Lockhart brings out Brahms' best

UTAH SYMPHONY AND CHORUS, Abravanel Hall, Saturday

The artistic quality of Utah Symphony concerts under Keith Lockhart has been rather inconsistent in the nine seasons he has been the orchestra's music director.

Lockhart tends to do better in larger works that incorporate more varied forces rather than purely orchestral music. Benjamin Britten's "War Requiem" and Bela Bartok's "Duke Bluebeard's Castle," for example, come to mind when considering Lockhart's successes on the podium in Abravanel Hall during his tenure here.

To these can also be added Saturday's performance of Brahms' "Ein deutsches Requiem (A German Requiem)" with the Utah Symphony Chorus, and soloists Celena Shafer, soprano, and Mark Schnaible, baritone.

Brahms bares his soul in the Requiem, which contains some of his most poignant and tender music. This is ironic for a man for whom religion played little or no role in his life. But Brahms was able to capture the universality of personal loss and suffering in this work. In fact, he once said it shouldn't be called a "German" Requiem. Instead it should be known as a "humanity" Requiem. And Brahms succeeded wonderfully in transcending religious and personal boundaries in this work.

Lockhart captured the deep spirituality and thoughtfulness of the Requiem. There was profound sensitivity in his interpretation, and he managed to coax a performance from his forces that was powerfully moving and deeply heartfelt.

This season, the Utah Symphony Chorus has had to learn two major 19th century choral works. Last December, it joined the symphony in Mendelssohn's "Elijah," which it sang magnificently. Last weekend with the Brahms Requiem, the ensemble proved yet again it is one of the finest choral groups in the state (which is quite an accomplishment considering Utah's long and notable choral tradition).

The chorus, under Lockhart's emotionally charged direction, gave a heartrending reading of the opening movement ("Selig sind, die da Leid tragen"), setting the tone for the entire performance. The chorus rekindled that mood for the closing number ("Selig sind die Toten, die in dem Herren sterben").

Among Schnaible's solos, he sang "Herr, lehre doch mich" with particularly eloquent expressiveness. His warm, mellow voice lent itself wonderfully to this music.

Shafer's single solo ("Ihr habt nun Traurigkeit"), however, was the true highpoint of the Requiem. Shafer's gorgeously modulated phrasings informed her exquisite singing and brought deep spirituality to the words.

The concert opened with Dvorak's jubilant Te Deum. Lockhart captured the work's exuberance easily, and the chorus delved into the brilliance of its part with effusive energy and spirit, while the two soloists brought lyrical expressiveness to their solos.

---

E-mail: ereichel@desnews.com