Utah Symphony at Sundance

What could be better than listening to the Utah Symphony?  Listening to the Utah Symphony in the mountains, that's what!  It's no secret that I am a huge fan of the Utah Symphony and it's no secret that I love seeing outdoor performances during the summer so you can imagine what a lovely time I had last night listening to the orchestra play some patriotic favorites at the Sundance resort.  It was wonderful to be up in the mountains away from the heat in the valley and the fresh smell of the pine trees was almost intoxicating to me!  The concert featured classics from Leonard Bernstein, George Gershwin (I especially loved "An American in Paris"), and John Philip Sousa.  The concert culminated, as these summer concerts often do, with Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture.  I absolutely love this piece and, no matter how many times I hear it, it never gets old.  I think it is incredibly stirring (although maybe not as stirring as when the Wasatch Cannoneers participate) and I get goosebumps every time that well-known theme is played at the end of the piece.  I also really love the chimes!  I enjoyed every minute of this wonderful experience and I am so glad that I can be in any number of mountain resorts in about 30 minutes and I'm also glad that I can see a world-class orchestra play all year long.  Go here for more summer events at Sundance (I'm particularly excited about The Wizard of Oz in August) and go here for tickets to see the Utah Symphony perform in various venues around the valley.

Saint-Saens' Organ Symphony

Friday night I attended my final performance of the Utah Symphony 2014-2015 season.  It has been a fantastic year (go here, here, and here for some of my favorite concerts) and I certainly picked an amazing concert to end with!  The orchestra began with A Night on Bald Mountain by Modest Mussorgsky.  I have heard this piece performed many times and I always picture a coven of witches dancing around a large bonfire.  It is very atmospheric!  The concert continued with Symphony No. 5 by Alexander Glazunov.  I was completely unfamiliar with this piece but I really enjoyed it.  I thought is was very dramatic and I especially loved the themes played by the brass section.  After the intermission, the orchestra played the Organ Symphony by Camille Saint-Saens (who is becoming one of my favorite composers).  This piece featured Richard Elliott, the principal organist for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.  Several years ago, I saw the orchestra perform this piece with the same soloist and I enjoyed it so much that this one was one of the first concerts I picked when creating my season package.  I absolutely loved it!  There is a section in the second movement where the organ plays in unison with the strings, punctuated rather dramatically by the timpani and cymbals, that is so incredibly stirring I had goosebumps!  The guest conductor for the evening, Kuzuki Yamada, was absolutely brilliant and there was a particularly touching moment when he ran over to embrace Elliott at the end of the concert.  It was a very enjoyable evening of music, as always.

Note:  The Utah Symphony still has a few concerts left in the season and they will be performing in many outdoor venues throughout the summer.  I already have tickets to a concert at Red Butte Garden and I am really excited about some of the Deer Valley concerts!  Go here for information and tickets.

The Midtown Men

 Last night my family and I saw the Midtown Men in concert with the Utah Symphony at Abravanel Hall.  It was an absolutely amazing concert!  The Midtown Men are Christian Hoff, Michael Longoria, Daniel Reichard, and J. Robert Spencer and all four of them were in the original Broadway cast of Jersey Boys.  When I saw the Broadway touring company production of Jersey Boys in SLC two years ago, I knew my Dad, who is a huge fan of the Four Seasons, would love the show so I immediately bought tickets for him and my Mom during intermission!  When I read about the upcoming Midtown Men concert, I knew, once again, that my Dad would love it so I decided to get tickets.  I am so glad I did because we all loved it!  My Dad was so excited he could hardly contain himself waiting for the concert to begin!  The Utah Symphony started the show with a medley of songs composed by Henry Mancini and then the Midtown Men came out and performed a variety of music from the 1960s including "Get Ready" by the Temptations, "Can't Buy Me Love" by the Beatles, "Happy Together" by the Turtles, "Dawn (Go Away)" by the Four Seasons, "Up on the Roof" by the Drifters, "Time of the Season" by the Zombies, "Cry for Me" from Jersey Boys, and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" by Marvin Gaye.  They closed out the first half of the show with a medley of "Big Girls Don't Cry" and "Sherry" by the Four Seasons which really got the crowd going!  After the intermission, the Utah Symphony performed a beautiful arrangement of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by Simon & Garfunkel that I really loved.  The Midtown Men continued with "River Deep Mountain High" by Ike & Tina Turner, "California Dreamin'" by the Mamas & the Papas, "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" by the Four Seasons, and a fabulous medley of Motown hits (my favorite was "I Want You Back" by the Jackson 5).  They ended the show with "Oh, What a Night (December,1963)" by the Four Seasons.  What a night, indeed!  They were incredible performers with elaborate choreography with each number and they kept up a charming banter with the audience all night.  I love the music of the 1960s, especially the Four Seasons, because my Dad played it so much during my childhood.  It was so fun to experience this concert with him because he is the reason I knew all of the words despite being one of the youngest in the audience!  If you are a fan of the music of the 60s you will definitely want to get a ticket to the show tonight (go here).

