how the trombone interacted with the rest of the orchestra with calls and responses during the first movement and with the rest of the trombone section in unison during the second movement.  Davidson played brilliantly, most notably in the third movement when he played multiple notes incredibly fast (with a technique known as double-tonguing), and I really loved his tone (who knew the trombone could be so expressive?).  He and Mason received a well deserved standing ovation from the large crowd.  After the intermission the orchestra continued with Don Juan by Richard Strauss (representing the 19th century).  Strauss was inspired by a poem by Nikolaus Lenau in which the famous lothario languishes in solitude before his death.  I loved the spirited opening featuring the horns in unison and the romantic theme played by a solo violin.  The concert concluded with Symphony No. 1 by Samuel Barber (representing the 20th century) and I really enjoyed this piece because it is very passionate.  I especially loved the dramatic themes performed by the brass and timpani, the solo played by the oboe, and the repetition from the basses at the end.  This entire program is outstanding but I especially recommend getting a ticket for tonight's performance (go here) for the chance to hear the Trombone Concerto because it is remarkable!

Casablanca in Concert

Getting to see Casablanca on the big screen is always very special (it is one of my favorite movies of all time) but, when you add the score by Max Steiner played live by the Utah Symphony, it is an epic experience!  This film in concert happened at Abravanel Hall last night and I loved it!  Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) is a hard-drinking club owner in Casablanca who sticks his neck out for nobody even though the city is filled with desperate refugees looking for exit visas to escape the Nazis during World War II.  He successfully navigates the world of black marketeers, corrupt officials, and German officers until Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman) walks into his club with her husband Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), a hero of the resistance who is in need of safe passage.  Ilsa was once Rick's lover in Paris but she abandoned him without explanation and, even though he has letters of transit that will ensure their safety, he is bitter and refuses to help.  Ilsa eventually confides to Rick that she still loves him but she also admires and respects Victor and will do anything to ensure that his work with the resistance continues, even sacrifice her own happiness, but will Rick sacrifice his happiness to save them?  When an orchestra plays the score live it is such an immersive experience and it really brings the action to life.  I particularly enjoyed the dramatic use of percussion during the opening scene displaying a map of Africa, the poignant use of strings whenever the plight of the refugees is described, and the menacing use of the brass when the Nazis occupy Paris.  I also loved how elements from the song "As Time Goes By" by Herman Hupfeld are incorporated as a leitmotif for Rick and Ilsa's doomed relationship and how elements from the French national anthem, "La Marseillaise" (which is sung during my favorite moment in the movie to drown out the singing of a German drinking song), are used as another leitmotif for all of the political intrigue.  This didn't have the same audience participation as some of the other films in this series but it was so much fun!  The final film for the 2023-2024 season is How to Train Your Dragon (go here for tickets).

Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 1

I have a lot of Utah Symphony concerts during the month of February and this makes me so happy!  Last night the orchestra was led by guest conductor Jun Markl (who is one of my favorites) and the concert featured a performance by Concertmaster Madeline Adkins as a soloist so it was pretty amazing!  The evening began and ended with symphonic poems by Richard Strauss, Macbeth and Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks, and both featured quotes from the original sources and images projected on a screen.  I especially enjoyed Macbeth because the play is one of my favorites by Shakespeare and I could definitely hear the themes representing Macbeth's ambition, Lady Macbeth's attempts to persuade Macbeth to commit murder, the murder of Duncan, the madness of Macbeth, the triumph of Macduff (I loved the fanfare), and the death of Macbeth.  I was less familiar with the source material for Till Eulenspiegel but it was really fun to hear themes representing the trickster played by the solo horn and solo clarinet and those representing his pranks on workmen, clergymen, and intellectuals.  I particularly enjoyed the powerful use of percussion when he is sentenced to death by hanging for blasphemy and the clarinet which is dramatically cut off as the sentence is carried out.  I really like Adkins so my favorite piece was Concerto No. 1 for Violin and Orchestra by Sergei Prokofiev.  Even though it was composed during the most turbulent period of the Russian Revolution, it is very beautiful and lyrical.  The first movement is ethereal and the third movement is passionate (I loved the themes played by the bassoon and the tuba in the third) but my favorite was the second movement because the violin solos are absolutely dazzling as they gain intensity and speed (the sheer number of notes played is astonishing).  Adkins performed the piece brilliantly (someone sitting near me exclaimed that it was magical) and she received an enthusiastic standing ovation!  The orchestra also performed In Nature's Realm by Antonin Dvorak.  This piece is about the power of nature as both a life-giving as well as destructive force and it is very atmospheric.  I especially enjoyed the brief themes played by the flutes and oboes signifying birdsong.  I thoroughly enjoyed this concert and recommend getting a ticket for tonight's performance of the same program (go here for tickets).

