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!
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