Daphnis & Chloe

I always enjoy the Friday evenings I get to spend listening to the Utah Symphony at Abravanel Hall but last night's concert was particularly amazing!  The orchestra began with Prelude a l'Apres-midi d'un faune (Prelude to an afternoon of a Faun) by Claude Debussy.  I had heard this piece several years ago at a performance by Ballet West but it is always easier to listen to the nuances in the music without the "distraction" of the dancing.  I really liked this piece because it was quite atmospheric, especially the themes played by the harp and flute (more about the flute later).  Next, the orchestra played Symphony in Three Movements by Igor Stravinsky.  This piece was incredibly dramatic (it was influenced by the events of World War II) and I really liked the timpani in the first movement and the harp in the second movement.  I also enjoyed the theme played by the clarinet.  I like to listen for the clarinet because I played it in school and I particularly enjoy watching Principal Clarinet Tad Calcara because he always looks like he is having so much fun.  After the intermission, we heard Daphnis et Chloe.  Maurice Ravel composed this piece for a ballet based on an ancient Greek story by Longus.  The ballet tells the love story of Daphnis, a young shepherd, and Chloe, the maiden he is pursuing and it is full of exciting action including innocent flirtation, jealousy, a duel for the prize of a kiss, temptation, an abduction by pirates, a desperate attempt at escape, the intervention of the god Pan involving a dramatic storm at sea, a daring rescue, and the glorious reunion of the lovers at sunrise.  There were supertitles describing the action in the ballet but it was amazing how the different instruments, including the voices of the Utah Symphony Chorus, were able to evoke the various scenes, especially the pirate battles, the storm, and the birds at sunrise.  My very favorite part was when Daphnis imitated Pan's flute so Chloe could dance for him.  Principal Flute Mercedes Smith was absolutely incredible during this section and it gave me goosebumps.  The entire piece was spectacular!  Do yourself a favor and go here to get tickets for tonight's performance!

Beethoven & Wagner

Last night, after an absence of over a month, I was very happy to be sitting in Abravanel Hall listening to the Utah Symphony!  This concert was much needed (my student body officers just finished sponsoring spirit week at school) and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the performance.  The orchestra began with Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 2.  This piece was very light, airy, and pretty.  It reminded me a great deal of Mozart so imagine my delight when I read in the program at intermission that Beethoven was very much influenced by Mozart during his early period.  I think I am slowly getting more knowledgeable and sophisticated in my appreciation of classical music!  I sat in the third tier so I really enjoyed watching pianist Ingrid Fliter's fingers literally fly up and down the keyboard.  She was amazing!  After the intermission, we heard the Orchestral Suite from The Ring by Wagner.  It was incredibly stirring and dramatic!  The Ring cycle is actually a series of four operas (Das Rheingold, Die Walkure, Siegfried, and Gotterdammerung) which follow various Norse and Germanic mythological characters in their quest for a ring which gives dominion over the world.  The suite is a musical summary of these four works and, based on the sampling I heard last night, I would really like to see the entire cycle (which usually takes four nights to complete) because I absolutely loved it!  Guest conductor Jun Markl was just as dramatic as the music and I enjoyed watching all of his wild gestures.  At one point I thought he was going to leap off of the podium!  What a spectacular evening of music!

Note:  Remember when I said I was getting more sophisticated in my appreciation of classical music?  During "Ride of the Valkyries" from Die Walkure, all I could think of was "Kill the wabbit.  Kill the wabbit."  Clearly I have a long way to go!

Mahler's Symphony No. 3

It has been quite a while since I last saw the Utah Symphony (at least for me) so I was very happy to end a long week back at Abravanel Hall with an incredible concert featuring Symphony No. 3 by Gustav Mahler.  The Utah Symphony is performing the entire Mahler symphony cycle this season and next to commemorate their 75th anniversary and to honor the legacy of Maurice Abravanel.  I am not very familiar with Mahler but I am starting to really appreciate his work (Symphony No. 1 was amazing).  This particular piece was absolutely magnificent!  The orchestra was joined by mezzo-soprano Tamara Mumford, the women from the Utah Symphony Chorus, and the Madeleine School Choir.  I had goosebumps almost from the opening notes played by the horn section (eight of them).  The first movement was very dramatic, featuring a rousing march and a wonderful theme played by a solo trombone.  The second movement was very playful, in my opinion, with themes played by the oboes and clarinets (I love it when the woodwinds are featured).  According to Mahler, this movement represents flowers and it was probably my favorite section of the symphony.  The third movement included a solo trumpet played off stage and this was amazing!  The fourth movement featured Mumford, who gave a lovely performance.  The text is based on Friedrich Nietzsche's "Midnight Song" and I found it to be both beautiful and atmospheric.  Mumford was joined by both choirs in the fifth movement and I particularly loved when the children imitated bells.  The final movement was also incredibly dramatic.  It started very slowly and softly and then built to an incredible crescendo featuring the timpani.  This symphony is almost two hours long but the beautiful music carried me away and it seemed to last for just an instant!  I really enjoyed this concert last night and I definitely recommend getting a ticket to tonight's performance.  Go here for tickets and information.

Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker

It has been a long and difficult week.  It is always hard to go back to school after having two weeks off for winter break but I have also been fighting one of the worst colds I've ever had!  I actually stayed home for two days and I really should have stayed home more but it is the end of the term and I've been trying to finish Hamlet with my seniors and Night with my sophomores.  The only thing that got me through the past couple of days was knowing that I had this lovely Utah Symphony concert featuring the music of Shostakovich and Tchaikovsky on Friday night to look forward to!  The first piece was Symphony No. 15 by Dmitri Shostakovich.  Before the orchestra began, guest conductor Mark Wigglesworth (who is adorable) gave the audience some background information saying that it is very autobiographical, chronicling Shostakovich's difficulties living in the Soviet Union under Stalin.  I loved this piece, particularly the second movement which begins with the brass playing a theme that sounded quintessentially Russian to me.  Interspersed with this theme is a solo cello representing Shostakovich's struggle for individuality within the Soviet machine.  It is hauntingly mournful and Rainer Eudeikis, Principal Cellist, played it beautifully.  After the intermission, the orchestra played Act II from The Nutcracker by Pyotr Illych Tchaikovsky.  I have seen this ballet many, many times and I've always enjoyed the music.  This was a really nice opportunity to concentrate on the music without the "distraction" of the dancing.  I quite enjoyed watching the orchestra, who are usually hidden in the pit, and I noticed so many things!  I loved watching the woodwinds in the Arabian Dance and the harp in the Waltz of the Flowers.  I also particularly enjoyed the Russian Dance.  I've always been so impressed with the sheer athleticism of the dancers but the orchestra gets quite a workout as well because it is so fast!  I've never really noticed that before because I've always been so enamored with the leaping Russians!   Even without the dancers, I still feel like the music for the Pas de Deux between the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier is one of the most romantic pieces I've ever heard.  Tchaikovsky had to be filled with so much emotion to write something so beautiful.  Mark Wigglesworth conducted this section with so much passion and he isn't even Russian!  Finally, I learned that the instantly recognizable notes in the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy are played by a celesta!  Who knew?  It was such a wonderful concert and, luckily, it will be repeated again tonight!  Go here for more information and to purchase tickets.

New Year's in Vienna

While it would have been amazing to spend New Year's Day listening to the Vienna Philharmonic play their annual concert featuring the music of Johann Strauss, his sons, and his contemporaries, I saved quite a bit on airfare and attended the Utah Symphony's version last night.  My sister was one of the winners of my ticket giveaway for this concert and she took my mom, who absolutely loved it!  She recognized most of the pieces and thought they were all very stirring!  So did I!  The orchestra began with Dmitri Shostakovich's Festive Overture, Alexander Borodin's "Poltovtzian Dances" from Prince Igor, and Shostakovich's Suite for Variety Stage Orchestra.  I especially loved "Waltz 2" from Suite for Variety Stage Orchestra.  I really liked the theme played by the solo saxophone, and later echoed by other instruments, because it was very playful and I kept imagining women in white ball gowns twirling around an opulent palace.  After the intermission, the orchestra played "Hungarian March" from La Damnation de Faust by Hector Berlioz, Kunstlerleben by Johann Strauss, Jr., Champagner Gallop by Hans Christian Lumbye, "Sehnsuchtswalzer" from Drei Walzer by Wolfgang Rihm, and Hungarian Dance No. 5 by Johannes Brahms.  The concert concluded with In Krapfenwald'l and Eljen a Magyar! by Johann Strauss, Jr. All of these pieces were absolutely enchanting and sometimes it seemed as if the audience wanted to get up and dance (or maybe that was just me).  I especially loved the popping of the champagne corks in Champagner Gallop and all of the bird whistles (including a rubber duckie) in In Krapfenwald'l.  So much fun!  It was such a lovely way to begin the new year, especially with my mom and sister (a huge thanks to the Utah Symphony for allowing me to give away tickets to this concert).  These pieces will be performed again tonight and I highly recommend getting a ticket!  Go here for more information.

