TANNER GIFT OF MUSIC, BERLIOZ REQUIEM, UTAH SYMPHONY, MORMON TABERNACLE CHOIR, THIERRY FISCHER, CONDUCTOR, Salt Lake Tabernacle, Sept. 16; second performance 7:30 p.m. Sept. 17 (standby admission only)

Hector Berlioz was proud of his Requiem; it was a work by which he wanted to be

Hector Berlioz (Around the Time of the Requiem)

remembered. And it is, in fact, a remarkable piece of creativity; it contains some of his best choral and orchestral writing. And if one looks past the occasional high decibel levels the expanded brass and percussion sections create at climactic moments in the score, notably the Tuba mirum, one realizes the Requiem is radiantly lyrical.

Too frequently, the conductor can get lost in the overwhelming soundscape Berlioz created and lose sight of the many subtleties in the music, but if the conductor pays attention to the minute details then the Requiem is a work of absolute beauty. And that is how Thierry Fischer approached this vast work Friday.

Berlioz’s Requiem is on this year’s Tanner Gift of Music program. This is Fischer’s first appearance on the biennial series and also the first time he has conducted the piece. But one wouldn’t have guessed that the Utah Symphony music director hadn’t conducted the work before. A consummate exponent of the music of the great French composer, Fischer had a commanding understanding of the score. It was an exceptional reading that was luminous and vibrant – but also thoughtful and reflective

Fischer’s interpretation was very nuanced and the Utah Symphony and Mormon Tabernacle Choir gave him what he wanted. The choir sang magnificently with beautiful intonation and articulation. The softly intoned opening movement, Requiem et kyrie, and the exquisite a cappella Quaerens me were especially lyrical and expressive.

Not to be outdone by the choir, the orchestra played with shimmering sound. Fischer strove for clarity of expression in his interpretation and the orchestra gave him exactly what he wanted.

To his credit, Fischer didn’t overdo the overpowering sections for full orchestra. He brought balance to his large forces and created a gorgeously musical account.