UTAH SYMPHONY and the Kogan Family at Abravanel Hall on Friday, April 13, 8 p.m.; additional performance Saturday, April 14. Tickets available through ArtTix at 355-ARTS (2787).
The Utah Symphony's principal guest conductor, Pavel Kogan, who's noted for bringing fellow Russian artists to Abravanel Hall, spotlights two young musicians at this weekend's concerts, both of whom are members of the Kogan clan.
Kogan's son Dmitri Kogan and niece Victoria Korchinskaya-Kogan mesmerized the audience at Friday's concert, each playing a beloved work for their respective instruments.
The younger Kogan gave an impassioned performance of Saint-Saens' Violin Concerto No. 3 in B minor, where he showed himself to be a violinist of the highest order. Virtuosity and musicality were equally evident in his playing. He energized the Saint-Saens with excitement and dramatic flair.
The opening "Allegro non troppo" was filled with vitality and spirit. The young violinist, however, tempered this with a dark somberness that gave the movement a rich moodiness.
The lovely "Andantino quasi allegretto" was delicate and exquisitely played by the soloist. Father and son brought out the simple charm of this movement and kept the music light and airy.
The closing "Molto moderato e maestoso" brought back the romantic texture of the first movement. And once again, young Kogan dazzled with his virtuosity.
No less impressive was Korchinskaya-Kogan's interpretation of Rachmaninoff's "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini," which opened the second half of the concert. Korchinskaya-Kogan handled her demanding part with surprising ease. The virtuosity she displayed was nothing short of brilliant. She made this remarkable showpiece her own, and together with her uncle on the podium, they turned in an electrifying and sparkling performance.
As amazing as Korchinskaya-Kogan was in the bravura variations of the "Rhapsody," she was equally superb in the slower, more lyrical sections.
Maestro Kogan began the concert with a lively and engaging performance of the Suite No. 1 from Bizet's "Carmen." In Kogan's hands, Bizet's music was fiery and passionate. Particularly beautiful was the Intermezzo with its delightful duet for harp and flute, here played with lyric expressiveness by harpist Louise Vickerman and principal flute Erich Graf.
Kogan and the orchestra ended the evening with a forceful and potent performance of Scriabin's "Poem of Ecstasy." Kogan's interpretation was charged with power and emotion. Everything in Kogan's meticulous interpretation was structured and balanced, and the Utah Symphony sounded absolutely magnificent. It was a stimulating and rewarding performance.
E-mail: ereichel@desnews.com