By TRENTON ROBISON
The Progress
History was made last week when French composer Olivier Messiaen’s 1974 orchestral work, Des Canyons aux étoiles… was performed by the Utah Symphony for the first time beneath the great cliffs of Zion Canyon at the O.C. Tanner Amphitheater on Thursday, June 2.
If any orchestra anywhere should have artistic ownership of a piece, the Utah Symphony should own Des Canyons aux étoile… The title translates to ‘From the Canyon to the Stars.’
Messiaen was inspired to compose the piece after a trip to Zion, Bryce Canyon, and Cedar Breaks in 1971. Each of the parks are celebrated musically in the sprawling 12-movement work.
It has been Utah Symphony conductor Thierry Fischer’s long-time project to be able to perform the work beside the canyons and peaks which inspired it. Beginning in their 2019 season, the Salt Lake-based group programmed two movements at a time into the middle of their regular concerts in order to then culminate the project with an outdoor performance of the entire piece.
The piece altogether lasts about 90 minutes and utilizes its sizable orchestra to depict the breadth and beauty of our backyard national parks in a variety of ways. Among the group is a battery of percussion instruments both traditional and exotic, including various sizes of gongs, a whip, and a wind machine. It also features an instrument Messiaen designed himself called a geophone which consists of a large flat drum filled with lead beads. In addition to the sounds of mountain wind gusts and shrieking insects accomplished by the percussion, the orchestra chirps and tweets with imitation bird calls transcribed into musical notation. (Messiaen was an avid ornithologist.) It can become cacophonous occasionally, but it is at all times euphoric.
The performance itself, while occasionally disrupted by the sounds of tardy attendees exiting the Zion shuttle bus, displayed the mastery of a world class orchestra.
Punctual concert-goers enjoyed as French Horn-soloist Stefan Dohr opened the first movement from off stage. His lonely melody, which is meant to sound in the concert hall as though it is echoing through a vast canyon, enjoyed the novelty of doing just that.
Pianist Jason Hardink played with virtuosic skill through his lengthy solo passages, bouncing back from one mood to another as he depicted various birds calling back and forth across the landscape.
The work ends with a movement titled “Zion Park and the Celestial City.” It slowly builds up with staunch brass chorales and ringing bells interspersed with ever-present flurries of bird sounds before reaching a towering climax of clear strings holding a simple heavenly chord.
Prospective listeners to Des Canyons aux étoiles… will be pleased to know that the Utah Symphony plans to release a recording of the work. This will no doubt further stake their claim on a piece of art inspired by the beauty of their home state; beauty which is well known to our community. In the meantime, the ORTF Philharmonic Orchestra’s recording with Myung-Whun Chung conducting is the standing recommendation.
The Utah Symphony frequently performs on tour in locations as accessible as St. George and Springdale so consider supporting the performing arts when it’s so close to home. Though be warned: their start-times are not suggestions, so make sure to arrive on time!
