NJSO presents Beethoven’s Ninth
The Village Voice previews this week's performances of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and Jennifer Higdon's blue cathedral:
Music Director Jacques Lacombe says: “We performed Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony at the beginning of my first season as NJSO music director, so we come full circle with this program. Beethoven’s symphonies pair very well with contemporary music, and Jennifer Higdon’s beautiful blue cathedral is a fantastic opener for the Ninth. blue cathedral has a lot of textures; Jennifer has a very personal sense of orchestral colors. The piece is very ethereal—it inspires you to think about life and meditate, as you would do in a big cathedral. It sets you in a mood where you feel good within yourself, and that’s the best way to be able to set up this powerful message from Beethoven.” Critics have praised Higdon’s deeply personal work. The Philadelphia Inquirer writes: “blue cathedral is a potent experience, awash in facile orchestrations and an engaging sense of journey.” The New York Times has called Higdon’s music “imaginative, richly orchestrated and accessible.”
Members of the Westminster Symphonic Choir shared the view from rehearsal:
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