I feel like I am making progress in my appreciation of classical music. Last night's Utah Symphony concert not only featured a piece that I actually recognized but it also featured a conductor that I really like! Yeah, I know conductors by name! Jun Markl is a frequent guest with the Utah Symphony and I have always really enjoyed his interpretations. I think he is elegance personified on the podium! When I learned that Markl would be performing with the the Utah Symphony and that the concert would feature Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings, I had to get a ticket and I am so glad I did! The orchestra began with the aforementioned Adagio for Strings and I loved it! It is mournful and melancholy (Why do I like such sad pieces?) but I think it is exquisitely beautiful! I love how the theme is developed by the violins and then is picked up by the violas and then the cellos and then, finally, by the basses. As I listened I closed my eyes and let the music wash over me and I was filled with such a sense of yearning. I enjoyed this moving piece very much! Next, the orchestra played Barber's Concerto for Violin with soloist Karen Gomyo. I was not familiar with this piece but I loved it. I thought it was incredibly romantic and Gomyo gave a very passionate performance, especially in the final movement. The second movement featured a theme played by a solo oboe which gave me goosebumps! After the intermission, the orchestra played Piano Quartet No. 1 by Johannes Brahms arranged by Arnold Schoenberg for the full orchestra. I especially liked the final movement which was inspired by a gypsy dancing and included a fun theme played by the solo clarinet and a theme played by the xylophone. The same program will be performed again tonight (go here for tickets) and I highly recommend it for a chance to see Jun Markl in action!
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