Utah Symphony Giveaway!

Vienna is traditionally the place to be on New Year's Eve with its many opulent balls and concerts featuring stirring waltzes and marches but, if you can't afford the airfare, I have the next best thing!  How would you like to win a pair of tickets to see the Utah Symphony perform its version?  I have been given two pair of tickets for the New Years in Vienna concerts to give to my readers.  You can choose Friday Jan. 2 or Saturday Jan. 3 at Abravanel Hall in SLC at 8:00pm.  (Go here for more information about the pieces the orchestra will be performing).  I will be attending the Friday concert and I am so excited!  If you would like a pair of tickets, follow Phaedra's Adventures via Google Friend Connect (located in the sidebar) and enter the Rafflecopter below (you can enter every day until the giveaway closes on Dec. 28).  I will notify the winners by email on Monday Dec. 29 and tickets will be held in Will Call at Abravanel Hall.

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Good luck!

Here Comes Santa Claus

Last December Marilyn and I took Sean and Tashena to see Elf: The Musical at PTC.  They enjoyed it so much we decided to take them to another Christmas performance this year (a little culture never hurt anybody).  Every year the Utah Symphony performs Here Comes Santa Claus as part of its Family Series and we went to this concert yesterday afternoon.  It was only one hour long (the perfect length for children) and the orchestra played well-known Christmas songs such as "Joy to the World," "O Christmas Tree," "Here Comes Santa Claus," and "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer."  For the finale, a visitor from the North Pole came and conducted the orchestra (and the audience) in a sing-along featuring "Deck the Halls," Jingle Bells," and "Frosty the Snowman."  These concerts in the Family Series are a great way to introduce classical music to children (see the Halloween concert here) because they are a lot of fun and the music is accessible for all ages.  Tashena loved it and Sean did a really good job sitting through the whole thing (of course, we did a full pat-down before entering Abravanel Hall and confiscated several toys with lasers).  I loved every minute of it and so did Marilyn (she thinks that Associate Conductor Vladimir Kulenovic is adorable).  I am so glad that the Utah Symphony performs concerts that are geared for the whole family.  I derive a great deal of pleasure from the performing arts (as you know if you read my blog regularly) and it makes me very happy to give Sean and Tashena opportunities like this concert.  Afterwards, we went out to lunch and Sean told us that this was the best day ever!

Beethoven's Ninth

If you live in the Salt Lake City area, stop reading this post right now and go here to get tickets to tonight's Utah Symphony concert featuring Beethoven's Ninth Symphony!  If you are lucky enough to get tickets (there were very few empty seats in Abravanel Hall last night), you will hear what is widely regarded as the greatest symphony ever written and, even if you are not a big fan of classical music, you can't help but be swept up in the emotion.  This piece of music, about the universal brotherhood of man, is absolutely sublime and the Utah Symphony performed it beautifully.  The orchestra was, once again, joined by the Utah Symphony Chorus and some wonderful soloists, including the amazing Celena Shafer, Cynthia Hanna, Chad Shelton, and Michael Dean.  I absolutely love Symphony No. 9 and this was actually the first concert I selected when I created my season package.  I have been looking forward to it ever since.  I had goosebumps almost from the first note because I think the first movement is incredibly stirring and dramatic.  The second movement is lively and exuberant and the third movement brings tears to my eyes because it is so hauntingly beautiful.  All of this is merely a prelude to the incredible fourth movement featuring the chorus and soloists singing lyrics from the poem Ode to Joy by Friedrich Schiller to the accompaniment of the instantly recognizable main theme played by the orchestra. Words cannot express how amazing it was to hear this performed live with the acoustics in Abravanel Hall!  The symphony is more than an hour long but, like all wonderful things, it felt like it was over in an instant.  I get chills just thinking about it! It was a joyful noise, indeed!  If you are still reading this, stop now and get your tickets here.  You will thank me later!

Note:  If you do get tickets, go a little bit early because the traffic downtown at this time of year is really heavy.  However, this performance is worth the hassle!

Messiah Sing-In

The Utah Symphony's performance of Handel's Messiah is a long-standing Christmas tradition in Salt Lake City but, for some reason, I have never gone before.  Marilyn and I decided to go last night and it was absolutely wonderful!  The orchestra was joined by the Utah Symphony Chorus (they always look so impressive on stage), soloists Melissa Heath, Abigail Levis, Tyson Miller, and Christopher Clayton and a few thousand audience members who joined in during selected choruses (scores could be purchased in the lobby for $9.00).  The program mentioned that Maestro Thierry Fischer would be singing the baritone part but he told the crowd before the concert started that he had, mercifully, decided not to sing!  I wonder if this was a joke or if he really can sing?  I find Thierry Fischer to be so endearing!  As I mentioned, I had never heard Handel's Messiah performed before but there was much of it that was familiar, especially the "For Unto Us" chorus.  The music was beautiful, the words were powerful. and the soloists were incredible!  I was pretty much overcome hearing all of those voices sing the "Hallelujah" chorus with the fabulous acoustics in Abravanel Hall!   It was so amazing that Maestro Fischer had the orchestra, soloists, and chorus (including the audience) perform it again as an encore!  Both Marilyn and I enjoyed this concert immensely and I think this is the beginning of a new Christmas tradition!

