Ode to Joy

Last night Abravanel Hall was definitely filled with a joyful noise as the Utah Symphony performed Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 and you should really stop reading right now and get yourself a ticket to tonight's concert!  The evening began with Control, a piece by Nico Muhly commissioned by the Utah Symphony to commemorate its 75th Anniversary.  The composer was in attendance and he explained to the audience that the piece represented various landmarks in Utah and how people interacted with them.  I absolutely loved it because it was very dramatic and included quite a bit of percussion.  At one point the first part featured a xylophone, a marimba, and a vibraphone in unison.  I also really loved the theme played by the brass in syncopation with a bass drum in part four.  As the orchestra played, there was also a video presentation of the Utah landmarks which inspired Control designed by Joshua Higgason.  I thought it was stunning.  I really appreciate that the Utah Symphony is such a dynamic organization able to program new and innovative pieces along with the cannon.  After the intermission the orchestra performed what is widely regarded as the greatest symphony ever written!  When I created my season package last summer, Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 was at the top of my list (along with Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2) and I've been looking forward to it ever since.  The orchestra was joined by the Utah Symphony Chorus, the University of Utah Chamber Choir, and the University of Utah A Capella Choir (they looked very dramatic on stage) along with soloists Celena Shaffer (a Utah favorite), Sarah Coit, Eric Barry, and Michael Dean.  The first movement is stirring and dramatic, the second is lively and exuberant, and the third is romantic and atmospheric.  However, nothing can compare to the magnificent 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.  I think the lyrics, about the universal brotherhood of man, are particularly salient for these troubled times and listening to the chorus sing them gave me goosebumps.  If you are still reading this, I highly recommend that you go here to get tickets to hear this incredible piece!

Note:  The orchestra paid tribute to Joseph Silverstein, conductor of the Utah Symphony for over 15 years, by playing "Nimrod" from Elgar's Enigma Variations.  It was so beautiful!  I remember him fondly because he conducted the first Utah Symphony concert I attended.