Steuerman, Rizzi close out Utah Symphony season with a splash
By Edward Reichel

The Utah Symphony goes out with a splash for its final concerts of the current season this weekend.

Gustav Mahler's first of the nine monumental symphonies he wrote (monumental for all except for the Fourth, which is more traditionally conceived in orchestration and length) is on the program this weekend. It's a stirring ending to the season, especially as it was conducted by guest Carlo Rizzi on the podium.

This was one of the best Mahler performances by the Utah Symphony in years. Rizzi gave a very perceptive reading that probed the music and opened its emotional power. This is the way Mahler deserves to be played. It was vibrant, dynamic and just plain thrilling.

Perhaps it's no coincidence that Rizzi has spent the majority of his career as an opera conductor. This kind of background certainly served him well with the Mahler. Even in his works that don't employ voice, Mahler's music is operatic in character — there are many different layers, and it's emotionally involved. And Rizzi captured all of that with amazing clarity and understanding. His gestures were expressive and engaging, and he conveyed that convincingly to the orchestra. And the orchestra gave one of its best performances of the season Friday night. It played with finely crafted nuance and precision. It was a radiant account that showed what the orchestra is capable of under the guidance of an intelligent and musical conductor.

The concert opened with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 17, K. 453, with soloist Jean-Louis Steuerman.

This is one of Mozart's most engaging and lyrical concertos, and Steuerman captured its character wonderfully. His playing was fluid, his phrasings crisp and articulate. He exhibited remarkable dexterity in the outer movements, especially in the finale, while in the lovely Andante, he showed off his expressive side.

Rizzi offered solid collaboration. He elicited nuanced playing from the orchestra and, together with Steuerman, captured the charm that this work has in abundance. It was a polished and refined performance.

On a side note, Steuerman's pedaling was interesting, to say the least. In the outer movements, and particularly the first, he frequently slapped the pedal with his foot to the extent that it was audible — and annoying. To his credit, however, it was in rhythm to the music, but unfortunately one was drawn to that at times rather than to the music. One can only imagine the kind of hilarious skit Victor Borge could have done with that.