Art and the Symphony

In its season opening concert, the Utah State University Symphony Orchestra will present an exciting musical piece prompted by art — "Pictures at an Exhibition." The opening concert, under the direction of conductor Sergio Bernal, is Saturday, Oct. 15, at 7:30 p.m. in the Kent Concert Hall of the Chase Fine Arts Center. Tickets and admission information are available at the door.

 

Pictures at an Exhibition is a highly unique work originally composed for piano by Modest Mussorgsky and later orchestrated by Maurice Ravel, Bernal said. Inspiration for the music was triggered by specific drawings by Viktor Hartmann, a close friend of Mussorgsky.

 

"A crossing over between art forms has occurred for centuries," Bernal said. "Because of its suggestive power, music lends itself naturally for multiple combinations with text, drama and visual image."

 

Pictures at an Exhibition is a musical portrait in two ways, Bernal said. First, there is Mussorgsky's creation on the piano, which captures the mood of each drawing. Then, there is Ravel's masterful orchestration, itself a gem of musical painting. Hartmann's design of the Great Gate of Kiev is depicted in the grandiose finale of the musical composition.

 

Under the title of "Russian Portraits," the concert program includes two other famous works that, though not based on art creations, are highly descriptive — Tchaikovsky's all-time favorite Violin Concerto and Borodin's exciting Polovestsian Dances.

 

Faculty guest soloist Jessica Guideri is in the spotlight for the Violin Concerto. She is a member of the Fry Street Quartet, the professional ensemble in residence in the music department.

 

"Not only is Jessica a terrific chamber musician, she is a first-class soloist," Bernal said. "The orchestra and I are thrilled at the prospect of accompanying her."

 

"When I first heard a recording of the Violin Concerto many years ago, I instantly fell in love with the opening theme and I listened to the masterpiece until my cassette tape wore out," Guideri said. "Years later I am much more familiar with it, having heard and played it countless times and I still cannot get enough of those themes. I look forward to playing this piece with Maestro Bernal, a clear, creative conductor with much musical insight, and with the Utah State University Orchestra, a great group of musicians."

 

Guest performers for the Polovestsian Dances are members of USU's choral ensembles, conducted by Cory Evans, director of choral studies in the department of music. Evans was a tenor soloist in the USU Orchestra's performance of the Mozart Requiem last spring. He also prepared the chorale ensembles for this grand work.