Utah Arts Review

Creative partner David Robertson led the Utah Symphony Friday night in a program of American music featuring works by Aaron Copland, Steven Mackey and Charles Ives.

The highlight of the concert is Ives’ Symphony No. 2. Written between 1897 and 1902, and revised in 1909, the work exemplifies Ives’ eclectic approach to classical music. Within the overall late-19th century romantic harmonic framework, the composer throws in snippets of folkloric American songs and hymn tunes, as well as fragments from works by Beethoven, Bach and Brahms, all of which are interwoven to create an organic whole. 

At Friday’s well-attended performance in Abravanel Hall, Robertson gave a cohesive, well-defined reading of the symphony with careful attention to dynamics, tempos and articulation. 

The symphony opens with a slow movement defined by its warm, textured harmonies and full-bodied string sound. Robertson coaxed smooth and seamless playing from the strings that gave the music depth and definition. The work then moves into a more robust Allegro with Robertson’s broad, sweeping gestures eliciting energetic, rhythmically vibrant playing from the ensemble. The third and fourth movements are defined by delicate lyricism, which Robertson underscored with sensitive direction.

The finale completely changes direction from the previous two movements with its bold writing that culminates with a resounding rendition of “Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean” for the trumpets, trombones and tuba, set against the main theme of the movement. Robertson crafted an ecstatically electrifying account that captured the unbridled exuberance of the music.

There were a number of notable moments throughout the symphony that spotlighted several of the players. Among them were slow by oboist Zachary Hammond, cellist Matthew Johnson and flutist Mercedes Smith, all of whom played twith beautifully crafted expressiveness. 

Gretchen Menn is the soloist this weekend in Mackey’s electric and acoustic guitar concerto, Aluminum Flowers, which he wrote for Menn in 2024. For the movements written for electric guitar, Mackey exploits various electric distortions and manipulations to create distinctive sounds for each of the movements. 

The result is a very singular and imaginative soundscape that contrasts starkly with the orchestral tonal palette. And Menn, whose career moves between rock and classical music, was impressive in her playing, capturing the character and style of each of the five movements effortlessly. 

While it’s striking to hear these unique sounds, thematically the work leaves quite a bit to be desired. Mackey uses a simple motive throughout the work, as well as a few other fragments, but the overall thematic structure is rather static, since there is a lack of contrasting material to offset the repeated phrases. And for a work that lasts 30 minutes, this constant repetition eventually becomes tedious and boring.

The most musically pleasing movement is the opening introduction. Written for acoustic guitar, Mackey creates an atmospheric, almost impressionistic, soundscape. Menn played it with finely crafted lyricism that was mirrored in Robertson’s expressively laid out accompaniment.

The concert opened with Copland’s vivacious Danzón Cubano. One of several south-of-the-border works the composer wrote as a result of his extensive travels around Latin America in the 1930s and early 1940s, the piece is a happy, carefree outpouring of Latin rhythms and melodies. Robertson emphasized the vitality and drive of the brief work with his enthusiastic direction, eliciting crisp, precisely articulated playing from the orchestra.   

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