If only the Utah Symphony's money woes could be solved by programming more piano concertos and more Rachmaninoff. Of course ticket sales are just one piece of the recession-squeezed revenue pie, but seeing a full house, like the one that turned out Friday at Abravanel Hall, is always encouraging.

Conductor Roberto Minczuk, music director of the Calgary Philharmonic, conducted the Utah Symphony's performance of Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2 from memory. Minczuk's refreshingly light touch, coupled with decisive tempos, brought out the work's folk flavor much more than the heart-on-sleeve romanticism for which Rachmaninoff is beloved -- and reviled -- the world over. He even brought the orchestra through the third movement, which boasts one of the gooiest principal themes in the symphonic repertoire, with its dignity intact. The brass section played with just the right degree of bluster, the woodwind solos were all spot on, the strings displayed a nice transparency and the percussionists delivered plenty of punch. Nearly as impressive, though, was the sleight of hand by which Minczuk produced his baton from within his jacket for the finale after conducting the third movement without it.

Stewart Goodyear was the evening's soloist, performing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 2 with cool professionalism. The classical character of this concerto came through strongly, though Goodyear was generous with the trills in the first movement's cadenza. Minczuk conducted with a taut, Mozartean touch.

One of Beethoven's more obscure overtures, the "Namensfeier," opened the concert. Minczuk and the orchestra achieved a nice feeling of spaciousness, and the horns, in particular, put in a nice showing. Even so, it's unlikely anyone went home humming any of "Namensfeier's" tunes. After all, that's what we have Rachmaninoff for.

Catherine Reese Newton is a music critic. Contact her at creese@sltrib.com or 801-257-8616.