Theater Scene praises Mozart and Mendelssohn program
Theater Scene praises the NJSO’s most recent concert program and looks ahead to upcoming highlights:
[In Mendelssohn’s The Fair Melusine] one could almost hear the rippling waves swelling through its flowing music ... For ten delightful minutes, audience members listened to this work that is a retelling of an ancient legend about a water sprite (or river nymph) ...
The second offering was Mozart’s Flute and Harp Concerto in C Major ... And charm it did—as it did, once again, at its most recent rendering at NJPAC. Guest harpist Stacey Shames and principal NJSO flutist Bart Feller performed this one-of-a-kind piece with much clarity. And though Mozart aficionados may see it as a sideshow to his major works, it still has great delicacy, aural elegance, and is a guaranteed mood-elevator.
Last—but by no means least—was Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 3 in A Minor ... [U]nder Debus’ even-handed baton, the orchestra never paused but seamlessly flowed from the “brooding slow” introduction to its Allegro un poco agitato section to its dramatic finale. One doesn’t have to stretch the imagination to hear the clarinet’s dominant theme simulating a bagpipe. From its striking opening passage (often compared to the finale of his popular “Italian” symphony) to its contrapuntal finale, one gets the flavor and bleak beauty of the moors.
Just in case you forgot, Newark is approximately an hour’s commute and change from midtown Manhattan. And as NJPAC is located in downtown Newark, it is very accessible from New Jersey’s Penn Station. It’s only a ten-minute walk, weather-permitting, from the train station. And in inclement weather, you can hop the Light Train or hail a cab. Both are accessible from the station, and can take you directly to the performing arts center.
Looking ahead to some future NJSO programs at NJPAC, there’s Mahler’s First Symphony: “Titan” slated for March 12th and 13th. And if you prefer R & B to classical music, just mark your calendar for the Heart of Motown with Spectrum, a tribute to The Four Tops, The Temptations, Smokey Robinson, The Drifters, and The Miracles on April 18th. Or, by golly, if your heart really belongs to Broadway, there’s a Broadway Spectacular with the NJSO on May 30th. Led by conductor Todd Ellison, with vocalists Beth Leavel and Christopher Sieber, the program will include selections fromCarousel, Monty Python’s Spamalot, Shrek the Musical and 42nd Street.
So don’t sing the blues or bemoan the chilly weather! March’s icy winds will soon be morphing into April and May’s gentler breezes. And travelin’ to NJPAC is really just a sprint from New York.