Note:  This is a Masterworks Magnified program so there are lots of activities in the lobby before the concert.  You may even encounter Till Eulenspiegel up to his usual tricks.

Stephen Hough Performs Stephen Hough

Last night I was back at Abravanel Hall for my first Utah Symphony concert of 2024 and it was certainly a good one to begin the year with!  First up was a delightful piece called Cockaigne (In London Town) by Edward Elgar which is described as a musical portrait of Edwardian London.  I really loved how the instruments mimic the sounds of a big city with lots of boisterous themes by the timpani and brass.  Next, the orchestra was joined by perennial Utah favorite pianist Stephen Hough for the world premiere of his Piano Concerto "The World of Yesterday."  He took the title from Stephen Zweig's memoir about his nostalgia for life in Vienna before World War I so I was really excited to hear it (I read, and enjoyed, this book because it inspired Wes Anderson to write the screenplay for one of my favorite movies The Grand Budapest Hotel and also because I am a total nerd).  Hough spoke to the crowd and explained that he was also inspired by nostalgia for the time when composers would write works for themselves to perform on piano in order to be able to show off!  I really enjoyed this piece (it is always exciting to be the first to hear a new work), especially a lovely theme played by the clarinet and harp, and extended cadenza by the solo piano (where Hough was, indeed, able to show off), and variations of a waltz which included a fun theme by the xylophone.  The crowd gave Hough and the orchestra a rousing standing ovation and he rewarded us with an encore performance of a traditional folk song called "Blow the Wind Southerly."  After the intermission, the concert concluded with Symphony No. 5 by Ralph Vaughan Williams and this piece will now be added to my list of favorites because I absolutely loved it!  I was incredibly moved by the beautiful and emotional themes played throughout by the strings but I especially loved the third movement because it began and ended with the woodwinds and featured an incredible solo from Concertmaster Madeline Adkins.  This concert was definitely a wonderful way to spend a cold and dreary Saturday evening!

Frozen in Concert

I have been hyping the Utah Symphony's films in concert series to anyone who would listen to me for the past few years.  I was finally able to take Kristine and Trent to see Love Actually last Tuesday and I have definitely converted them.  Last night I hoped to do the same with Marilyn at Frozen and I think I was successful because we both had a lot of fun.  The animated classic, based on "The Snow Queen" by Hans Christian Andersen, was shown on the big screen while the orchestra played the songs by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez and the score by Christophe Beck.  Princess Elsa (Eva Bella) accidentally freezes her sister Princess Anna (Livvy Stubenrauch) with her mysterious powers when they build a snowman together.  The King (Maurice LaMarche) and Queen (Jennifer Lee) tell her that she must hide herself away from Anna and the rest of Arendelle but, when they are lost at sea, she must open the doors of the castle once again for her coronation.  Elsa (Idina Menzel) loses control of herself, with devastating consequences, when Anna (Kristen Bell) requests permission to marry Hans of the Southern Isles (Santino Fontana) and she flees Arendelle.  Anna follows her, hoping to save Arendelle from the endless winter, and is aided by an ice harvester named Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), his reindeer Sven, and Olaf (Josh Gad), the snowman built by Elsa and Anna as girls.  Elsa fears that she is a monster but it is her ability to love that saves Anna and Arendelle.  I loved hearing the orchestra play the music for all of the iconic songs, especially "For the First Time in Forever," "Love Is an Open Door," and "Let It Go" but I was really impressed by the score.  I particularly enjoyed the percussion mimicking the sounds of the ice cracking during the opening, the tuba as the visiting dignitaries are introduced to Elsa, the dramatic strings as the snow monster attacks Kristoff and Anna, and the harp as Elsa's hug thaws Anna.  The audience participation was a lot of fun because there were cheers and applause when each character appeared on screen for the first time and lots of very energetic boos every time Hans appeared (the crowd was very committed to booing Hans).  I loved both of the films in concert this week and I hope my sisters will want to go with me again!  The next films are Casablanca and How to Train Your Dragon (go here for tickets).

