UTAH SYMPHONY AND CHORUS, Abravanel Hall, Sept. 9; second performance 8 p.m. Sept. 10 (tickets at 801-355-2787 or www.utahsymphony.org)

John Adams

Of the many works written to commemorate the attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001, none is as powerful and moving as John Adams’ On the Transmigration of Souls. In this work Adams captures the sense of loss and physical and mental suffering the nation endured in the aftermath of this horror. And weaving through the piece is a quiet reflectiveness in which Adams allows the listener to ponder on and come to terms with what had happened and find some sense of closure. On the Transmigration of Souls is a highly personal work, but Adams tapped intuitively into the country’s collective consciousness and expressed what everyone certainly must have felt on that tragic day.

Utah Symphony music director Thierry Fischer opened the new season Friday with Adams’ work. The piece begins quietly with recorded street noise and Fischer walked onstage unobtrusively, without applause as he had requested, as the stage lights slowly dimmed. The American flag had a spotlight on it and the effect was eerily potent and at the same time reverential, as recorded voices began to intone some of the names of those missing in the attacks on the Twin Towers. The piece also ended in the same manner – in quiet reflection and without applause.

The performance, which also featured the Utah Symphony Chorus and the Madeleine Choir School, was stunning. Fischer captured the heart and soul of the piece. It was a searing account that was powerful, gut wrenching for the emotionally charged atmosphere Adams created and beautifully inspiring. This is a performance that will be remembered for a long time.

The only other work on the program this weekend is Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. And in its call for a brotherhood of man, the symphony psychologically pairs well with the Adams – it’s as if the connection is attempting to say that tragedy can unite disparate people, and that there can be a glimmer of hope in the shadows of ruins.

Joining the symphony and chorus in the Beethoven were soloists Erin Morley, soprano; Jill Grove, mezzo-soprano; Garrett Sorenson, tenor; and David Pittsinger, bass.

Fischer put his stamp on the Ninth. It was a very distinctive and remarkably dynamic account. His tempos tended to be brisk, even in the slow movement, yet the music never felt rushed. Fischer had a grand concept of the work and everything – tempos, accentuations, minute fluctuations in dynamics – all worked towards making Friday’s performance memorable.

In fact, Fischer certainly set the bar high as to what he expects of his musicians, and for the most part the players gave him what he wanted. It wasn’t a flawless performance, but it was passionate, intense, driven and gorgeously crafted. Without question, this was the finest overall reading of the Ninth to come out of Abravanel Hall.