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Show Park Record Thursday, August 16, 1990 Page C5 Pett gives life to city in 'Sirens his first novel by RON GEORG Record staff writer With the publication of his first novel, Sirens. Stephen Pett has created a sketch of Utah oddity as accurate as Norman Mailer's Executioner's Ex-ecutioner's Song- in fact, Pett goes much further into the Utah psyche than Mailer ever could. Like Mailer, Pett describes Utah with an outsider's view. Unlike Mailer, Pett was born and raised in Salt Lake City. And Sirens' narrator and main character, Carlos Cade, was also born and raised in Salt Lake. Still, Cade is something of an outsider. From an impoverished family in a relatively affluent Salt Lake neighborhood, Cade lives on the fringes of society. From that perspective, Salt Lake City is an unusual place. The tale thick with the sort of fate one encounters in a city as small as Salt Lake. While the town is large enough to have a wide range of oddity, it's small enough that there's a locally famous person on most every block. The city also has a unique, homogeneous quality which allows someone as inconsequential inconsequen-tial as Cade to stand out like a sore thumb. . Cade is quite a sore thumb. His life isf-a wound he constantly exacerbates. ex-acerbates. All stemming from one unfortunate incident as a child, Cade wanders through a dejecting series of meaningless careers, dead-end relationships, and drunken, stoned meanderings. As he does, his haunted memory grows, and he develops a sense, albeit somewhat "irped, of the injustice he's beei. Jcalt by socie Symphony offers bang show The I'tah Symphony will end its summer season with a concert that has become f. Utah summer tradition: the concert, under the direction of associate conductor Kirk Maspratt, will feature Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture complete com-plete with live cannon fire. The program can be heard in Symphony Hall August 17 at 8 p.m., at De-r Valley Augus' 18 at 7:30 p.m.. and at Snowbird August 19 at 4 p.m. In addition to 1812 Overt re the all-Tchaikovsky program ill feature the Polonaise from Eugene Onegin, suites from The Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake, two movements from Symphony No. 4. and the Concerto No. J for Piano with Irene Peery as sole st. The Overture was composed compos-ed in 180 to celebrate the completion comple-tion of the Cathedral of Christ the Redeemer, constructed in Moscow to commemorate the events of 1812. The original plans for the overture included a grand outdoor performance in Kremlin Square by a large orchestra augmented by brass band, bells, and cannons. The cannon shots were no'ated precisely in the ty. Sirens is the story of Cade's attempt at-tempt to justify his life and demand de-mand retribution for all his lost time and brain cells. The plot opens with Cade pulling into Salt Lake, having hitched a ride in an old American car with a couple Native Americans. He's working on his life story as he's living it; his recollections of his childhood are interspersed with bis reciprocal acts as an adult. Pett has done a brilliant job of creating this derranged, in-, in-, telligent. righteous character. Originally a poet, the author's style is guttarly lyric; his stylistic gait sets a manic pace as Cade rushes between cheap thrills, paranoia, and genuine attempts making everything right. Cade's narration follows his mood; he can lie back and offer a nearly stream-of-consciousness set of observations about his surroundings sur-roundings with sometimes startlingif startl-ingif unpleasant accuracy, or he can rant frantically through some exciting event with disjointed dis-jointed urgency. Without fail, his . semi-educated ramblings are poetic. Also without fail, the plot is compelling. Cade's sociopathic justifications are engrossing and believable; he really hasn't gotten any great deals from society, and he seems almost entitled to his bitterness. Pett will have you straining for a catharsis along with Cade as the dark character reconstructs his life with a myopic view toward the final chapter, which he is convinced with be his ultimate redemption. Sirens is a Vintage Contemporaries Contem-poraries publication. score, and were to be triggered by electric relay from the conductor's conduc-tor's desk. Unfortunately, the outdoor concert con-cert never happened and the work did not receive its premiere until 1882 at a symphony concert in Moscow under the direction of Eduard Napravnik. ' The Utah Symphony will utilize cannons in all three of the upcoming upcom-ing performances. For the Symphony Sym-phony Hall performance, miniature cannons created by cannoneer Karl Furr will be used. The cannons are fired at the precise moments called for in the score. The Wasatch Mountain Men will provide the cannons fire for the concerts at Deer Valley and Snowbird. Tickets for the concert in Symphony Sym-phony Hall range in price from $10 to $Ki. Student tickets are only $5. Tickets for Deer Valley are $13 in advance, $15 day of show. A limited number of reserved seats are available for $25. Tickets to the Snowbird performance are $13 in advance. $15 day of show, and $20 for reserved seats. For more information or to order tickets, call the Utah Symphony box office of-fice at 533-NOTE. PLAZA DRY CLEANERS J l )ft:liiM-:l,'-ty- -van m H ' Li I,,,.! in 1 1 in ii i i i 1 1 1 i i ii mi imiii limn apneas Spend your Lunch from 1 1 :30 am-3:00 pm MOM-Spaghetti Night $3.95 All Night Early Bird Specials 5-7:00 pm TUES- Lasagne or oe's Vege Casserole $5.95 VISrft TUI ID.a-I Dirmarin imi TS i iiiiugii Chicken Parmesan $5.95 r -Z- vj : ommm. 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