Utah Arts Review

Fabien Gabel returned to the Abravanel Hall stage this weekend to conduct the Utah Symphony in a program, titled “The Tempest,” an evening of sea-inspired orchestral works. Also joining the program was pianist Changyong Shin in Shostakovich Piano Concerto No. 2. Shin was the gold medalist in the 2018 Gina Bachauer Piano Competition.

Saturday evening opened with Benjamin Britten’s Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes, which draws on the opening instrumental sections that preface each act. The violins and flutes opened ‘Dawn’ with a bright, crisp tone that perfectly captured the feeling of light hitting morning waves. Syncopations in ‘Sunday Morning’ were lively and vibrant with charming flourishes from the woodwinds. The lower strings and bassoons approached ‘Moonlight’ with an open and airy articulation that left ample room for the orchestration to build. Some tempos throughout the Interludes felt sluggish, but the concluding ‘Storm’ was brisk, energetic, and rambunctious. 

Next on the program was Dmitri Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with soloist Changyong Shin. Instead of opening the concerto with a sharp staccato interpretation, Shin presented a much more lyrical approach, which served to highlight the interplay between piano and orchestra. The symphony was a powerful partner in the first movement, matching Shin’s dynamic range and energy. 

The Andante was magical, soloist and conductor allowing the beautiful simplicity of the melody and orchestration to shine. The driving final Allegro provided a suitably energetic finale.

After intermission, the Utah Symphony returned with Tchaikovsky’s rarely heard tone poem,  The Tempest. While this symphonic work has sections reminiscent of the sea, the main inspiration was Shakespeare’s play. The piece begins and ends with rolling arpeggios in the string sections to paint a picture of the waves building into a storm, followed by a trip to Prospero’s magical island. Gabel’s interpretation highlighted the orchestra’s  regal string tone and steady upbeat tempos. The middle Andante con moto section was a pleasant diversion, where Gabel focused on the rich melodies with a more relaxed cadence. 

The program closed with music from Erich Korngold’s The Sea Hawk, performed by the Utah Symphony in its local debut. Originally composed for a 1940 Errol Flynn film, the suite draws on the movie’s main musical themes, capturing the feeling of swashbuckling adventure. This was the ideal piece for Gabel to embrace more languid tempos to feature the dramatic melodies and lush orchestration. One brief but memorable moment was during the Reunion theme when Concertmaster Madeline Adkins, harpist Louise Vickerman, and flutist Mercedes Smith flawlessly wove their melodies together. The Sea Hawk Suite was also a stellar piece to showcase the balance and clarity of tone of the Utah Symphony’s brass section.