Symphony cellist gives stunning performance

by Edward Reichel

PARK CITY — It's been nearly 10 years since Ryan Selberg, the Utah Symphony's principal cellist, has soloed with the orchestra.

Wednesday, however, he finally got the call and gave a stunning performance of Nicolai Miaskovsky's Cello Concerto in C minor, Op. 66, to close out the symphony's chamber-orchestra series.

Miaskovsky is hardly a household name, and his sole cello concerto is even more obscure.

And that's a shame, since it's a beautifully melodic work, and Selberg's interpretation was perceptive and insightful.

There are only two movements. The first is a gorgeous lento that is wistful and tinged with sadness. Selberg gave a wonderfully poignant account that was lyrical and filled with rich expressiveness.

The second movement moves between dramatic allegro and emotionally charged lento sections. Selberg captured the character of this movement with his sensitive playing that compellingly brought out the intensity of feelings.

Principal pops conductor Jerry Steichen conducted, and he elicited wonderfully expressive playing from the orchestra that complemented Selberg's romantically charged approach.

After intermission, the woodwind and string sections of the orchestra were on display. Nine wind players opened this half of the concert with Charles Gounod's rarely played "Petite Symphonie."

This unassuming work was given a fluid treatment by Steichen, and the players gave a radiant account that was bright and sunny and captured the unpretentious charm of this piece wonderfully.

The strings, who also opened the concert with the first movement from Amadeus Mozart's "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik," also closed out the evening with a luscious performance of Antonin Dvorak's Serenade for Strings in E major, Op. 22. It was a radiant performance that was nuanced, expressive and beautifully phrased.