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NJSO–Estamos en “Fuego”
by Sherri Rase     |     Bookmark and Share
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photo by Fred Stucker
The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra's "The Hero's Fire."
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The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra (NJSO), under the baton of Maestro Jacques Lacombe, has kicked off the January opening of its Winter Festival, the theme of which, this year, is “Fire.” Last year’s “Water” was ragingly successful and, continuing with the theme of elemental and monumental works, the Winter Festival’s first program was “The Hero’s Fire.” Featuring Wagner, Scriabin and Stravinsky, it boasted enchantments for the eye and ear alike in a festival of synesthethetic delight.
It would be nearly impossible to address a theme of heroes and not include Wagner, whose bold works tower above those of some of his contemporaries. Symphony, opera, sets, theater are all memorable for their broad strokes of emotion and grandeur. Wagner’s compositions are like those of an artist working in oils–rich colors and large themes and “Wotan’s Farewell,” as he punishes and bids farewell to his beloved daughter Brünnhilde, is fraught with the fire of a father’s love, determination and tenderness. All of the compositions on the bill required additional orchestra, and the richness of the sound built the fire and stoked it high. In one of Wagner’s most evocative pieces, you could virtually hear the conversation of father and daughter, a warrior daughter’s plea that only a worthy man would find her, and Wotan’s command of the commencement of Loge’s magic flames–powerful indeed!
Continuing the first act was Scriabin’s “Prometheus: The Poem of Fire” (Symphony No. 5) Opus 60. Dazzling in its combination of orchestra, piano and color organ, its soloists were Yevgeny Sudbin on piano and lighting designer Al Crawford on the color organ of his own design. The soloists drew emotions, writ Titan large, on five discs poised above the orchestra and from the concert grand piano occupying the stage, front and center. Scriabin thought beyond the relative camera obscura of orchestral instruments and piano. For him, each pitch was associated with a color, not just with the sense of hearing. Consequently, he wrote “Prometheus,” his last orchestral work, as an ambitious piece that included a device he called the “tastiera per luce,” or color organ, that would provide the visual palette, as well as the aural palette that he envisioned. Scriabin’s work became increasingly ambitious and, by the time this work was written, his harmonies and structures transcended the traditional ones built on a triad. Further, according to Laurie Shulman’s brilliant notes on the program, it has taken lighting technology more than 100 years to realize fully Scriabin’s vision. Sudbin is a strong advocate of Scriabin’s music and played with great verve … the difficult music and timing brought forth the vision of the battle of Prometheus and the Olympians, while Crawford wove colors and light in an equally soaring solo. The colors on the discs at times coordinated, then contrasted with the background. The final portion of the movement featured a celebration of light, as each disc danced in its personal frenetic joy, both separately and together and alive with its cousins, and thus ended the first portion of the program.
After a brief intermission, where fire crafts were on display in the form of jewelry and ceramics, and friends shared their impressions of the first part of the program, we returned for Stravinksy’s brilliant ballet score for “The Firebird,” in its original 1910 incarnation. This was Stravinsky’s first ballet and has the lush musicality and modern vigor that placed him astride the Russian traditions of Tchaikovsky and those of the development of 20th century music, which he would spearhead. The ballet seems to combine two Russian fairy tales that feature everything we look for–an intrepid prince and a terpsichore of princesses—it is, after all, a ballet—and, of course, he falls in love with one particular princess. He must rescue them all by killing Kaschei, an evil ogre. The music uses themes from Russian folk tunes as well to spin the tale and Stravinsky tips his hat to the composers who influenced him, most notably, in an extended homage, nodding to Mussorgsky and “The Great Gate of Kiev,” from his “Pictures at an Exhibition.” This flare of brilliance is fiery indeed and heralds the best possible ending for Prince Ivan and the newly non-enchanted princesses, including his intended.
The scoring for “The Firebird” alone included three harps; three flutes, with the third doubling the piccolo, as well as a piccolo itself; three oboes; three clarinets; a host of additional brass and woodwinds; percussion of every stripe, including thrumming timpani; offstage instruments Wagner tubas, celesta, and bells—everything but the Sousaphone gets into the act. While the variety and richness NJSO brings to any performance is stellar, the depth and texture in the entire program provided a deep and pleasurable experience, while whetting the appetite for more. The Winter Festival continues for the next two weeks and, take it from me, it is on FIRE! Visit www.njso.org for tickets and more information. Certain concerts have a lecture before them, so treat yourself to one of those, and get even greater enjoyment from this world class orchestra.




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