Daily Archives: November 19, 2014

WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS WEEK IN MUSIC (NOV. 19-25, 2014)

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(Be sure to visit our monthly concert calendar by clicking on “Events Calendar.”)

UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY, Jazz Ensembles, N0vember 19, 7:30 p.m., The Performance Hall, Chase Fine Arts Center, $8-$10 general, USU students free with ID, 435-797-8022, www.arts.usu.edu.

BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY, BYU Philharmonic, Kory Katseanes, conductor, Will Kimball, trombone, music includes Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture and Neil Thornock’s am strigat…am legat (premiere), November 19, 7:30 p.m., de Jong Concert Hall, Harris Fine Arts Center, $10-15 general ($4-$5 off with BYU or student ID, $1 off seniors and BYU alumni), 801-422-4322, www.byuarts.com.

UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY, Symphony Orchestra, N0vember 19, 7:30 p.m., Kent Concert Hall, Chase Fine Arts Center, $8-$10 general, USU students free with ID, 435-797-8022, www.arts.usu.edu.

EXCELLENCE IN THE COMMUNITY CONCERT SERIES, “A Night At The Opera,” a collaboration with Utah Symphony and Opera, November 20, 7:30 p.m., Gallivan Center, free.

BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY, BRAVO! Series, Utah Symphony, Thierry Fischer, conductor, Fumiaka Miura, violin, includes music by Dvorák and Camille Saint-Saëns, November 20, 7:30 p.m., de Jong Concert Hall, Harris Fine Arts Center, $20 general ($7 off with BYU or student ID, $3 off seniors and BYU alumni), 801-422-4322, www.byuarts.com.

BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY, Group for Experimental Music, November 20, 7:30 p.m., Madsen Recital Hall, Harris Fine Arts Center, free.

BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY, Woodwind Chamber Night, November 20, 7:30 p.m., University Parkway Center (northeast corner of University Avenue and University Parkway), room 313, free.

UTAH SYMPHONY, Masterworks Series, “Dvorák’s Symphony No. 7,” Thierry Fischer, conductor, Fumiaki Miura, violin, program also includes music by Saint-Saëns, and Dvorák’s My Home, November 21-22, 8 p.m., Abravanel Hall, $15-$69 (tickets are $5 more on the day of the performance), see website or contact box office for information regarding student tickets, 801-355-2787, 888-451-2787, www.arttix.org, for further ticket information please call 801-533-6683, www.utahsymphony.org.

TEMPLE SQUARE EVENTS, “Bells on Temple Square,” annual holiday concert directed by LeAnna Willmore, November 21-22, 7:30 p.m., Tabernacle, tickets required; for free tickets call 801-570-0080 or visit www.lds.org/events.

UNIVERSITY OF UTAH, Lyric Opera Ensemble, “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant,” November 21-22, 7:30 p.m., Libby Gardner Concert Hall, David Gardner Hall, $10 general, $6 seniors/non-U. students/U. faculty and staff, free for U. students with valid I.D., 801-581-7100, www.kingtix.com.

BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY, Synthesis, with Essential Ellington Jazz Festival, Ray Smith, director, November 21-22, 7:30 p.m., de Jong Concert Hall, Harris Fine Arts Center, $10 general ($4 off with BYU or student ID, $1 off seniors and BYU alumni), 801-422-4322, www.byuarts.com.

ST. JOHN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH, Benjamin Britten’s Saint Nicholas, a cantata depicting the life of the patron saint of children, Saint Nicolas, a fourth century Bishop of Myra, featuring tenor Robert Breault, the American Festival Singers and Chamber Orchestra, the Fry Street Quartet, the Caine College of the Arts Choral Scholars and the Utah State University Women’s Chorus, November 23, 6 p.m., 85 E. 100 North, Logan, free.

UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY, Symphonic Band, N0vember 24, 7:30 p.m., Kent Concert Hall, Chase Fine Arts Center, free.