Love Actually in Concert

I was back at Abravanel Hall again last night with my sister Kristine and my brother-in-law Trent to see the movie Love Actually on the big screen while the Utah Symphony performed the score by Craig Armstrong live.  I love the films in concert series but I think this one is my favorite because I love this movie (it is one of my favorite Christmas movies) and it was so much fun to for me to see Kristine and Trent (this was their first film in concert) enjoying it!  This movie involves a series of love stories involving many different characters (played by an all-star cast) at Christmas time.  My favorite involves Sam (Thomas Sangster), an eleven-year-old boy mourning the recent loss of his mother, who turns to his step-father Daniel (Liam Neeson) to help him get the attention of his crush Joanna (Olivia Olson).  When Sam's plan, which involves playing drums during Joanna's song at the school Christmas concert, doesn't work, he runs through the airport on Christmas Eve to catch her before she returns home to America (after saying my favorite line in the movie, "Let's go get the shit kicked out of us by love.").  There are so many hilarious moments in this movie that made the audience laugh out loud, especially when the Prime Minister (Hugh Grant) dances, when aging rock star Billy Mack (Bill Nighy) records a Christmas version of "Love is All Around," when the shy actors John (Martin Freeman) and Judy (Joanna Page) act as stand-ins for a sex scene (these scenes got the loudest response), when the socially awkward Colin (Kris Marshall) thinks he can can get more attention from American girls, and when a salesman (Rowan Atkinson) elaborately wraps a Christmas present surreptitiously purchased by Harry (Alan Rickman) for another woman (another highlight for the audience).  The score has a pop sound and prominently features the piano and keyboard, drums, and guitars but there is also a lovely and plaintive theme played by the strings with variations that appear throughout the movie.  I loved the trumpets and trombones in "All You Need is Love" at the wedding of Peter (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and Juliet (Keira Knightley) and the clarinet solo when Sarah (Laura Linney) confirms that she is in love with Karl (Rodrigo Santoro).  The three of us had such a great time last night and I think I may have turned Kristine and Trent into fans of the films in concert series.  I definitely recommend getting a ticket to one of the remaining concerts (go here) this season.

Schumann's "Rhenish" Symphony

The program for last night's Utah Symphony concert was, once again, curated by guest conductor and creative partner David Robinson.  The pieces were selected to evoke images of specific places and I really enjoyed all of them because they reminded me of past journeys.  The orchestra began with En Saga (A Fairy Tale) by Jean Sibelius.  I became familiar with the music of Sibelius on a trip to Finland in 2003 so I already picture that country whenever I hear any of his music but this particular piece conjured of many more images.  I especially enjoyed an effect created by the strings which sounded to me like a frozen wind blowing across a snowy landscape during a hunting party.  I also enjoyed several plaintive themes played by the solo oboe and solo clarinet which I feel represent the yearning of the Finnish people to be free from the yoke of Russia.  Next came Three Pieces in New England by Charles Ives and all three movements are intended to make the listener have a similar experience to ones he had while visiting each place.  The first movement, The "St. Gaudens" on Boston Common, was my favorite because it refers to a bronze statue of Colonel Robert Shaw depicting his march with a unit of Black volunteer soldiers into a massacre at Fort Wagoner and, like Ives, I also had a very poignant reaction to seeing this statue on a trip to Boston.  I really liked the integration of the Civil War songs "The Battle Cry of Freedom" and "Marching Through Georgia" as well as the faint fanfares from the brass representing an attempt by the soldiers to rally.  After the intermission, the orchestra performed Symphony No. 3 "Rhenish" by Robert Schmann.  This was written in response to a day trip taken by Schumann and his wife to Cologne where they viewed the Rhine River.  I loved this piece because I once took a river cruise of the Rhine on a trip to Germany in 1997 and I could see all of the beautiful castles that line the banks and hear the lapping of the water as I listened.  I especially loved the solemn fourth movement with its haunting themes first performed by the horns and trombones and then expanded by the woodwinds and strings.  I recommend taking a musical journey of your own when this program is performed again tonight (go here for tickets).

