I have a confession to make: I am originally from New Jersey. And, while I’ve lived in New York for well over a decade, my family still lives there, and this weekend I made one of my occasional visits to see them. Admittedly, opportunities to hear quality concert music on the far side of the Hudson are few and far between. But there is the excellent New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, and they just happened to be playing a concert on Saturday night at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (or NJPAC, as it’s more familiarly known) in Newark.
The NJSO, which has been around for 85 years, is a touring orchestra, playing concerts in no less than seven venues throughout the state. They have always been a quality ensemble, but two major events in the past four years have pushed them into the top tier of American orchestras. One was the acquisition in 2003 of the "Golden Collection" of 30 rare stringed instruments by Stradivarius, Guarneri and other 17th and 18th Century masters, giving the orchestra an unprecedented glowing sound. (Controversially, the instruments cost the orchesta $17 million, which they will be paying off for years to come.) The other was the appointment two years ago of Neeme Järvi, the esteemed Estonian conductor and former director of the Gothenburg and Detroit Symphony Orchestras, as Music Director.
The first piece on last night’s program, A.S. In Memoriam, a U.S. Premiere by Swedish composer Rolf Martinsson, took full advantage of both assets. Martinsson dedicated the piece to Järvi, who has performed it over 50 times with various orchestras around the world. The "A.S." in the title refers to Arnold Schoenberg – specifically, early Schoenberg, before he migrated to the 12 tone system for which he became famous (or infamous, depending on your point of view.) The 12 minute piece is scored for strings, and echoes Schoenberg’s Verklarte Nacht in it’s rich, sweeping sound, like fog rolling in off the sea.
The middle of the program was devoted to the rarely-heard Shotakovich Violin Concerto No. 2, played by the young Latvian Baiba Skirde. Skirde attacked the piece with ferocious virtuosity – so much so that in the final movement’s extended and extremely difficult cadenza, she snapped a string on her 1725 Strad. Showing remarkable poise, she quickly turned to the Concertmaster, Eric Wyrick, who immediately handed her his 1737 Guarneri from the Golden Collection, and continued right where she left off. Wyrick, in turn, swapped violins with the Associate Concertmaster, Brennan Sweet, and Sweet was somehow able to fix the string well enough to finish. When it was over, the crowd exploded in applause, in appreciation of her artistry as well as her presence of mind. Järvi himself was so impressed, he led the crowd in rhythmic applause, a form of praise I usually associate with old-world organizations such as the Vienna Philharmonic (who just happened to be playing last night at Carnegie.)
After the intermission, Järvi returned to conduct Beethoven’s Eroica symphony, part of a season-long exploration of all the Beethoven symphonies. The Eroica is one of the warhorses of the repertoire, but for all the times I’ve heard it on recordings and in concert, it never fails to surprise and shock. Järvi used a baton for the first time all night, and was able to extract nuances from the score I’ve never heard before – particularly in the strings, which shimmered with color and texture. Järvi is a commanding presence on the podium, leading with both conviction and authority, and it is obvious he has the total respect of these players.
Returning after three curtain calls, Järvi offered up an encore.
"Finnish composer," he said. "Guess who?"
Of course, it was Sibelius: his Valse Triste. Järvi was playful with his tempi, eliciting smiles from musicians and the audience. He’s played it as an encore both times I’ve seen him, and I imagine it’ll never get old. (See my post on the Minnesota Orchestra’s concert, where Osmo Vanska also programmed Valse Triste as an encore.)
On a night when tickets to see the Vienna Philharmonic sold for $200, and the New York Philharmonic for $95, I got to see a world-class performance by a metropolitan-area orchestra playing under one of the greatest conductors of the last forty years, for only $20. (Admittedly, the seat was in the second row on the right side of the orchestra, but there were enough vacant seats for me to steal one closer to the center.) For once, I can say without hesitation: I am proud to be from New Jersey.