UTAH VALLEY UNIVERSITY, “Ice Breaker,” Jazz Festival Gala Concert, Jazz Ensembles, David Fullmer, director, November 24, 7:30 p.m., Ragan Theatre, $10 general, $5 students, 801-863-7529, or box office located in Noorda Theatre, or Campus Connection, www.uvu.edu/arts.

UNIVERSITY OF UTAH, Jazz Repertory Ensemble, November 24, 7:30 p.m., Libby Gardner Concert Hall, David Gardner Hall, $7 general $3 seniors, staff, faculty, and non U. students, free for U. students, 801-581-7100, www.kingtix.com.

UNIVERSITY OF UTAH, Maurice Abravanel Visiting Distinguished Composer Series, featuring the music of Yu-Hui Chang performed by Canyonlands, November 24, 7:30 p.m., Dumke Recital Hall in David Gardner Hall, free.

WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY, Guitar Ensemble, November 24, 7:30 p.m., Eccles Theatre, Val A. Browning Center for the Performing Arts, $6-$7, 800-978-8457, www.weberstatetickets.com.

UNIVERSITY OF UTAH, Classical Guitar Ensembles, November 25, 7 p.m., Dumke Recital Hall in David Gardner Hall, free.

UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY, String Ensembles, N0vember 25, 7:30 p.m., The Performance Hall, Chase Fine Arts Center, $8-$10 general, USU students free with ID, 435-797-8022, www.arts.usu.edu.

WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY, Browning String Quartet, November 25, 7:30 p.m., Allred Theatre, Val A. Browning Center for the Performing Arts, $6-$7, 800-978-8457, www.weberstatetickets.com.

SOLID TECHNIQUE BUT NO MAGIC AT PIETER WISPELWEY’S RECITAL

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PIETER WISPELWEY, CELLO, PEI-SHAN LEE, PIANO, Libby Gardner Concert Hall, Nov. 18

In a break from its usual string quartet offerings, the Chamber Music Society of Salt Lake City brought in cellist Pieter Wispelwey for its second concert of the new season Tuesday.

Accompanied by pianist Pei-Shan Lee, the Dutch cellist played a program that included two works with piano that he arranged for his instrument: Brahms’ Sonata in E flat major, op. 120 (originally for clarinet) and Schubert’s Fantasy in C major, op. 159 (originally for violin).

Also on the program were the Poulenc and Debussy cello sonatas.

Both players are technically sound, but at Tuesday’s concert they lacked musicality and commitment. In fact, it was a performance that was devoid of passion. Their approach to the program was very clinical. They have the technical chops to play these works, but they weren’t investing themselves emotionally in the music. And it didn’t help that there was no chemistry between them.

A collaboration isn’t just two people who happen to find themselves onstage together at the same time and decide to toss off a couple of pieces. Ideally, it’s a meeting of the minds; two musicians who decide to work together because of their similar approach to music and their innate desire to convey what is on the page to the audience and engage that audience in an intimate conversation. Granted, this is a seldom occurrence, but when it does happen, the result is pure magic. One needs only to think about pianist Wu Han and cellist David Finckel, who have appeared in Utah several times, to know what this is all about. Of course being married to each other doesn’t hurt, but beyond that they have the ability to grab the audience and mesmerize everyone in the hall with their consummate artistry and take them on a fabulous musical journey.

Unfortunately, the magic wasn’t in Libby Gardner Concert Hall Tuesday evening. There were moments when Wispelwey and Lee were actually making glorious music together. There were sections in the Schubert Fantasy, for example, that were beautifully crafted and executed. But the overall performance was marred by Wispelwey’s occasional clumsy playing of scales and trills and sloppy harmonics.

The most successful part of the recital were the two encores: a movement from one of Bach’s suites for solo cello and a transcription of Fauré’s evocative song Après un rêve. In these Wispelwey was relaxed and confident; he had something to say and he communicated that well with his audience.