I have to admit that I bought a ticket to last night's Utah Symphony concert because I am a huge fan of Sibelius but I ended up loving all three of the pieces performed and enjoyed myself immensely! The orchestra began with Carl Nielsen's Helios Overture and I loved it! It began with a beautiful and contemplative theme, representing the sun rising above the sea, and then became very powerful with a soaring melody played by the horns followed by a triumphant fanfare by the trumpets. The piece ended just as mysteriously as it began as the sun set and I found it to be quite breathtaking! Then the orchestra was joined by Alexandra Dariescu for Edvard Grieg's spectacular Piano Concerto. Dariescu may have been wearing a sparkly gold dress but it was her playing that dazzled the audience as her fingers flew up and down the keyboard. From the instantly recognizable opening notes to the dramatic conclusion, I absolutely loved it! After the intermission came the piece that I had been waiting for: Symphony No. 2 by Jean Sibelius! In my opinion, Sibelius is every bit as passionate and emotional as the Russian composers but he is a bit more stately and restrained. Symphony No. 2 is incredibly dramatic and I especially enjoyed the theme played by the cellos in the first movement because it is very atmospheric. I found the second movement to be filled with tension and I loved the energy in the third movement. There was a full house at Abravanel Hall last night with good reason! This concert is not to be missed and, luckily, it will be repeated tonight (go here for tickets).
Note: When I bought this ticket I thought that I was unfamiliar with Grieg but I immediately recognized the Piano Concerto as soon as I heard the opening notes!
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