Dvorak's Symphony No. 7

If it is Friday night, you can usually find me at Abravanel Hall listening to the Utah Symphony and last night's performance was wonderful!  The concert began with Mein Heim by Antonin Dvorak.  This piece is based on two different Bohemian folk songs and I thought it sounded rather nostalgic, like someone who is longing for home, and I really enjoyed it.  Next, the orchestra played my favorite piece of the evening, Concerto No. 3 for Violin by Camille Saint-Saens, with the incredibly talented Fumiaki Miura on violin.  Saint-Saens is a composer that I have recently discovered and this particular piece is lovely.  The opening notes played by the solo violin are so plaintive that I had tears in my eyes almost immediately.  Then, in the second movement, the solo violin played a beautiful theme which was echoed by the woodwinds and then echoed by the entire orchestra at the end of the movement.  It was most affecting and I really loved it!  The third movement was quite dramatic and I especially loved the fanfare by the trumpets and trombones.  Miura was simply amazing and the audience agreed with me, giving him a rousing standing ovation.  I really enjoyed watching him because he made it look so effortless.  After the intermission the orchestra concluded the concert by performing Dvorak's Symphony No. 7.  I particularly loved the theme played by the woodwinds (the woodwinds were featured prominently last night) in the first movement.  I found the second movement to be very somber and atmospheric and I had goosebumps through much of it.  In contrast, the third movement seemed almost ebullient.  I imagined young girls waltzing in an opulent palace with ribbons flying.  The piece ended very dramatically, almost triumphantly.  In my opinion, it is a fitting metaphor for the turbulent history of Dvorak's native land.  This beautiful music will be featured once again this evening and I highly recommend getting a ticket.  If you have never attended a Utah Symphony performance before, you can get half-price tickets for this concert, as well as the popular Messiah Sing-In concerts next weekend, by using the code everyone at check-out.  Go here for more information and to purchase tickets.

Tips for Enjoying a Classical Music Performance

I am not an expert on classical music.  In fact, I was actually quite intimidated when I went to my first symphony concert as a college student.  What should I wear?  Will I be the only one my age?  How should I behave?  Will I like it?  Fortunately, I had a wonderful experience and now I love attending Utah Symphony performances!  If you are thinking about attending a concert (you should!) here are some tips to make your experience more enjoyable.

1.  Forget any preconceived notions you have about classical music.

Classical music is not boring!  Forget about the bland and soporific Muzak you hear in elevators and department stores.  In my opinion, classical music is incredibly beautiful and dynamic.  It can be so powerful that your heart pounds, so exquisite that your spine tingles, or so achingly mournful that tears come to your eyes.  Classical music is not just for old or rich people.  I see people of all ages at symphony performances (including some HHS students who enjoyed it more than they thought they would) and, honestly, Utah Symphony concerts are quite reasonable with tickets starting as low as $18.  I spend much more for theatre productions or Utah Jazz tickets!  Finally, most fans of classical music are not pretentious snobs.  Okay, okay I use the occasional big word but, really, I am very down to earth.  My other passion in life is hockey and I am awfully fond of superhero movies and trashy Danielle Steele novels.  Most people who like classical music are just like you!

2.  Find a favorite composer.

I became a fan of Mozart after watching the movie Amadeus when I was in high school.  I like his music because it is light, airy, and beautifully uncomplicated making it easily accessible for people with little or no background knowledge about classical music.  I bought the soundtrack to the movie and listened to it over and over.  My first symphony concert was a performance of Mozart's Requiem Mass and I absolutely loved it.  Hearing a piece of music I really loved played by a live orchestra was an experience I will never forget!  Listen to some classical music on stations like Pandora and see what pieces you are drawn to.  Who is the composer?  Why do you like it?  Do you like anything else by that composer?  The Utah Symphony programs the work of a variety of different composers during the season so there is bound to be a concert featuring your favorite.  Initially, I only attended concerts featuring Mozart but, as I gradually became exposed to other composers (most concerts feature several composers), I realized that I also like many Russian composers, such as Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Shostakovitch, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Prokofiev, because their music is so emotional.  I am always adding new favorites to my list.

