For the second concert report I attended a rendition of the 1812 Overture, composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, performed by the Utah Symphony in Deer Valley on July 18th. There were several other pieces played during the concert, including Capriccio Italien (Op. 45), also by Tchaikovsy; Rhapsody in Blue and Porgy and Bess, written by George Gershwin; and selections from West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein. It was an outdoor concert and took place at the Deer Valley ski resort. There was a full symphony orchestra that included several cannons, operated by the Cannoneers of the Wasatch, for the finale of the 1812 Overture. There was a large turnout, and I sat fairly far from the orchestra towards the rear of the field, so I did not have a great view. …show more content…
The best part of the performance by far was the finale of the 1812 Overture, which was also the end of the concert. By this time it was dark, and the muzzle flashes lit up the night, the smoke from the cannons hovering over the field; it was very easy to picture myself in the setting that the piece was written for, a field of battle, watching the Russian soldiers beating back the French forces. After experiencing the piece this way, I don’t think it could be at all enjoyable without the cannons, as it is sometimes performed. The downside of this venue is that it is much less formal than a concert hall, so there are many people constantly moving around and talking, which somewhat distracts from the music; however, the view and the atmosphere of the mountains at sunset more than makes up for this. For this report I’ll discuss three pieces: Capriccio Italien, the 1812 Overture, and Rhapsody in