UTAH SYMPHONY, with guest conductor Alan Gilbert and pianist Fazil Say, Friday, April 7, 8 p.m., Abravanel Hall. Second performance Saturday, April 8, 8 p.m. Tickets available through ArtTix 801-355-ARTS.
This weekend's Utah Symphony concerts brings together two young musicians, both of whom made their local debut at Friday's concert, and both of whom showed their immaturity and lack of musicality and talent.
There were only two works on the program. Guest conductor Alan Gilbert led the orchestra in one of the worst performances of Bruckner's Symphony No. 6 imaginable. He was joined by pianist Fazil Say in Mozart's delightful Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, which, at this concert, was brutalized beyond recognition.
Say and Gilbert took the first movement of this work at breakneck speed that made the music sound rushed and forced. And Say's performance took away all the subtlety and charm in this movement. It was quite simply a parody of Mozart.
The beautiful "Andante" went somewhat better for both the soloist and the conductor, although the music still sounded mechanical and perfunctory.
The finale was another mad dash for the finish line. The music was abrupt and disjointed, and by this point, it had become intolerable hearing Mozart's music treated in this arrogant and conceited fashion.
Say provided his own cadenzas to the outer movements, and they were as ludicrous and as completely out of character with the music as Say's performance was.
One can only hope that Say won't be returning to Salt Lake City until he's learned how to play Mozart.
Gilbert returned to the podium after intermission and attacked Bruckner's Sixth Symphony. And although he tried to bring out the large, sweeping gestures in this symphony, he failed miserably at it.
Balance was also a major problem. Gilbert obviously loves a loud brass section, and accordingly, the brass played insufferably loud in the "forte" passages, overpowering everything else.
This was without question one of the worst concerts by the Utah Symphony in recent memory.