3.  Know what to expect.

Plan to arrive at the venue a little bit early to find your seat.  Concerts start on time and, if you are late, you will not be seated until an appropriate pause so as not to disturb other concertgoers.  Turn off your phone and refrain from talking during the performance.  It is distracting to audience members and the orchestra.  There really is no dress code.  I have seen people dressed in everything from jeans to full length black velvet capes and tiaras.  Wear whatever makes you comfortable but, because most concert halls are incredibly beautiful (Abravanel Hall is gorgeous), you might feel more comfortable wearing something a little bit dressy to fit in with the surroundings.  I tend to wear black!  Symphonies are divided into sections called movements and there are generally pauses between them.  You typically do not clap during these pauses (unless a soloist has been particularly spectacular).  I learned this the hard way and now generally follow the cues from the conductor who will lower his baton at the end of a piece!  However, you should clap when the concertmaster and conductor (and occasionally a soloist) come on stage at the beginning of the concert as a sign of respect.  Knowing these little bits of etiquette might make you feel less conspicuous at your first concert.

4.  Just enjoy the music!

There are notes about the featured composers and pieces that will be performed in the program and the Utah Symphony hosts pre-concert lectures one hour before each performance but, really, you don't need to do anything to prepare for a concert.  Just listen to the music!  I like to listen for a melody and variations which are repeated throughout a piece.  I also like to listen for specific instruments.  I played the clarinet in school so I particularly like it when the woodwind section is featured.  I also have a thing for chimes (I don't know why).  My sister plays the cello and likes to watch that section during a performance.  Sometimes I concentrate on an emotion that I feel while listening to a piece and other times I close my eyes and visualize a scene called to mind by the music.  All you have to do is sit back and enjoy a lovely evening.

Even if you are intimidated by classical music, step out of your comfort zone and attend a concert.  You just might find a life long passion like I did!

Don't forget to enter the giveaway for a pair of tickets to a Utah Symphony concert next weekend!

Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra (and a Giveaway!)

Last night I attended a Utah Symphony concert featuring the work of three amazing composers: Bartok, Mozart, and Strauss.  I have always loved the music of Mozart (I try to see any performance which features him) but I believe that I will be adding Bartok and Strauss to my growing list of favorites!  The orchestra began with Hungarian Sketches by Bartok.  I really enjoyed these pieces, especially the first two because they prominently featured the clarinet (I played the clarinet in school).  During the final piece I kept imagining girls with flowers in their hair dancing around a maypole in a town square of cobblestone.  Next came Mozart's Rondo for Piano and Orchestra in A Major with guest soloist Marc-Andre Hamelin.  It was just lovely!  As with much of Mozart's music, I found it to be very lively and playful.  The next piece was my favorite of the evening: Burleske for Piano and Orchestra in D Minor by Richard Strauss, once again featuring the amazing Hamelin.  I was not at all familiar with this piece but it absolutely took my breath away!  At times it was incredibly dramatic with Hamelin's fingers moving deftly up and down the keyboard at a furious pace to the accompaniment of timpani and an occasional fanfare by the trumpet section!  At other times it was beautiful and romantic, particularly the theme played by the strings near the end.  After the intermission (which I spent at a VIP Reception) the orchestra played Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra.  In the first movement the cellos played an emotional theme that was almost mournful but by the end of the piece the mood was triumphant.  I absolutely loved it!   It was, once again, a evening of beautiful music at Abravanel Hall!

Would you like to experience an evening of beautiful music at Abravanel Hall yourself?  The Utah Symphony has graciously given me two pair of tickets to give to my readers.  The tickets are for next weekend (Friday Nov. 14 or Saturday Nov. 15) at Abravanel Hall in SLC at 8:00 pm and the concerts will feature Mahler's Symphony No. 2.  The Utah Symphony is performing the Mahler Symphony Cycle this year and next to honor the legacy of Maurice Abravanel and to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the orchestra next year.  I think it will be an amazing concert.  If you would like a pair of tickets, follow Phaedra's Adventures via Google Friend Connect (located in the sidebar) and enter the Rafflecopter below.  I will notify the winners by email on Wednesday Nov. 12 and tickets will be held in Will Call at Abravanel Hall.

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Good luck!

