| Show Lockhart bows out Patricia Isom Contributing Writer On Saturday night an era came to an end At Abravanel Abravanel Abravanel Abra- Abra vanel Hall in Salt Lake City Keith Lockhart bowed to his final performance as Music Director of the Utah Symphony Symphony Sym Sym- Symphony phony after an year 11 reign with the organization For his finale Lockhart conducted or or perhaps played ringmaster to- to Leonard Bernsteins Bernstein's Mass A Theatre Piece for Singers Players and Dancers Not wanting to miss out on the historic event and the chance to to see Lockhart one conclusion conclusion conclusion more time before the sion of his tenured position in Utah I attended Friday evenings evening's evenings evening's evenings evening's eve eve- ning's performance It was well inter esting Mass was commissioned commissioned commissioned commis commis- by Jacqueline Kennedy in 1971 to open the now historic Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts When first performed some called the work blasphemous and sacrilegious The labels are perhaps due in part to the behavior behavior behavior be be- havior of the Celebrant think Roman Catholic priest who breaks a chalice as part of his role The Celebrant also re removes removes removes re- re moves his religious clothing and tosses it on the ground as ashe ashe ashe he questions his faith The fact that one cast member is a prostitute prostitute prostitute pros pros- could also be a reason for the labeling But none of that bothered bothered bothered both both- ered me I caught onto the story love faith highs and lows fairly easily What confused confused confused con con- fused me was how jumbled and chaotic the two hour performance performance per per- seemed to be Dancers ers an orchestra singers and two choirs just didn't make much sense at times Lyrics Lyrics Lyrics ics were undecipherable and well Mass was downright confusing Quite like a circus I admit I wasn't able to read much about Mass before I attended However I I knew I had heard and read enough to know it would be different t and comprehensive and that it would be unlike anything I had ever s siren seen en Still my musical background and Continue Continued on Al Lockharts Lockhart's S last st Continued from A Al 1 love of theatre didn't prepare me for the spec spec- I spent the two hours no intermission perplexed trying to put it all together It never came As As' I looked around I noticed others whose faces mirrored the bewilderment that could be seen on my face The evening was just strange and unsettling Yet the performances performances performances mances were amazing The dancers were limber limber limber lim lim- ber and expressive The voices of the Symphony Choir members were perfect and beautiful The children from the Madeleine Choir School sang sweetly and impeccably impeccably impeccably and the choirboy Jonathan was simply stunning The symphony members played in their usual brilliance brilliance brilliance bril bril- liance but they weren't pivotal and even seemed to just blend into the background amid all the performers and activity on the stage All in all it was wasa a solid performance I Ionly Ionly Ionly only wish it had met the few preconceived expectations expectations expectations I had when I entered entered entered en en- Abravanel Hall Nonetheless will miss Lock- Lock hart He has been well liked by the community and is a gifted musician and conductor Why he chose Mass as his going going going go go- ing away away- present to us usall usall usall all doesn't really matter much I suppose What matters is that he has brought culture great music and a little taste of heaven to Zion Mass cannot eclipse the shine of Lockharts Lockhart's brilliant light Lockhart concluded his tenure as Music Dir Director in Utah with the 2008 2009 season his eleventh season He will spend the next nest two vo seasons as Conductor Laureate of The Utah Symphony conducting several programs programs pro pro- grams grains a year in addition to his ongoing fifteen- fifteen year post as Conductor of the Boston Pops |