Appalachian Spring

I really enjoyed last night's Utah Symphony concert because it featured such an eclectic program.  The orchestra was joined by pianist Awadagin Pratt for Johann Sebastian Bach's Keyboard Concerto in A Major.  What I really liked about this piece is that it features melodies played by the piano and strings together interspersed with showier passages for the piano.  Pratt has a light touch and is known for being agile, creative, and inventive so it was very entertaining watching his fingers fly up and down the keyboard.  He joined the orchestra once again to perform Rounds for Piano and String Orchestra by Jessie Montgomery.  According to Montgomery, it was inspired by the interconnectedness found in nature and how every living thing interacts with and impacts all of the living things around it with a multitude of outcomes.  I loved it because it evoked so many different emotions as I listened to it.  I especially enjoyed a passage where Pratt stood up to pluck the strings of the piano (I've never seen that before).  This piece was written specifically for Pratt and he improvises the conclusion so if you attend tonight's performance you will hear something entirely new.  After the intermission, the orchestra performed the Overture from The Greatest, an opera about Muhammad Ali composed by guest conductor Teddy Abrams.  He described it as loud, brash, and violent and I liked the urgency of the themes played by the strings, the bold fanfares by the brass, and the dramatic use of percussion.  The concert concluded with Appalachian Spring by Aaron Copland in its entirety rather than just the Orchestral Suite which is normally performed.  I always love hearing this piece performed live because the themes of peace and remembrance during war are incredibly poignant.  I especially love the variations on the Quaker hymn "Simple Gifts" which is first developed by a solo clarinet and then repeated by various instruments.  I was really excited for this concert because of Appalachian Spring but I ended up loving Rounds just as much and I recommend getting a ticket to tonight's performance (go here) to hear both of them!

Brahms' Symphony No. 2

Last night I was back at Abravanel Hall for another Utah Symphony concert and it was wonderful.  The orchestra began with a modern piece called Prelude a une nuit americaine by Mathilde Wantenaar.  It is meant to represent a sultry evening with just the hint of jazz in the air and I really enjoyed the energy and vitality, especially the tension created by the themes played by the brass.  Next came Death and Transfiguration by Richard Strauss and this was my favorite piece of the evening because I could definitely envision a dying man searching for what lies beyond just by closing my eyes and listening to the music.  It begins very slowly with beautiful themes played by the woodwinds and a solo violin to represent dreams once cherished during a lifetime.  Then there is a dramatic change in tone with a crash of timpani and fanfares from the brass leading to some intense passages from the violins to depict the reality of the human condition.  The piece concludes with the stroke of a gong signifying the transcendence needed to achieve the greatness once dreamed of.  The performance was incredibly powerful!  After the intermission, the orchestra concluded with Symphony No. 2 by Johannes Brahms.  Guest conductor Markus Poschner, a world-renowned expert on Brahms, explained that this piece celebrates both the joy of living and the melancholy that exists below the surface.  I was really struck by the notes played by the cellos and basses at the beginning of the first movement which eventually develop into themes by the horns, the woodwinds, and then the violins with underlying hints from the trombones and tuba threatening the calm.  The melancholy themes, which I loved, come from the cellos in the second movement while the oboes play a lighthearted theme recalling the first movement in the third.  The final movement ends triumphantly with the trombones!  What I most enjoyed about this concert is that, like the one two weeks ago, the three pieces were tied together thematically through their exploration of the highs and lows of the human experience.  I highly recommend getting a ticket to tonight's performance of the same program (go here).

