Utah Symphony concert crisp, precise

By Edward Reichel

There were only two works on the program at Wednesday's Utah Symphony Chamber Orchestra concert, but they were two of the most significant works to be written around the turn of the 19th century — Mozart's Symphony No. 41 in C major, the so-called "Jupiter Symphony," and Beethoven's Symphony No. 1.

Their importance lies in part in the fact that the former is the end of an era and the latter the beginning of a new one. Only 12 years separate the two, but they are worlds apart stylistically, musically and structurally.

Mozart's C major symphony is a summation of the 18th century. It's the final statement of an era that was rapidly vanishing, to be replaced by an era embracing the ideals of romanticism — ideals that were just barely beginning to take shape in Beethoven's First Symphony.

Wednesday's concert was under the leadership of the symphony's associate conductor David Cho. He did a fine job with the Mozart, keeping things for the most part nicely balanced. The acoustics in St. Mary's Church, where the concert took place, are a little tricky, but Cho kept everything in line, although the timpani could have been toned down a bit in the opening movement.

Cho went for the drama in the first movement to good effect. It was a dynamic reading that created tension, which was nicely resolved. The same held true for the finale, which was played forcefully. It was energetic, driven and vibrant. The slow movement was cohesive and nuanced and flowed with a natural grace, while the minuet was robust and charged with rhythmic drive.

The orchestral playing was crisp and precise, and the performance was well articulated and executed.

Cho also emphasized the dramatic element in his perusal of Beethoven's First. He elicited a dynamic performance from the players that was nevertheless tempered with lyricism. It was a nuanced performance. The work is filled with youthful excitement and humor, and Cho ably captured that in his interpretation as well.