Utah Symphony at the Waterfall

On Wednesday afternoon I was driving to American Fork to get the oil changed in my car and, as I passed Thanksgiving Point, I noticed on the marquee that the Utah Symphony would be performing in the Waterfall Amphitheatre that night.  I was unable to see the concert at Sundance last week so I spontaneously decided to go (it was the same program).  I bought tickets while sitting in the waiting room at my dealership!  It was an absolutely gorgeous summer evening and I was thrilled to be seeing another outdoor performance in a venue I had never been to before!  I will have to add the Waterfall Amphitheatre to my list!  As I was looking through the program, I noticed that there would be fireworks!  Score!  The concert began with a few patriotic numbers and then the orchestra played Gershwin's Piano Concerto with Mary Anne Huntsman as soloist.  After the intermission Celena Shafer sang Musetta's Aria from La Boheme.  Oh my goodness, it was amazing!  I love that opera and I always love hearing Shafer sing!  She also sang "Summertime" from Porgy and Bess which was lovely!  Then the orchestra played a medley from West Side Story.  For the finale, we heard Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture complete with cannons provided by the Wasatch Cannoneers.  This piece is unbelievably stirring!  I have heard it many times and it never gets old.  The cannons make me jump every time!  Then came a spectacular fireworks show!  I love watching fireworks and it was such a beautiful evening!  I need to be spontaneous more often!

Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances

When I first started listening to classical music, my favorite composer was Mozart.  I think much of his music is light, airy, and beautiful; easily accessible for a beginner.  When I became a bit more knowledgeable about classical music my taste grew more sophisticated.  I became a fan of the Russian composers because, to me, their music is so passionate.  Luckily last night's Utah Symphony concert featured two of my favorites:  Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff!  Let me tell you, I was definitely ready for a relaxing evening listening to beautiful music!  The orchestra began with Carl Nielsen's Symphony No. 6, which concluded the Nielsen Symphony Cycle.  I have enjoyed getting to know a composer I was unfamiliar with this season and I particularly enjoyed this piece because it prominently featured the woodwind section (I played the clarinet in school).  Next the orchestra played Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations, featuring Matthew Zalkind on solo cello (Zalkind is the son of two current Utah Symphony members).  I thought he was amazing.  Towards the end of the piece, the solo cello played a theme (echoed by the clarinet) that was so hauntingly beautiful I held my breath!  I think Tchaikovsky's music is so emotional.  The concert concluded with Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances and I absolutely loved this piece.  In my opinion it is very evocative of Russia and, once again, it heightened my anticipation for a trip to Russia this summer.  I also really enjoyed all of the percussion in this piece.  This concert was a wonderful conclusion to a very enjoyable 2013-2014 season and a lovely start to the long Memorial Day weekend.

I Can't Wait for Summer Vacation!

Sometimes the closing of the school year is hard.  This year is proving to be more difficult than usual so I am concentrating on all of the fun things that I hope to do this summer.

Deer Valley Music Festival

When it gets really hot in the valley, it is nice to head up to the mountains at the Deer Valley Resort and hear the Utah Symphony play under the stars!  You can bring a blanket and a picnic and sit on the hill or there are seats available near the stage.  This is one of my favorite things to do in the summer and we have heard the orchestra play the 1812 Overture (complete with real cannons) several times.  The pictures above are from last year's Bravo Broadway concert, which was fantastic.  I just got my tickets in the mail for the Music of U2 and I am beyond excited!  Go here for a complete schedule and to purchase tickets.

Utah Shakespeare Festival

The Utah Shakespeare Festival is held every summer on the campus of Southern Utah University in Cedar City (a four hour drive south of Salt Lake City).  It is another one of my favorite things to do.  Sometimes Marilyn and I spend several days and see every play and sometimes we go down for one day and see a couple.  Once I drove down to see Hamlet and then drove straight home.  It was worth it.  The pictures above are from the 2010 production of Macbeth, which was awesome.  This year I am really excited to see Into the Woods (they produce non-Shakespeare plays, too) and Twelfth Night. I'm not going to lie, I'm also excited for the raspberry tarts!   Go here for a complete schedule and to purchase tickets.