Audra McDonald with the Utah Symphony

Last night I spent an incredible evening with Audra McDonald and the Utah Symphony (and my friend Angela) at a concert featuring lots of Broadway classics and standards from the great American songbook.  I loved every minute of it!  The orchestra began with "Carousel Waltz" from the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical Carousel and then the incomparable Audra McDonald took the stage with a powerful performance of "I Am What I Am" from La Cage aux Folles.  She continued with "Pure Imagination" from the movie Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (which I've heard her sing before) and she told a hilarious story about performing her next song, "Cornet Man" from Funny Girl, in a competition as a 14 year old girl and being criticized for not picking a more appropriate song!  Next came "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" by Duke Ellington, a sultry rendition of "Summertime" from Porgy and Bess, and then a spirited version of "I Could Have Danced All Night" from My Fair Lady (a song she has always been hesitant to sing because it is such a standard for all sopranos).  She talked about her hobby of gardening (very badly) which led her to add the song "I Always Say Hello to a Flower" to her repertoire and I thought her performance was really fun!  She ended her first set with "Home" from The Wiz and she just about blew the roof off Abravanel Hall with her powerful vocals!  After the intermission, she returned to the stage with "Before the Parade Passes By" from Hello, Dolly!  Next, she performed a lovely arrangement of "Bein' Green" accompanied by a guitar and a beautiful mashup of "You've Got to Be Carefully Taught" from South Pacific and "Children Will Listen" from Into the Woods (I loved this so much).  She continued with "Can't Stop Talking" from the movie Let's Dance and then an amazing rendition of "Somewhere" from West Side Story.  She told the crowd that she found her next song, "I Love Today," on singer-songwriter Emily King's social media (it was written by King's mother Kim Kalesti) and reached out to her to ask if she could sing it.  It is a beautiful song about living in the moment and living life to the fullest and I loved it!  She concluded her main set with a really cool arrangement of "Life is a Cabaret" from the musical Cabaret.  For the encore, she sang a mashup of "Happy Days Are Here Again" and "Get Happy" with her music director Andy Einhorn and the crowd exploded into an appreciative standing ovation!  Both Angela and I have seen her perform before and both of us agreed that McDonald's vocals were especially powerful last night and we both found her to be even more loquacious than usual with lots of funny anecdotes to introduce every song.  It was an amazing night and, if you are a fan of Broadway, I highly recommend getting a ticket to tonight's concert (go here).

Beethoven's Ninth

The program for last night's Utah Symphony concert was curated by guest conductor and creative partner David Robertson to portray all aspects of the human experience from the depths of despair to the pinnacle of joy and it was absolutely spectacular!  The evening began with a piece of sacred choral music called Christus factus est by Anton Bruckner which was performed by the Utah Symphony Chorus unaccompanied.  It was both sorrowful and powerful and featured atmospheric lighting which allowed Robertson to simply appear at the podium without an introduction.  Next, the orchestra and chorus were immediately joined by soloists Celena Shafer (a Utah favorite), Deborah Nansteel, Chad Shelton, and Zachary Nelson for a semi-staged version of Act III from the opera Wozzeck by Alban Berg.  The theme of this opera is the impending doom felt by Berg at the end of the Great War and this act tells the story of a poor and abused soldier named Wozzeck who is driven mad with jealousy over his wife Marie's infidelity with a drum major.  After Wozzeck kills Marie he becomes obsessed with the blood and, in an attempt to wash it away, he wades into a pond and drowns while his child is playing with neighbor children.  There are two crescendos played by the brass and percussion after Wozzeck kills Marie that are incredibly dramatic and convey the enormity of what he has done.  They gave me goosebumps!  After the intermission came what is widely regarded as the greatest symphony ever written!  The orchestra was once again joined by the chorus and the soloists for Symphony No. 9 by Ludwig van Beethoven and I was completely swept up by the emotion of this celebration of the universal brotherhood of man.  I was captivated by the very first hushed note which soon erupts to create a first movement that is incredibly stirring and dynamic.  The second movement is lively and exuberant and the third movement brought me to tears, as it always does, because it is so hauntingly beautiful.  All of this is merely the prelude to the incredible fourth movement featuring the chorus and soloists singing the lyrics from the poem Ode to Joy by Friedrich Schiller to the accompaniment of the instantly recognizable main theme played by the orchestra.  This performance was absolutely amazing and, even though it is over an hour in length, it felt like it went by in an instant.  I cannot recommend this concert enough and I suggest you get a ticket to tonight's performance (go here) as soon as you can because there were very few empty seats at Abravanel Hall last night (with good reason).

