Bart Feller & Stacy Shames with NJSO orchestra         photo by Fred Stucker

                     by Deirdre Donovan

Maestro Johannes Debus and the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra (NJSO) recently breezed into the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) with its program, “Mozart & Mendelssohn,” on February 27^th.    The first half of the program presented Mendelssohn’s rarely-performed The Fair Melusine Overture and Mozart’s Flute and Harp Concerto in C.  And as gorgeous as these were, they became only warm-ups to Mendelssohn’s powerhouse Symphony No. 3 in A Minor, dubbed his “Scottish Symphony.” 

Debus introduced the program with a few words about the two featured composers, who were considered the wunderkinds of their day.  He shared that Mozart (1756-1791) was not only an 18^th-century musician on the rise, but on the go.  Debus told the audience that “Mozart, who died before his 35^th birthday, “traveled 10 years of his life,” and was quite a “rock-‘n-roller” of the classical musical world. 

 Not one to play favorites among the romantic classical composers, Debus added in his next breath that Mendelssohn (1809-1847) was no slouch and carved his own indelible signature into the musical world.  Debus remarked that this artist could comb through “old ballads, myths, and stories quite bloody” and transmute them into music.  Debus then turned round to the orchestra, and raising his baton, launched into the program. 

First up was Mendelssohn’s The Fair Melusine—and one could almost hear the rippling waves swelling through its flowing music.  Although it’s not as well-known as his Midsummer Night’s Dream Overture, it does share its supernatural and romantic bent.  Composed between November 1832 and spring 1834, it had its world premiere on April 7, 1834 in London.  This was its NJSO premiere, and just the right piece to savor when the temperatures outside are dipping down into the single and double digits.  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).  Having many versions in folklore culture, Mendelssohn based his Fair Melusine on two literary sources:  a drama by the Austrian playwright Franz Grillparzer and Goethe’s short story.  In brief, the story centers on a water sprite that marries the Knight Raimund, on the condition that he will not enjoy her company on Saturday.  Irked by his wife’s request for time alone, Raimund spies on her one Saturday and discovers that she is a mermaid.  The violated Melusine sadly returns to the river, and Raimund loses forever the wife he so loved.   Mendelssohn gives musical form to this melancholy tale by opening with a 6/4 meter that simulates the gentle rise-and-fall of a river.  And as the overture progresses, and the conflict between Melusine and Raimund grows, Mendelssohn weaves in a tempestuous F-minor section to reflect their conjugal tug-of-war.  The piece wraps up with muted, soft notes, suggesting that Raimund truly regrets breaking his promise to his wife, and now has to live permanently without her. 

The second offering was Mozart’s Flute and Harp Concerto in C Major, composed in April 1778 in Paris.  And what a strange history it has!  This concerto came into existence when twenty-one-year old Mozart was having a spot of bad luck during a European trip:  His hopes for securing a job with the Palatine Elector in Mannheim came to nothing.  But instead of returning home to Salzburg, Mozart and his mother decided to press on to Paris.  Once reaching the City of Light, Mozart had to cover the necessary travel costs.  And, fortunately, a family friend living in Paris arranged for him to tutor the daughter of an accomplished Parisian flutist Duc de Guines.  While Mlle. de Guines had no real talent for composition, she was a master harpist.  The Duc de Guines soon commissioned Mozart to create a concerto for the harp and flute that would charm, not only his ear, but his daughter’s as well.  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.  Mendelssohn had a deep love for the British Isles.  And he was no stranger to Scotland with its wild highlands and cultural folklore.  According to my program notes, Mendelssohn “traveled to the Scottish highlands with his friend Carl Klingemann” in 1829.  And the trip spawned his Hebrides Overture and Symphony No. 3 (or “Scottish Symphony”).  Little wonder that the latter piece sounds Scottish, as the composer grafted genuine Scottish folk ballads to his symphony.  And, oh yes. It is misleadingly numbered third of his symphonies as it actually is his fifth--and final--effort with the symphonic form.  But even though the composer worked at the piece on and off for over a decade, music historians tend to date his earliest sketch as the official manuscript rather than his final –and more polished—version.  Mendelssohn insisted that all four movements be played without interruption.  And under 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 12^th and 13^th.  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 18^th.    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 from Carousel, Monty Python’s Spamalot, Shrek the Musical and 42^nd 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. 

Mozart & Mendelssohn
Performed at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) on February 27^th and at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank on February 28^th.
It returns to NJPAC for one matinee performance only on June 14^th.
The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra (NJSO)
NJPAC is located at One Center Street, Newark.
Running time of performance on February 27^th: 2 hours including one intermission.
www.njsymphony.org/events