Halloween Hi-Jinks

I have been attending the Utah Symphony's annual Halloween concert for the past few years and it has become another favorite holiday tradition.  I attended this year's concert on Tuesday night and, as always, it was a lot of fun!  The orchestra played some great spooky music such as the Overture from The Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber, "Danse Macabre" by Camille Saint-Saens, "Ritual Fire Dance" from El Amor Brujo by Manuel de Falla, "Thunder & Lightning Polka" by Johann Strauss, Jr., "Harry's Wondrous World" from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by John Williams, "The Bride of Frankenstein" by Franz Waxman, "Devil's Dance" from The Witches of Eastwick by John Williams, and "Funeral March of a Marionette" by Charles Gounod.  All were suitably atmospheric and accessible for even the youngest in attendance.  A young girl sitting near me told her friend that she thought she would be bored but ended up really liking the concert.  One of my favorite pieces was Night on Bald Mountain by Modest Mussorgsky (Have I mentioned that I really like Russian composers?).  Many in the audience recognized this from Fantasia but I imagined a coven of witches cavorting around a bonfire and casting spells!  I also really loved Toccata and Fugue in D Minor by Johann Sebastian Bach.  I think of this piece as the quintessence of horror (It has been used in many horror films) and I wonder if Bach intended it thus?  The concert concluded with "Ride of the Valkyries" from Die Walkure by Richard Wagner.  It was another favorite because it was very dramatic!  I was quite impressed with the horn section in this piece.  There was a costume competition in the lobby with the audience picking the winners after the intermission.  I thought there were some really clever ones, including a group dressed as Star Wars characters with one person as an amazing AT-AT Walker!  Orchestra members were also in costume which was hilarious to watch.  The percussion section dressed as green army men and won the orchestra competition (as they did last year dressed as the Blue Man Group).  However, my favorite was the bass section.  One bass player was dressed as a bee keeper and the rest were bees!  I think they should have won!  Put this concert on your calendar for next year and start planning your costumes!  I'm sure it will become a great Halloween tradition.

Note:  The Utah Symphony performs several concerts like this one, which are suitable for families, throughout the season.  I am planning on taking my niece and nephew to the Here Comes Santa Claus concert in December.  Go here to get tickets for your family.

Prokofiev's Symphony No. 7

It has been a long week!  The end of the term is sometimes hard because there are lots of tests and final projects to grade and lots of students who are suddenly concerned about their grade to deal with.   Luckily, I had a Utah Symphony concert to look forward to.  Every time a student asked me what he or she could do to pass, I imagined sitting in Abravanel Hall listening to amazing music.  I love it when the concertmaster comes on stage and plays a note for the orchestra to tune their instruments.  There is such a sense of expectation followed by a hush in the audience as the conductor takes the podium.  I felt all of the tension leave my body as I sat in anticipation of the lovely concert to follow.  Last night's guest conductor (and soloist) was Ignat Solzhenitsyn.  Yes, that Solzhenitsyn!  His father is the Nobel Prize winning author Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn!  Ignat is a very sought-after conductor and I admit to being the tiniest bit star-struck.  The concert began with Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 18 featuring Ignat as the solo pianist and conductor.  It was quite impressive to watch because, at times, he would be conducting the orchestra with one hand while playing some intricate melody with the other.  I love the music of Mozart because I think it is light, airy, and beautiful.  I particularly like the second movement of this piece because it is so romantic.  I closed my eyes and imagined myself in Vienna.  After the intermission, the orchestra played Prokofiev's Symphony No. 7.  I always think that Russian music sounds so much better with a Russian conductor because they are so passionate!  Oh how I loved this piece!  It is melancholy and mournful but so beautiful.  I had goosebumps through all of it!  The concert concluded with Symphonic Metomorphosis on Themes of Carl Maria von Weber by  Paul Hindemith.  I was not at all familiar with Hindemith but I really enjoyed this piece.  I thought it was very playful and I particularly liked all of the percussion, especially the chimes.  I have a thing for the chimes.  I really can't say enough about the Utah Symphony!  We are so lucky to have a world-class orchestra in SLC and I think there is something for everyone this season.  I definitely recommend this concert which will be performed again tonight.  Go here for tickets and information.

Bronfman Plays Brahms

Every time I attend a Utah Symphony performance I learn something new about classical music!  There is so much I don't know!  Last night I heard an amazing piece by a composer I had never heard of before and I absolutely loved it.  The piece is called Transfigured Night and the composer is Arnold Schoenburg.  It is based on a poem of the same name by Richard Dehmel in which a couple walk through a forest on a moonlit night.  The woman confesses to her lover that she bears another man's child and the man ultimately forgives her at the end of the poem.  The music reflects all of the emotions the couple experience beginning slowly, softly, and mournfully then building to a frenzy as the man ponders what the woman has done.  The ending is absolutely beautiful signifying the man's acceptance and love of the woman.  Sometimes music can have a profound effect on me and this piece certainly evoked many emotions as I listened to it!  I must add it to my growing list of favorites!  After the intermission, world renowned pianist Yefim Bronfman joined the orchestra to play Piano Concerto No. 2 by Johannes Brahms.  It was quite spectacular and I literally could not look away from his fingers deftly moving up and down the keyboard.  I found this piece to be very emotional and I loved the motif played by the woodwinds in the first movement and the theme played by the solo cello in the third movement.  Bronfman received a rousing standing ovation after which he favored the audience with a delightful encore.  It was a lovely concert which will be performed again tonight.  Go here for tickets and information.