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 in Concert

Yesterday I saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 on the big screen at Abravanel Hall as the Utah Symphony played the score by Alexandre Desplat, one of my favorite movie composers, live.  This was so much fun for me because I have seen all of the previous movies in the franchise in this format and I have loved experiencing them all in such an immersive way!  As with all of the other concerts, many members of the audience came in costume (I was representing House Ravensclaw) and cheered out loud when all of the characters made their first appearance on screen.  There was thunderous applause when Professor McGonagall protects Harry from Snape and then fights a duel with him (my favorite scene in the movie) and when Neville kills Nagini.  In this final installment Harry must face Voldemort in the Battle of Hogwarts and it has the darkest tone with the highest stakes in the franchise and the score reflects this with lots of powerful themes featuring the brass and timpani.  I especially love "Dragon Flight" as Harry, Ron, and Hermione escape from Gringotts on the back of the dragon guarding the vaults, "Panic Inside Hogwarts" when McGonagall fights the epic duel with Snape, "Statues" when the professors cast spells of protection over Hogwarts, "Broomsticks and Fire" as Harry, Ron, and Hermione escape from the Room of Requirement, "Courtyard Apocalypse" when Voldemort and his minions attack Hogwarts, and "Showdown" when Harry finally confronts Voldemort.  There are also some really beautiful and haunting themes played by the strings, such as "Severus and Lily" when Harry looks into the pensieve and learns from Snape's memories that he has been protecting him all these years and "The Resurrection Stone" when Harry asks James, Lily, Sirius, and Remus to be with him when he surrenders to Voldemort (this scene made me cry the first time I saw it because it is such an emotional moment).  I also really loved that a variation of "Hedwig's Theme," originally composed by John Williams, is used multiple times because it is so iconic and reminds us of everything Harry, Ron, and Hermione have been through during their years at Hogwarts!  I have loved every performance in Utah Symphony's Films in Concert series but the Harry Potter concerts have been my favorite because I love these movies so much!  If you have not attended one I highly recommend it (go here for the remaining concerts in the series).

Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2

Last night's Utah Symphony concert was a fun way to celebrate the spooky season with Halloween-themed pieces on the program and moody lighting on the stage.  The orchestra began with Danse macabre by Camille Saint-Saens which is based on a legend where Death plays the fiddle on Halloween as skeletons dance on their graves.  I really enjoyed the theme played by a solo violin and the use of the xylophone to depict the rattling of skeleton bones.  Next came Totentanz ("Dance of the Dead") by Franz Liszt with Utah favorite Joyce Yang as soloist.  This is an incredibly fiery piece that features the Dies irae theme about death and judgment from the Requiem Mass and a number of variations.  I loved the percussive opening from the piano followed by dramatic variations from the brass and the woodwinds.  I also loved the swelling themes by the strings punctuated by short piano interludes that varied in volume and intensity and it was fun to see Yang's fingers literally flying up and down the keyboard (she also leaned back and wiped her brow theatrically after a particularly challenging run).  She received a thunderous standing ovation and, in return, favored the audience with an encore.  After the intermission, the orchestra performed Symphony No. 2 by Sergei Rachmaninoff.  I absolutely love Rachmaninoff because I think his music is so emotional (something he has in common with many of the Russian composers I love) and this particular piece is incredibly lush!  I especially loved the instantly recognizable fanfare (also inspired by the Dies irae which fascinated Rachmaninoff all throughout his life) played by the horns at the beginning of the second movement and then repeated throughout.  The third movement includes some of Rachmaninoff's most beautiful music with themes and variations played by the violins, with an interlude by the clarinet, that are unbelievably romantic.  I also loved the percussion, especially the timpani and crash cymbals, at the beginning of the exuberant final movement as well as the recapitulation of the major themes.  It was a brilliant performance!  This same program will repeated again tonight and I recommend it for some seasonal fun (there are also Halloween activities, photo ops, and concessions in the lobby before the performance).  Go here for tickets.

