Local Review: Thierry Fischer and the Utah Symphony – Dawn To Dust

Thierry Fischer and the Utah Symphony
Dawn To Dust

Reference Recordings
Street: 04.08
Utah Symphony = The Tallywood String Quartet + The London Symphony Orchestra

Thierry Fischer, music director of the Utah Symphony, has once again taken the symphony to new heights. Their latest album features music that goes in so many different directions that after the first listen, I understood why so many have an emotional reaction to classical music. Dawn to Dust is an epic, filled with chaos, beauty and emotional upheaval.

Dawn To Dust has an interesting layout for an album. Tracks 1–7 are from a ballet for orchestra, Eos (Goddess of the Dawn), by composer Augusta Read Thomas; tracks 8–12, titled Control (Five Landscapes for Orchestra), are from composer Nico Muhly; track 13, Switch—my personal favorite—is composed by Andrew Norman.

With so many discussion-worthy aspects and such a beautifully crafted layout, this album is difficult to sum up in one review. Switch starts off as a violent, heavily percussed thunderclap of emotion and slowly takes a careful turn toward a fantastical, eerie and unknown world. Think Twilight Zone meets Alice in Wonderland—this track is that soundtrack.

Eos (Goddess of the Dawn) embodies a truly unique take on a very old legend. You truly get a visual while listening of the dark night before the dawn that brings everything to life and illuminates a once shrouded world.

All great stories have three parts: a beginning, a middle and an end. Control (Five Landscapes for Orchestra) perfectly enhances Eos (Goddess of the Dawn) and makes an amazing transition to Switch. This is a great way to weave a musical story by continuing with a similar style throughout the first tracks before building to an epic finish.

If you are a classical fan, this album is a must-have. If you are an electronic, industrial or pop fan, this album can give you great insight into how to construct a song. I loved this album: I really felt that there was a great deal of emotion and talent behind Dawn to Dust, and I could not help but keep listening to it over and over again. Trust me—if you are an artist, writer or musician, this album is great to listen to while creating. –Seeth McGavien