Tuacahn Amphitheatre

Tuacahn is a natural amphitheatre made out of red rock in St. George (about six hours south of Salt Lake City).  They perform several musicals in repertory every summer and you can also purchase tickets to a pre-show dinner.  The above pictures are from the 2012 production of Hairspray.  My very favorite production here was Les Miserables because they used the terrain beyond the stage for the epic battle on the barricade.  It was amazing.  This year my student body officers are going to leadership camp at Dixie State University and we get to see The Little Mermaid.  Go here for a complete schedule and to purchase tickets.

Sundance Summer Theatre

Sundance Summer Theatre, in conjunction with the Utah Valley University Theatre Department, has produced a musical at the Sundance Resort for the past several years.  Seeing a musical in the mountains is always a great way to beat the summer heat.  We have seen The Sound of Music (Marilyn sang along with the actors), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and Annie Get Your Gun.  Marilyn and I may or may not have squealed when we found out they are doing Fiddler on the Roof this year.  Go here for tickets.

The Utah Symphony also makes an appearance at the Sundance Resort.  Near the Fourth of July they perform a program featuring patriotic music (think John Philips Sousa).  I took my cousin Merry to this concert last year and we both enjoyed it.  I'm thinking of going again.  Go here for more information.

Red Butte Garden Outdoor Concert Series

Red Butte Garden is an amazing venue for outdoor concerts.  This picture is from the Crosby, Stills, & Nash concert in 2012, which was fabulous (even though I was probably the youngest person there).  This year I am going to see Natalie Cole and I am really excited about it.  Go here to check out this year's lineup and to purchase tickets (many shows are already sold out because members have priority to purchase tickets before the general public).

With all of these amazing events to look forward to, maybe I can make it through these next few weeks until summer vacation.  Maybe.

Tchaikovsky's Suite No. 3

Last Friday I went to another beautiful concert featuring the Utah Symphony.  In my opinion, listening to the music of Tchaikovsky is the perfect way to end the work week!  The evening began with the Russian Easter Overture by Rimsky-Korsakov (which I thought was appropriate in light of the recent Easter holiday).  I really enjoyed this piece because it reminded me of my visit to St. Petersburg (I'm going back to St. Petersburg this summer so listening to this piece really ignited my enthusiasm for the trip).  It sounded so quintessentially Russian to me.  Also, I like any piece that features the chimes!  After the intermission we heard Tchaikovsky's Suite No. 3.  Tchaikovsky has become one of my favorite composers because I think his music is so romantic and emotional.  I had never heard this particular piece before but I absolutely loved it.  There is a theme in the third movement played by a solo oboe that was so haunting that it gave me goosebumps.  It was, literally, a night of Russians because the guest conductor, Andrey Boreyko, is Russian.  He was absolutely brilliant!  I think Russian music sounds so much better with a Russian conductor or soloist because they are always so passionate.  It was definitely a lovely evening with incredible music.

Mozart, Bernstein & Nielsen

I won some free tickets to a Utah Symphony concert of my choice for promoting the organization on social media.  Recently Marilyn and I used the tickets to see a lovely performance featuring the music of Mozart, my favorite composer, along with Leonard Bernstein and Carl Nielsen.  The orchestra began with Eine Kleine Nachtmusik which is one of Mozart's most popular works, certainly one of the most recognizable.  It was performed by a small chamber group and I thoroughly enjoyed it because this is one of the first pieces of classical music that I fell in love with.  I think it is light, airy, and elegant.  After this piece, the full orchestra, including a large contingent of percussion instruments, joined the group for Leonard Bernstein's Serenade, after Plato's Symposium.  This featured Kathryn Eberle, the Associate Concert Master for the Utah Symphony, on solo violin and she was amazing.  It is a series of related movements with various speakers praising the platonic idea of love.  I really enjoyed the first movement because it featured a lot of percussion.   I especially liked the chimes.  The orchestra concluded the concert with Carl Nielsen's Symphony No. 5.  I was not very familiar with Carl Nielsen but, as the orchestra has been performing his Symphony Cycle this season, I have grown to appreciate his work and I was especially affected by this piece.  Many believe it was heavily influenced by the brutality of World War I.  It was very somber but I thought it ended triumphantly!  Marilyn and I had a wonderful evening.  Thanks to the Utah Symphony for the tickets!