BURT BACHARACH and the UTAH SYMPHONY, Kory Katseanes conducting, Jan. 3 and 4, at Abravanel Hall.
The first concert of 1997 for the Utah Symphony should have been subtitled "Tunes you can't get out of your head."
And the featured performer, Burt Bacharach, provided an evening of just that. The debate among our small group after Friday night's performance was to name the Bacharach tune that HASN'T been put on a music box. "Promises, Promises" comes to mind, but if you're a moviegoer or a Dionne Warwick fan, chances are you've heard plenty of Bacharach numbers.
With the lights off in Abravanel Hall, you'd swear you were listening to any easy-listening station on the dial. Consider these offerings: "What the World Needs Now," "This Guy's in Love With You," "Look of Love," "Walk on By," "I'll Never Fall in Love Again," "What's New, Pussycat?" "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?" and "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head."
Bacharach's voice did not appear to be all that strong at times, indeed many times he seemed to be just whispering the words, but the orchestration, blending his traveling band with the Utah Symphony strings, was excellent.
The Utah Symphony opened the evening with four delightful scores. Overture to "The Barber of Seville" was charming and playful with all parts of the orchestra integrated nicely. Next came "Chanson de Matin, Op. 15 No. 2" by Elgar, a piece not often heard, but it too was melodic, and Konrad Nelson on harp help punctuate the main theme. Then came Anderson's "Belle of the Ball," dedicated to the Symphony Guild, and lastly "Dance of the Hours," from Ponchielli's "La Gioconda," which not only included the "Hello, Mudder, Hello Fodder" refrain but also brought back to memory much of the background music heard on many a Warner Bros. cartoon.
The second part of Bacharach's 90-minute performance included "Bond Street" from "Casino Royale," "Our Changing Times," "Anyone Have a Heart," "Close to You," "Heartlight," "Alfie," the theme from "Arthur" and "New York Lady." It was in these latter numbers that Bacharach's troupe performed smartly and soothingly.
I had only two complaints with the staging. When Lisa Taylor and Donna Taylor, no relation, were the featured vocalists, the bright spotlight stayed on Bacharach and not on the singers. And in the darkened hall with the only light being on stage, there seemed to be a lot of fidgeting among the vocalists both between and during several numbers.
Despite the thunderous standing ovation following "That's What Friends Are For," the audience couldn't coax an encore from Bacharach. Another disappointment.
Katseanes told audience members to make a resolution to attend more symphony concerts this year. With performances such as this, what better resolution is there?