UTAH SYMPHONY, Abravanel Hall, March 27; additional performance 8 p.m. March 28, tickets at 801-355-2787, 888-451-2787 or www.utahsymphony.org.

Pianist Ingrid Fliter opened Friday’s concert with a dazzling rendition of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 2, under the direction of dynamic guest conductor Jun Märkl. Together they achieved a perfect balance between orchestra and soloist, each entity working together to form a blend that was fluid and nuanced. Argentine born Fliter’s exuberance in the music was unmistakable as she displayed her artistry and virtuosity during the cadenza. The spirited Rondo was superbly executed with mastery and finesse.

Jun Märkl (Photo Credit: Intermusica)

The subtle, delicate balance of the Beethoven moved into the world of Wagner during the second half of the program with a rousing performance of his Orchestral Suite from The Ring. In 45 minutes the audience experienced music from the entire Ring cycle that would take 12 hours to perform in its original operatic form. The size of the orchestra grew from standard numbers of musicians to doubled sections of flutes, oboes, clarinets and bassoons, including their basso and treble counterparts: piccolo, English horn and bass clarinet. The usual four French horn instrumentation was augmented to eight, there were three trumpets instead of two plus a bass trumpet, three trombones and a contrabass trombone instead of two, the rare “Wagner Tuben” (hybrid of French horn and trombone), a percussion section that required five players including two sets of tympani, anvil, crash cymbal, suspended cymbal, field drum and a huge array of clanging things, two harps and a full string section.

Märkl, born in Germany to a concertmaster father and solo pianist mother, brilliantly conducted the orchestra from the exquisite, mysterious sustained low E flat that introduced the Prelude from Das Rheingold through to the enchanting melody of Brünnhilde’s “Immolation Scene.” The huge orchestra masterfully made the transitions from the full-blown sounds to the delicate passages.  The influence of two of his mentors, Leonard Bernstein and Seiji Ozawa, was evident as he danced with the music, always precise, filled with joy that was palpable to the audience, masterfully bringing out the exceptional skill of the players.  Forty-five minutes seemed to have passed in 15.