Utah Symphony | Utah Opera Blog » Chamber Concerts http://www.utahsymphony.org/blog Blog for Utah Symphony | Utah Opera. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 22:43:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 David Park and the Strad http://www.utahsymphony.org/blog/2009/05/david-park-and-the-strad/ http://www.utahsymphony.org/blog/2009/05/david-park-and-the-strad/#comments Wed, 13 May 2009 19:18:59 +0000 Jon Miles http://www.utahsymphony.org/blog/?p=236

Check it out. David Park was on KUTV Channel 2 News yesterday showing off the Stradivarius Firebird violin he’ll perform on tomorrow.

According to the blog on the KUTV site, his performance during the news actually brought tears to the eyes of one of the newscasters. Mozart was a genius – even at the young age of 17! It’s amazing how much his music still touches people.

Anyway, later during the news David joined them in the kitchen for an impromptu hoe-down! Watch the video on KUTV’s website.

Visit utahsymphony.org for more details about Thursday’s performance.

]]> http://www.utahsymphony.org/blog/2009/05/david-park-and-the-strad/feed/ 0 Impressed http://www.utahsymphony.org/blog/2008/09/impressed/ http://www.utahsymphony.org/blog/2008/09/impressed/#comments Thu, 25 Sep 2008 16:13:38 +0000 Jon Miles http://www.utahsymphony.org/blog/2008/09/25/impressed/ I know I’m not completely unbiased, but that’s the best word I could think of to sum up my thoughts on last night’s concert. I really enjoyed all the pieces that were performed, but especially Jason Hardink’s selections from Messiaen’s Catalogue d’oiseux. Catherine Reese Newton got it right when she said Hardink is “a treasure in our city.” This is the second performance I’ve seen that featured Jason at the piano (the other was Ancient Voices of Children last March), and both times I’ve been impressed with his ability to interpret and perform music that is completely different than anything most of us have ever heard. I’ve played the piano most of my life (not professionally, at all), and I wouldn’t know where to start with those pieces.

Also, Water Bird Talk was a lot of fun. It really felt like you were witnessing a break down at a lecture on water birds. I couldn’t stop laughing at how serious the lecturer (baritone Timothy Jones) was as he matter-of-a-factly described mating habits of the cormorant and demonstrated bird calls at the piano. Having Ardean Watts there as host to explain the music and interview Jason made it even more enjoyable (and even educational!).

This year, we’re performing our contemporary chamber series on two nights instead of just one, so if you weren’t able to go last night and you like “weird” and different music, try to get there tonight. Tickets are available on our website or by calling ArtTix at (801) 355-ARTS.

]]> http://www.utahsymphony.org/blog/2008/09/impressed/feed/ 0 Tales of the henpecked husband and other such birds http://www.utahsymphony.org/blog/2008/09/tales-of-the-henpecked-husband-and-other-such-birds/ http://www.utahsymphony.org/blog/2008/09/tales-of-the-henpecked-husband-and-other-such-birds/#comments Tue, 16 Sep 2008 17:06:23 +0000 Emma Price http://www.utahsymphony.org/blog/2008/09/16/tales-of-the-henpecked-husband-and-other-such-birds/ A Waterbird TalkHow do you deal with a nagging wife? Some would say to there are only a few responses suitable to the situation, “Yes dear” and “I’m sorry dear.” Others would say to lavish her with praise and make her think you are listening. Yet others would say there really is no solution to the problem except perhaps to not get married in the first place. In “A Water Bird Talk” our male archetype finds another way to cope with his woes. He talks about birds! In a clever twist of phrase our darling lecturer takes advantage of his captive audience to recount the woes of his unlucky life, or perhaps his unlucky choice of wife. His lecture on birds soon turns in to the feverish soliloquy of the henpecked husband. As he describes the peculiar habits of the birds they become hilarious metaphors for his own life.

The composer Dominick Argento, now in his 80’s, is generally regarded as America’s preeminent living composer of lyric opera. He is particularly well-known for sensitive settings of complex, sophisticated texts as in his song cycle in “From the Diary of Virginia Woolf.” In “A Water Bird Talk” Argento incorporates material from the Russian author Anton Chekhov as well as passages from John James Audubon’s book The Birds of America. He calls this particular opera a monodrama as there is only one character singing.