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!

Black Panther in Concert

Last night I was so happy to be back at Abravanel Hall for this season's first Utah Symphony concert.  The movie Black Panther was shown on the big screen while the orchestra performed the dramatic score by Ludwig Goransson.  I love this movie (it is one of my favorites from the MCU) and it was so much more immersive hearing the music performed live as I watched T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) return to Wakanda after the death of his father to become king only to have Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) challenge him for the throne in order to use vibranium-enhanced weapons to fight oppression around the world.  The score features the West African instrument known as the tama, or "talking drum," so the orchestra was joined by soloist Massamba Diop who actually played the tama on the original recording.  It was so interesting to watch Diop because the tama is an hour-glass shaped drum with two drumheads connected by leather tension cords and it was held between his arm and body which he would use to squeeze these cords to control the pitch as he hit the drumheads with his hands.  I would sometimes pay more attention to him than to the images on the screen!  The sound of the tama represents T'Challa/Black Panther and I loved hearing it in conjunction with a dramatic fanfare by the horns during key moments, such as the coronation, the car chase in Busan, the challenge, and the final battle with Killmonger.  I also loved the theme for Killmonger (one of the best villains in the MCU) which incorporates a mysterious piano melody accompanied by a harp and I was particularly moved by the variation played in the scene where Killmonger finally sees the sunset in Wakanda.  The most emotional moments are when T'Challa visits his father on the Ancestral Plane and the themes played by the strings, especially the cellos, during these scenes are beautiful and a bit mournful.  I really enjoy these films in concert and Black Panther is now my favorite because the score is one of the most exhilarating I've heard the Utah Symphony play in this series.  I highly recommend getting a ticket for tonight's performance (go here).

Note:  The other films in the series are Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Frozen, and Casablanca with special performances of Love Actually and How to Train Your Dragon.  I'm looking forward to all of them (go here for more information and tickets).

The Music of Queen with the Utah Symphony

It should come as no surprise to anyone that I am a huge fan of the band Queen and since I also love the Utah Symphony last night's concert at Abravanel Hall was pretty much the best!  I loved every minute of it and I sang along with every word (and also played a mean air guitar and air piano).  The orchestra was joined by guest conductor Brent Havens and vocalist MiG Ayesa (who played Galileo Figaro in multiple productions of the musical We Will Rock You) to perform some of Queen's most well-known songs.  They began with "Tie Your Mother Down" and then continued with "Play the Game," and "These Are the Days of Our Lives."  Then "Another One Bites the Dust" got everyone up dancing and that was so much fun to see at Abravanel Hall!  Next came "Under Pressure" and "Killer Queen" and then Ayesa gave an incredibly sultry rendition of "My Melancholy Blues" (at one point he was lying across the podium) which featured an extended piano introduction.  This was followed by "One Vision" which included an extended drum solo.  The first set concluded with a beautiful and poignant performance of "The Show Must Go On" which is the final song recorded by Freddie Mercury.  After the intermission, Ayesa and the orchestra performed a rousing rendition of "Fat Bottomed Girls" followed by "You're My Best Friend."  One of my favorite moments of the show came next when the orchestra performed an incredible arrangement by Havens of "Who Wants to Live Forever?"  This brought tears to my eyes (hearing it performed live always makes me emotional).  The crowd got on their feet once again during "A Crazy Thing Called Love" and "Hammer to Fall" and then lit up their phones during "Somebody to Love."  A highly theatrical performance of "Bohemian Rhapsody" was another highlight for me (obviously) and I love that Ayesa wore a gold frock coat borrowed from the costume department of the Utah Opera for this song!  The concert concluded with "We Will Rock You" (with the requisite audience participation) and "We Are the Champions."  Ayesa gave an incredibly dynamic performance with lots of funny interactions with the crowd and even replicated Mercury's famous call and response!  I think many of Queen's songs are very symphonic so they sounded fantastic played by the orchestra!  I loved this show and had so much fun singing along with the energetic crowd!

