Bernstein’s “Mass” Comes to Utah

For Keith Lockhart’s finale concert as Music Director of the Utah Symphony, he will lead the orchestra in Bernstein’s Mass. The piece hasn’t been performed by the Utah Symphony since April 19 – 20, 1974, when we joined up with the Associated Students of the University of Utah (under the direction of Ardean Watts) at the the U’s Special Events Center. At the time, a special program was created for the event, which included the following “behind the scenes” information.

For Maurice Abravanel, “Mass” was a must the first time he heard it. And it should not be surprising to music lovers to learn that the Utah Symphony’s music director and champion of Beethoven, Brahms, Bach, Mahler and Tchaikovksy also has a keen and constant eye out for whatever works may appropriately be performed with a symphony orchestra.

With Maurice Abravanel, it was always thus. Even during his first season as conductor of the Utah Symphony, in addition to the ten subscription concerts he introduced an innovation – concerts in schools – that became the prototype for major orchestras across the nation.

Probably the pinnacle of his orchestral pioneering was reached when he amassed an orchestra of some 115, two choirs, a children’s choir and eight nationally prominent soloists to perform and later record the magnificent Mahler 8th Symphony (Symphony of a Thousand), which itself most likely launched the current Mahler Resurgence around the world.

Maestro Abravanel has always been proud of the Utah Symphony’s long and mutually beneficial association with the University of Utah which has included joint sponsorships of concerts, jointly financed recordings, and the affiliation of key Utah Symphony personnel as U. of U. faculty members.

When he first learned of Leonard Bernstein’s “Mass” performed on a reduced scale at the Music Center in Los Angeles, Maestro Abravanel promptly saw it as an opportunity for further cooperation with the U. of U., since neither institution could hope to present the work by itself.

He presented the idea to the Associated Students of the University of Utah (ASUU) officers, and the joint effort was officially launched. Interestingly enough, the project has outgrown its original concept of a Kingsbury Hall performance and become one of the largest scale productions of “Mass” ever undertaken.

Tonight’s “Mass” could be described as ecmenical in scope. It not only involves an augmented Utah Symphony, U. of U. choruses, Repertory Dance Theatre, a children’s chorus and numerous actors and singers, but it utilizes props and equipment provided by Utah State University, Weber State College, Brigham Young University, the Salt Palace, and literally dozens of organizations, firms, and individuals who want the production to be the moving experience it can be.

At the very core of the project has been an in-depth collaboration between the University of Utah, its student body officers and the Utah Symphony that has touched on financing, promotion, and production in all phases.

Also in the program was a telegram from “Mass” composer Leonard Bernstein to Maurice Abravanel:

Dear Maurice. I am so sad to miss your production of Mass which I know will be of a high standard like everything you do. My warm greetings to the cast and all participants. Affectionately, Leonard Bernstein.