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The birth
of a tradition?
It
had better be!
Saturday, January 13, 2006
By Paul M. Somers
New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. "Many Faces of Mozart Festival." Eine kleine Nachtmusik Play-In, Donato Cabrera (conductor). Prudential Hall, Newark.
The day after Mozart's birthday the NJSO had an "everyone is invited" birthday party for which the most special guests were the amateur musicians who came to play through the first movement of the birthday boy's perennial favorite, Eine kleine Nachtmusik. Any instruments were acceptable, not just the strings for which it was composed. Among the seven NJSO players who came along to act as sonic centers for the over 100 amateurs were not only violinists Ed Engel and Susan Gellert, violist Toni Thompson, and principal bassist Paul Harris, but principal oboist Carolyn Pollak, principal trumpeter Garth Greenup, and
principal tubist Pasquale Landolfi, a trio which had probably never before had reason to play even one phrase of the famous piece. I think I saw a euphonium player on the NJPAC stage and know there was at least one saxophone. The youngest seemed to be a violinist who was six years old, but this was hardly a for-kids-only affair. There were many adults of several generations who sat or stood up there for the hour.The Symphony's *cover conductor Donato Cabrera asked the youthful concertmaster to lead the official tune up, then he took the podium and began to rehearse. This was not to be some sloppily lighthearted read-through. Cabrera was looking for true Mozart to emerge!
He worked the over 100 amateurs on various degrees of dynamic expression including how to end the phrase. Clean attacks and releases were enforced, and even a few touches of *rubato were put in play. In short, he broke the piece down for them and got everyone to play it better.
Out in the orchestra section of Prudential Hall sat parents of the kids surrounded by spouses and friends of the adults who had decided to give it a whirl. Those who sat close enough could hear all of Cabrera's rehearsal comments, while those more distant only heard his amplified comments at the beginning.
He finally turned to the audience to proclaim that now would be the performance. The concertmaster tuned everyone again and Cabrera again took the podium, this time a touch more formally.
And they put it all together in a performance which was really quite respectable. Intonation was far from pristine, but it was just as far from unbearable. Responsiveness to the stick was remarkable, and with good podium leadership it was all really quite musical.
Afterward, the comments we heard were entirely positive. Cabrera, who is certainly not known (nor would he want to be) as an amateur or youth orchestra conductor was all smiles. Kids and adults who had played clustered around the lobby chatting, especially with the "magnificent seven" from the NJSO who had stood with them.
If ever there were an event which declared itself a "must" to become an annual event, this was it.
My only regret: I sold my double bass a few months ago and had no means of participating since keyboards were not available.