SALT LAKE VOCAL ARTISTS, SLCA CHAMBER ORCHESTRA, Orpheus Lex, Libby Gardner Concert Hall, Sept. 13

Marie Nelson Bennett

In 2006 Utah’s venerable composer Marie Nelson Bennett wrote an opera on the Orpheus legend that was premiered in New York City four years later. The work, Orpheus Lex, finally received its Utah premiere Saturday, albeit in an abbreviated concert version, by the Salt Lake Vocal Artists under conductor Brady Allred.

The piece is a clever modern take on the Greek myth with a libretto by Salt Lake writer David Kranes. It takes place in a cabin in rural Idaho where Orpheus, instead of being forbidden to turn around to look at Eurydice as he leads her out of the Underworld, isn’t allowed to remember her. When he eventually does, the two are destined to repeat their actions; it’s an endless loop that has no resolution.

Bennett has written a score that captures the urgency of the story; the music is intense, driven, occasionally dissonant but always with an underlying current of lyricism, even in its boldest moments. It is a splendidly crafted work that is wonderfully descriptive and vivid and imaginatively orchestrated.

Allred and his singers gave a solid performance of the demanding score. They sang with finely crafted expressions and a rich, wonderfully modulate tone.

The two soloists, soprano Alisa Peterson (Eurydice) and Tyler Oliphant (Orpheus) were exceptional both in their acting and singing. They brought their characters vividly to life; their portrayals had depth and conviction, and they infused their expressive performances with a large palette of emotions.

Adding to the success of the performance was the orchestra; it played with finely crafted phrasings and cleanly defined articulation. And Anthony Buck’s stage direction made good use of the stage and the hall.

The version performed Saturday also incorporated images projected on two large screens, one on each side of the orchestra, as well as a few sound effects. There was also a narrator, Michael J. Bennett, who brought continuity to the story.