Utah Arts Review

Markus Poschner, the Utah Symphony’s music director designate (he assumes the position full-time in the 2027-28 season), is back on the Abravanel Hall podium this weekend leading the Utah Symphony in two works: Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem and Tchaikovsky’s ever-popular Symphony No. 6, “Pathétique.”

Fauré worked on the Requiem over a period of nearly 15 years. He began writing it in the 1880s, revised it considerably in the following decade, but didn’t consider it worthy for publication until 1900. Since then, the work has become one of his best-known creations, and today it is one of the most frequently performed requiems in the concert hall.

Poschner’s tempos were well-chosen and captured the spirituality of the music perfectly. Fauré’s approach to the traditional Latin texts doesn’t dwell on the idea of a dark, fearful day of judgement as does Verdi’s Requiem setting or even Mozart’s. In fact, Fauré omits the dramatic “Dies irae” text completely. Instead, his approach is more peaceful and serene (best exemplified in the closing “In paradisum”) and focuses on consolation and contemplation. 

Poschner fully grasped that in his interpretation, giving a finely crafted and delicately expressed reading. The Utah Symphony Chorus), under the directorship of Austin McWilliams, brought depth and definition to their extensive role in this work. They sang with heartfelt expression and a rich sound that meshed wonderfully with the fullness of the low strings and woodwinds that carry the orchestral accompaniment. The violins and brass only occasionally join the rest of the orchestra, and Poschner saw to it that they, too, blended well within the predominantly darker instrumental texture. 

Baritone Shea Owens’ mellow timbre brought nuance and lyricism to the “Offertorium” and understated passion to the “Libera me” adding a nicely honed layer to the choral and orchestral parts.

One of the highlights at Friday’s performance was Jason Brown singing the “Pie Jesu” movement. A chorister from the Madeleine Choir School, Brown’s angelic voice lifted the music to another level and underscored the sweet innocence of the music. 

After intermission, Poschner returned to lead the orchestra in Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Symphony. Conducting without a score, Poschner gave a dramatic and bold reading that emphasized the surging romanticism of the work without spilling into sentimentality. The Sixth easily lends itself to a profusion of overstated emotions, but Poschner kept that in check and offered a somewhat understated account in that regard without sacrificing anything in terms of the bold gestures and sweeping lines that run throughout the symphony’s four movements.

In the opening movement, Poschner brought a smooth transition from the Adagio introduction to the Allegro of the main body of the movement. There was also a finely crafted cohesiveness between the sections of the first movement, moving easily between the main theme to the much slower second theme, which featured lush playing by the strings.

Poschner brought an effusive charm to his account of the waltz-like second movement, emphasizing the light, airy nature of the music with expressive, fluid playing by the strings. In the following scherzo, the German-born conductor gave a rhythmically vibrant reading with a brisk tempo and with boldly stated playing by the orchestra. His account was dramatic and robust without every crossing over to mere bombast.

In the closing Adagio, Poschner captured the despair and mental anguish that Tchaikovsky conveyed in this emotionally wrought movement. Poschner elicited gorgeously crafted expressions and nuanced phrasings from the ensemble, in particular from the strings, that embraced the pathos of the music. 

The program will be repeated 7:30 p.m. Saturday. utahsymphony.org