Beethoven’s Piano Concertos 1 & 5
2019–20 Season—Beethoven’s Birthday Bash
XIAN ZHANG conductor
LOUIS LORTIE piano
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BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 1
Beethoven was considered a great pianist in his time, and this early showcase for his own talent holds an affectionate nod to his hero, Haydn.
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BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 5, “Emperor”
Full of Beethoven’s most beautiful melodies and powerful rhythms, his final piano concerto more than earns its regal title.
Beethoven’s Piano Concertos 2, 3 & 4
2019–20 Season—Beethoven’s Birthday Bash
XIAN ZHANG conductor
LOUIS LORTIE piano
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BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 2
When Beethoven moved from his small-town home to the big city of Vienna, he used this music to impress the Viennese with his once-in-a-lifetime virtuosity at the piano.
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BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 3
You know Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. His Third Piano Concerto has the same drama and impact, and it is a thrill to witness as it unfolds through a great pianist’s hands.
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BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 4
The opening is Beethoven magic: a hushed piano solo brings you to the edge of your seat for what becomes his most joyous concerto.
Beethoven’s ‘Eroica’ Symphony
2019–20 Season—Beethoven’s Birthday Bash
XIAN ZHANG conductor
ROBERT WAGNER bassoon
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ROSSINI Overture to Guillaume Tell
Not just a curtain-raiser, the overture to Rossini’s 39th (!) and final opera, William Tell, is a full symphony in miniature.
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CHRISTOPHER ROUSE Bassoon Concerto (East-Coast Premiere and NJSO Co-Commission)
This lyrical new piece completes Christopher Rouse’s cycle of concertos for every wind instrument. The NJSO co-commissioned this work to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Principal Bassoon Robert Wagner, who has given so much to our organization on and off stage.
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BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 3, “Eroica”
With two thunderous opening chords, Beethoven unlocked a new world of music-making, and every performance of his “Eroica” sounds revolutionary.
Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto
2019–20 Season
CHRISTOPH KÖNIG conductor
SIMONE PORTER violin
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MOZART Overture to The Magic Flute
Hear the majesty and magic of Mozart’s final opera—a fantastical tale of mystery, adventure and love—distilled into this glowing overture.
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MENDELSSOHN Violin Concerto
This is the diamond in the crown of violin concertos, with sparkling melodies and quicksilver beauty in every bar. Simone Porter, only in her early 20s, has been hailed by the Los Angeles Times for playing that is “lovingly lyrical, occasionally frisky. She is clearly on the cusp of a major career.”
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BRUCKNER Symphony No. 6
Bruckner was a church organist by day, but when he took up his composing pen at night, he opened a whole new world of orchestral splendor. His Sixth Symphony begins with violins playing so softly you may miss them; then, a mysterious horn call sounds, and suddenly the whole orchestra sweeps you away.
Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony
2019–20 Season
HENRIK NÁNÁSI conductor
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BARTÓK Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta
A daring 20th-century masterpiece! Revel in the sounds of the NJSO strings, accentuated by keyboard and percussion—writing so evocative that Stanley Kubrick famously used it in The Shining.
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TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 5
Critics of Tchaikovsky’s day crushed this new symphony (“a horde of demons struggling in a torrent of brandy,” wrote one), and even the composer said, “It is a failure.” But its hypnotic melodies and triumphant mood turned the Fifth into an audience favorite.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens in Concert
2019–20 Pops Season
Thirty years after the defeat of the Empire, Luke Skywalker has vanished, and a new threat has risen: The First Order, led by the mysterious Supreme Leader Snoke and his enforcer, Kylo Ren. General Leia Organa’s military force, the Resistance—and unlikely heroes brought together by fate—are the galaxy’s only hope. Experience the complete film with the NJSO performing John Williams’ thrilling score live.
Discover the new season
2020–21 Season Announced!
Beloved classics. Inspiring new works. Your NJSO. Explore the exciting 2020–21 season now!
Hear Handel’s Messiah on WQXR
Listen to a recorded broadcast from this concert at the Newark’s Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart.