Utah Symphony: BACH’S BRANDENBURG CONCERTO NO. 3 WITH SCHOENBERG

Thierry Fischer, conductor

J.S. BACH Brandenburg Concerto No. 3
SCHOENBERG Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night)

The Utah Symphony season continues with more standards of the repertoire highlighting the string section of the Utah Symphony. Both works, though from different eras, employ colorful instrumentation and tremendous demands on the musicians.

Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 asks the performers to be both soloist and ensemble members. Instead of a full slow movement, Bach only notated two linking chords, leaving the performers the option of inserting an improvised cadenza.
Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night) by Austrian-born composer Arnold Schoenberg tells the story of a walk and conversation between a couple in marital strife and their journey towards acceptance and forgiveness. Written before the composer adopted the 12-tone method of composition that became his signature, it is a highly romantic piece and, as such, is easily the composer’s most-performed piece.