Mahler's Symphony No. 1

As much as I love hearing the Utah Symphony perform at outdoor venues (see here and here) during the summer, I have been anticipating their return to Abravanel Hall for weeks!  Last night was not only the opening concert for the Utah Symphony's 2014-2015 season, but it was also the beginning of a two-year project to perform all of Mahler's symphonies in honor of Maurice Abravanel (who recorded many of them) and the 75th Anniversary of the Utah Symphony next season.  I, unfortunately, am not very familiar with Mahler but I hope to learn more about him and his music this season and next and, if last night is any indication, I am in for a treat!  This concert was wonderful!  The orchestra began with The Iron Foundry by Mosolov and I think we all know how I feel about Russian music!  This piece was composed after the Russian Revolution and incorporates Social Realism.  It is meant to convey the worker as a hero and the percussion actually mimics the sound of machinery.  It is a short piece but I thought it was brilliant, especially the theme played by the horns.  It built to such a crescendo that I was stunned for a moment before I realized it was over!  Next came Wellington's Victory by Beethoven.  This piece actually commemorates the Battle of Vitoria rather than the more famous Battle of Waterloo but it is stirring and incorporates bits of "Rule Britannia" and "God Save the King."  The percussion section certainly had a good time creating artillery sound effects (I think some of the percussionists had a little too much fun with the poppers) and I liked the two sets of snare drums on either side of the stage representing the British on one side and the French on the other.  Very entertaining.  Mahler's Symphony No. 1 was performed after the intermission.  It was recorded for commercial release sometime next year and, for some reason, I thought that was a little bit exciting.  I really enjoyed this piece because it is very atmospheric and prominently features the woodwind section (I played the clarinet in school).  I especially loved the third movement, because of the mournful theme played by a solo double bass, and the fourth movement, because of the fanfare played by the standing horn section.  This same concert will be performed again tonight and I highly recommend that you get a ticket if you are local.  If you can't make it tonight, make plans to attend a concert during the upcoming season (go here for more information and tickets).  I promise you won't be disappointed!

The Music of U2

One of my very favorite things to do in the summer is to see a Utah Symphony concert at the Deer Valley resort.  I love being in the mountains and I love listening to music!  Several months ago, I was picking up some tickets from the box office at Abravanel Hall and I saw a concert entitled "The Music of U2" on a brochure for the Deer Valley Music Festival.  I may or may not have hyperventilated because I really love U2.  The ticket representative took great pains to assure me that U2 would not actually be performing, which I thought was hilarious!  Marilyn and I always see a concert every summer and I told her this was the one I wanted.  I imagined that U2's music would sound fantastic played by a symphony orchestra (and it did).  Marilyn was not able to go to the concert last Saturday night so Tashena volunteered because she is required to see one live music performance every term in her orchestra class.  She is already thinking ahead to the new school year!

Most people bring picnics to eat before the concert so Tashena and I stopped at Subway for ours and it was delicious.  Tashena enjoyed people-watching because some bring very elaborate picnics and she was particularly fascinated by the wine glass holders that stick in the ground.

I wasn't sure if Tashena would like this concert so I told her to bring something to do.  She told me if she got bored she would just go to sleep.  She ended up really enjoying it but she was horrified because I was screaming and singing along!  It's not a successful outing unless I can embarrass her!  The Utah Symphony was joined by vocalist Brody Dolyniuk who sounded remarkably like Bono.  Apparently he also performs the music of The Who, Queen, Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, and the Eagles with symphony orchestras around the country.  I would love to see the Led Zeppelin show!

They played a cross-section of music spanning U2's thirty year career including "Vertigo," "Angel of Harlem," "Desire," "In God's Country," "Sunday Bloody Sunday," "New Year's Day," "I Will Follow," "Walk On," "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," "One," "Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of," "Bad," "Mysterious Ways," "With or Without You," and "Pride (In The Name of Love).  For the encore they performed "Where The Streets have No Name."  I thought it was a great selection.  Tashena recognized "I Still Haven't Found..." and "With or Without You" and she danced to "Mysterious Ways."  During the intermission I asked her if she was bored and she told me she really liked it and wanted to look at her parents' iTunes account to see if they had any U2 songs she could download.  I had so much fun with her!

Note:  On the way home I let Tashena pick the radio station and I didn't recognize any of the songs.  It occurred to me that "Sunday Bloody Sunday" came out when I was approximately Tashena's age and I probably annoyed my parents singing U2 songs all the time!