Utah Symphony to open its 70th season with all-Beethoven program

The Utah Symphony opens its 70th season this coming weekend with one of its traditional all-Beethoven programs.

Leading the orchestra will be guest conductor Matthias Bamert, who is looking forward to returning to Salt Lake City.

"I always enjoy coming," he told the Deseret News in a phone interview from his home in Switzerland. "I have very good memories with the Utah Symphony. You have a lovely orchestra and a wonderful tradition."

It's been three years since Bamert appeared on the podium in Abravanel Hall. At that time, he conducted Bruckner's Symphony No. 6. This weekend, it's going to be what is undoubtedly Beethoven's most famous work, the Fifth Symphony.

The Swiss-born conductor said that while the Fifth is immensely popular today, that wasn't always the case.

"When it was first performed, people were dumbfounded. They didn't know what hit them. Today, it's played like a dessert."

Bamert concedes that doing a well-known work can be difficult. "It's a challenge, but it's also fun. At my age, you do a piece like this with confidence. When you're 25, you're still looking for your interpretation."

Also on the program is Beethoven's Violin Concerto.

"There aren't many more important concertos than the Beethoven," Bamert said.

Soloist will be Jennifer Frautschi. This will be the first time the two have collaborated. "I've never come across her," he said, admitting he's curious to hear what she can do with the concerto.

Opening the concert is an early work, the overture to Beethoven's only ballet, "The Creatures of Prometheus."

"It's a fantastic piece and not easy for the orchestra," Bamert said. "The chords in the introduction require precision. There are lots of notes in a relatively short amount of time."

There are two ways to perform this piece, he said. "You can cut down the size of the orchestra and have the feeling of a chamber orchestra. Or, you take the full orchestra and teach them to play like this was chamber music."

Bamert said he opted for the latter approach.

Listening to an orchestra during rehearsals is crucial to a successful performance, he added. And since he has appeared with the Utah Symphony on several concerts in the past, Bamert has a sense of what the orchestra sounds like.

But he still listens. "You have to figure out very quickly and see what (the orchestra) needs. As a conductor, you cannot be on an ego trip. You have to listen to the orchestra first and then decide what it does well and where it can improve.

"Every orchestra is different and every performance is different. Otherwise, this would be the most boring job in the world."

If you go ...

What: Jennifer Frautschi, violin, Matthias Bamert, conductor, Utah Symphony

Where: Abravanel Hall

When: Sept. 11-12, 8 p.m.

How much: $20-$55

Phone: 801-355-2787 or 888-451-2787

Web: utahsymphony.org

e-mail: ereichel@desnews.com