Dominick Argento once said in a radio interview “My interest is people. I am committed to working with characters, feelings, and emotions.” Perhaps it is this commitment that allows us to relate so freely to the unlucky husband. Argento tells the story of real people in real situations. In fact, it is something many men can relate to today despite the time disparity.

Argento’s commitment to character, feeling, and emotion can also be felt in the instrumentation of the piece. Specific instruments are chosen to represent each of the birds and in turn the feeling our lecturer is trying to portray. For example the oboe and chimes are used to represent the pied-billed grebe that in turn represents the lowest form of bird life or the henpecked husband.

With the creative composition and light-hearted portrayal of the unfortunate husband this opera is sure to make you laugh.

A Water Bird Talk
Ardean Watts Contemporary Chamber Series at Westminster
September 24 & 25, 2008
Buy Tickets Online >>

]]> http://www.utahsymphony.org/blog/2008/09/tales-of-the-henpecked-husband-and-other-such-birds/feed/ 0 Musician’s Note: Carnival of the Animals at DVMF http://www.utahsymphony.org/blog/2008/08/musicians-note-carnival-of-the-animals-at-dvmf/ http://www.utahsymphony.org/blog/2008/08/musicians-note-carnival-of-the-animals-at-dvmf/#comments Mon, 04 Aug 2008 18:42:50 +0000 Erich Graf http://www.utahsymphony.org/blog/2008/08/04/musicians-note-carnival-of-the-animals-at-dvmf/ Erich GrafIt’s a smorgasbord this week at USUO’s Deer Valley® Music Festival!

Utah Opera highlights soloists in a concert conducted by the inimitable and popular Gerald Steichen–NEWS FLASH! The orchestra really likes him, too!! Enjoy a return engagement by the Georgia Guitar Quartet, this time performing a cappella at the Deer Valley® Music Festival.

Additionally, this week includes one of my all time favorites—Camille Saint-Saens’ Carnival of the Animals. This cleverly-conceived masterpiece is truly a multi-purpose work—equally appropriate to the formal concert stage or to the intimacy of a concert for children. The instruments and sections of the orchestra assume the roles of zoo animals and “speak” music that uncannily resembles the voices of the animals they portray. The work is accompanied by scrumptious poetry written by Ogden Nash. This presentation is enhanced by an off-stage instrument petting zoo. Bring your kids and get your “zoo-ducation!”

I hope to see you this week in Park City!

Sincerely,

Erich Graf
Principal Flute, Utah Symphony

]]> http://www.utahsymphony.org/blog/2008/08/musicians-note-carnival-of-the-animals-at-dvmf/feed/ 0 USUO Design-A-Series Subscriptions On Sale Now http://www.utahsymphony.org/blog/2008/06/usuo-design-a-series-subscriptions-on-sale-now/ http://www.utahsymphony.org/blog/2008/06/usuo-design-a-series-subscriptions-on-sale-now/#comments Mon, 09 Jun 2008 22:17:39 +0000 Jon Miles http://www.utahsymphony.org/blog/2008/06/09/usuo-design-a-series-subscriptions-on-sale-now/ USUO’s regular 2007-2008 season is over and it’s time to start thinking about which concerts you’d like to attend during our 2008-2009 season. If you’re not a full-season subscriber (which you really should consider becoming – it’s the best way to get the most our of our seasons), the next best alternative is to become a Design-A-Series subscriber.

Becoming a Design-A-Series subscriber is easy – all you need to do is order tickets to four or more Utah Symphony or Utah Opera performances at one time. As a Design-A-Series subscriber, you get most of the perks that come with being a full season subscriber, including a free subscription to TEMPO magazine, our Subscriber Advantages Card, and a great discount – 20% off single ticket prices!

The highlights of the upcoming season include:

To become a Design-A-Series subscriber, decide which concerts you’d like to attend next season and call the ticket office at 801.533.6683. You can learn more about the USUO subscriber program by visting myUSUO.org.

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