Note:  Quite a few years ago there was a reality show called Rockstar: INXS on TV.  It was a competition to pick a new lead singer for INXS and Ayesa made it to the final three.  I remember him because I really wanted him to win!

Music for a Summer Night at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center

Last night I attended a free Utah Symphony concert at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center and it was a lovely evening for listening to music under the stars (one of my favorite summer activities).  The program was an eclectic one featuring composers and pieces celebrating the Americas.  It included Toast of the Town Overture by Quinn Mason, El Cumbanchero by Rafael Hernandez, Starburst by Jessie Montgomery, Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman by Joan Tower, Four Novelletten by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Fanfare for the Common Man by Aaron Copland, Fanfare on Amazing Grace by Adolphus Hailstork, selections from Othello Suite by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Danzon No. 2 by Arturo Marquez, Cachita by Rafael Hernandez, Huapango by Jose Pablo Moncayo, and "Techno" from Fiesta! by Jimmy Lopez.  I really enjoyed all of these pieces but my very favorite was Fanfare for the Common Man because it is instantly recognizable and the themes played by the brass and the percussion, especially the timpani and the gong, are both dramatic and majestic (despite the name).  The crowd really loved Danzon No. 2 because the rhythms were infectious!  Associate conductor Benjamin Manis was practically dancing on the podium and I particularly liked the seductive solos played by the woodwinds and a playful theme by the piano.  The concert concluded, as summer concerts often do, with an encore featuring The Stars and Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa and this got the crowd on their feet clapping along.  The cute little ladies sitting next to me were thrilled when the piccolos and the brass sections stood for their solos.  It was such a fun night!  This same program will be performed again tonight at the Waterfall Amphitheater at Thanksgiving Point.  Tickets are required for this concert (go here) but there will be fireworks afterwards!  Also, last night's concert was the first in a series of free concerts every Monday night during the summer at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center (go here for more information) sponsored by West Valley Arts.

The Force Awakens in Concert

Last night I got to see The Force Awakens while the Utah Symphony played the score by John Williams live and it was so much fun!  Seeing this on the big screen again brought back memories of the excitement I felt when it was first released and hearing the music performed by the orchestra was such an immersive experience!  The First Order has risen from the ashes of the Empire and a new group of Resistance fighters emerges to defeat them, including Finn, a stormtrooper with a conscience, Poe Dameron, a daring pilot, and Rey, a scavenger who gets drawn into an adventure when she meets a droid carrying a secret.  They are helped by Han Solo, Chewbacca, and General Leia Organa but their actions are thwarted by Kylo Ren, a former Jedi apprentice struggling between the forces of good and evil.  The near capacity crowd at Abravanel Hall exploded in cheers and applause when the first dramatic note of the instantly recognizable fanfare played during the opening crawl and the applause continued when Finn, Poe, Rey, Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Leia (and the Millennium Falcon) appeared on screen for the first time.  I may or may not have screamed in an embarrassingly loud voice when Kylo Ren removed his helmet!  I really love the music in this movie because it incorporates a lot of the well-known themes from the previous movies, including the ones for Luke, Han, and Leia, but also includes new themes for Kylo Ren, Rey, and Snoke.  I especially love it when the score transitions back and forth between Kylo Ren's theme and Rey's theme during their light saber duel on Starkiller Base.  I also really like the thrilling themes when Rey and Finn escape from Jakku in the Millennium Falcon, when the Resistance arrives on Takodana, and when the Resistance attacks Starkiller Base.  I enjoyed every minute of watching the movie and listening to the music and, if you have never attended a film in concert with the Utah Symphony, I highly recommend it.  The movies for next season are Black Panther, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Frozen, and Casablanca.  Go here for information on subscribing to the Films in Concert series.