The secret to the festival’s continued success is simple — present standard repertoire side by side with overlooked works, all played by veteran musicians as well as rising young stars.
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Monday’s Intermezzo Chamber Music Series’ concert put the spotlight squarely on Rainer Eudeikis.
The young principal cellist of the Utah Symphony wowed the sizable audience in Vieve Gore Concert Hall with a program that, in the first half, ranged from J.S. Bach to a brand new piece written for Eudeikis. And he easily showed he is comfortable and at home in any style period. Eudeikis possesses superb musicality and an innate sense of interpretation, as well as astounding technical acumen. Watching him play was sheer pleasure.
The concert opened with the world premiere of Circle Limit, written for Eudeikis by the young American composer Louis Chiappetta. It’s a well crafted piece that explores the limits of the cello’s physical capabilities. Eudeikis made short work of it, playing with confidence and imbuing the piece with vitality and virtuosity.
This was followed by Bach’s Cello Suite in C major, BWV 1009 which Eudeikis played in the baroque manner, straddling the instrument between his knees. The cello he played was also outfitted with gut strings and tuned a half step lower than the A440 that’s standard today. Accustomed as we are to hearing the cello suites played by a modern instrument, this interpretation was a breath of fresh air. Eudeikis gave a captivatingly vibrant account, playing the six-movement suite with fluid lyricism and finely molded expressiveness.
Rounding out the first half was Sergei Prokofiev’s romantically tinged Cello Sonata, op. 119. Eudeikis was joined onstage by pianist and Intermezzo music director Vedrana Subotic. Meshing wonderfully together as a duo they captured the work’s lyricism and nuanced expressions.
The second half was devoted to one work, Franz Schubert’s monumental Cello Quintet, in C major, D. 956. For this piece, Eudeikis was in good and familiar company. Joining him were violinists Kathryn Eberle and Claude Halter and violist Brant Bayless, all principal players in the Utah Symphony. Completing the quintet was guest Joyce Yang playing the second cello part. The five gave a richly textured and perceptive reading of what unquestionably is one of the greatest chamber works of the 19th century. They brought depth to their interpretation and sensitivity to their playing that served the music well. Their account was nuanced, cohesive, seamless and fluid.
Saturday’s Salt Lake Symphony concert was a celebration of firsts: it was the first time the orchestra has played Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring; it was the first time Rite had been performed in Libby Gardner Concert Hall; and finally, it was the first Utah performance of Jett Hitt’s violin concerto,Yellowstone.
The iconic Rite of Spring caused a huge scandal when it premiered a century ago. And while it can still stir things up, it long ago found a permanent place in the orchestral repertoire. However, it’s not common to find it programmed by a community orchestra, but the Salt Lake Symphony is no ordinary community ensemble. It consists of ambitious and dedicated musicians who obviously love a challenge. And under the leadership of its music director, Robert Baldwin, they get plenty of opportunities to test their mettle.
Robert Baldwin
They gave a stellar performance of Stravinsky’s demanding ballet score. They played with flair, passion and power, as well as wonderfully articulated expressions and lyricism. There was nothing “community” about their performance; it was professional through and through.
Baldwin captured the vitality and drama of the work with his well conceived and executed reading. He showed his command of the score as he delved into its many nuances and subtleties of rhythm and orchestration. He brought the music to life and made it palpable in stunning fashion.
Hasse Borup
Hitt’s concerto is a lushly romantic piece that, even though it’s not programmatic, is nevertheless an evocative description of Yellowstone National Park. Soloist Hasse Borup gave a stunning performance that first and foremost exhibited his expressive side, while also showing his impressive technical mastery of his instrument. And Baldwin and the orchestra offered finely crafted accompaniment that balanced and at the same time contrasted with the solo part.
The concert opened with two movements from Antonin Dvorak’s Slavonic Dances, op. 72. The orchestra was joined by a large number of local high school aged musicians. These young players fit right in with their older counterparts and the performance of these two pieces was exuberant and dynamic.
Idomeneo doesn’t have the performance history in the United States that many of Mozart’s other operas do. But it’s nevertheless an exquisite work that goes far beyond the confines of opera seria and shows Mozart’s innate genius for bringing emotional depth, passion and subtle characterizations to his stage works.
Local opera lovers had a rare opportunity to see Mozart’s 1781 masterpiece last week when the University of Utah’s Lyric Opera Ensemble and the Paradigm Chamber Orchestra joined forces once again and collaborated in the Utah premiere of Idomeneo. The costumed and staged production was under the baton of Joel Rosenberg, and stage director Anthony Buck made good use of the limited physical resources in Libby Gardner Concert Hall in his well conceived and executed staging.
For years, Robert Breault’s opera ensemble has been a remarkable pool of young talent. And year in and year out, these versatile singers haven’t disappointed, no matter what they’ve performed. And they certainly outdid themselves in many ways with Idomeneo.
The story of Idomeneo takes place in Crete immediately after the Trojan War and deals with Idomeneo’s dilemma after vowing to sacrifice the first person he sees upon his safe arrival home, not knowing, of course, that it would be his son Idamante who first greets him.
The leads were double cast. At Friday’s show, David Sauer gave a thoughtful account of the title character. His singing and acting brought depth to his role. He has a fine voice that’s well suited to Mozart; he brought lyricism and, when needed, power to his portrayal.
No less impressive was Kelly Southworth as Idamante. She imbued her characterization with heartfelt sincerity. She, too, possesses a voice that is made for Mozart, and her singing Friday was expressive and tempered with finely crafted lyricism.
Whitney Kimball, as the Trojan princess Ilia, was also in fine voice, singing with clarity and wonderfully drawn phrasings.
Particularly impressive was Daysha Lassiter in the role of Elettra. She has a dramatic voice with power and depth that is also gorgeously expressive. And her acting talent is on the same level as her vocal chops. She gave a stunning and memorable portrayal that truly stood out.
The large chorus was also magnificent, and added much to the overall success of the production, as did Garrett Medlock, Keanu Netzler and Seth Keeton in minor roles.
The Paradigm Chamber Orchestra had another fine outing, playing with clarity and depth.
