Reviews, Opinions and Commentary


2006 Concert Reviews Table of Contents
Date
Title
Reviewer
Thursday, January 5, 2006

New Jersey Symphony Orchestra
Bergen PAC, Englewood.
Italian artistic richness...
...
and a British reflection upon it

Paul M. Somers
     
Tuesday, January 10, 2006

New Jersey Symphony Orchestra
Bickford Theater, Morris Museum, Morristown.
Whetting the appetite
More info welcome

Robert W. Butts
     
Saturday, January 13, 2006
New Jersey Symphony Orchestra
Prudential Hall, Newark.
The birth of a tradition?
It had better be!
Paul M. Somers
     
Friday, January 13, 2006

New Jersey Symphony Orchestra
Prudential Hall, Newark.
Mozart and robotics
Lyricism and rhythmic drive

Paul M. Somers
     
Friday, January 13, 2006

New Jersey Symphony Orchestra
Prudential Hall, Newark
Mozart vs. Salieri or Shakespeare vs. Shaffer
Focus, guys, focus!

Paul M. Somers
     
Saturday, January 14, 2006

Duo Fresco
Liberty Corner Presbyterian Church, Liberty Corner.
A warm spot in the storm
Lesser-known non-guitar music by Ponce

Paul M. Somers
     
Sunday, January 22, 2006

New Jersey Symphony Orchestra
Prudential Hall, Newark
That Mozart vocal line
The Mozart Festival continues

Robert W. Butts
     
Sunday, January 29, 2006
New Jersey Symphony Orchestra
State Theatre, New Brunswick
Authentic vs. practical
Mozart's right brain
Paul M. Somers
     
Friday, February 24, 2006

New Jersey Symphony Orchestra
Prudential Hall, NJPAC, Newark
No hiding in the green room
A private serenade in public

Paul M. Somers
Friday, March 6, 2006

New Jersey Symphony Orchestra
Prudential Hall, NJPAC, Newark
Tchaikovsky the classicist and the romantic
Deborah Pae, YAA winner a year ago

Mary Morse
Sunday, March 12, 2006

Princeton Symphony Orchestra
Richardson Auditorium, Princeton
Equal partners
Music and dance, dance and music

Mary Morse
     

Saturday, March 18, 2006

Saturday, March 23, 2006

Lauda! Chamber Singers
St. Stephen's Lutheran Church, Woodbury

Schola Cantorum on Hudson
St. Matthew Trinity Lutheran Church, Hoboken
North and South Jersey collaborate
Svane premiere the common denominator
Paul M. Somers
     
Saturday, March 25, 2006

Palisades Virtuosi
Unitarian Society, Ridgewood
Women composers ...
... except Mozart

Koren Cowgill
     
Sunday, March 26, 2006

Presbyterian Church, Chatham Township.
German Dada
Uninhibited playing

Paul M. Somers
     
Sunday, April 23, 2006

New Jersey Symphony Orchestra
State Theatre, New Brunswick
Annual NJSO Young Artists Finals
More than a raised eyebrow

Paul M. Somers
     
Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Clavis Chamber Players and Fox Studios
St. Peter's United Methodist Church, Ocean City
WismerFest
Honoring a living institution

Paul M. Somers
     
Saturday, June 3, 2006

Harmonium
Grace Church, Madison
"Give me that old time ..." choral concert
Including a brand new work to keep alive

Robert W. Butts
     
Sunday, June 4, 2006

Cape May Music Festival. Bay-Atlantic Symphony
Convention Hall, Cape May.
Oasis of spirit
Jackiw "wows" audience

Steven Romano Mento
     
Thursday, September 14, 2006

Ridge Light Opera
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church Theater, Basking Ridge
“September Song”
Very effective singing

John Hammel
     
Sunday, October 8, 2006

Chamber Music at Great Gorge
St. Francis de Sales, Vernon.
20 years together
Philadelphia concertmaster at Great Gorge

Paul M. Somers
     
Sunday, October 15, 2006

Mostly Music
Morrow Memorial United Methodist Church, Maplewood.
“Molto taste”
Historically informed baroque concert

Paul M. Somers
     
Sunday, October 15, 2006

New Jersey Concert Opera
Roseof Sharon Community Church, Plainfield.
Walküre in Plainfield
First installment of an out-of-order Ring

Peter Stevens
     
Friday, October 20, 2006

New Jersey Symphony Orchestra
Prudential Hall, NJPAC, Newark.
The spark of the gods
Järvi’s lyric line

Paul M. Somers
     
Saturday, October 21, 2006

New Jersey Performing Arts Center presented the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra
Prudential Hall, NJPAC, Newark.
NJPAC + NJSO = SRO
Why sitting at home doesn’t cut it

Paul M. Somers
     
Sunday, October 22, 2006

Princeton Symphony Orchestra
Auditorium in Alexander Hall, Princeton.
“Survivor, Princeton”
Wide emotional scope

Paul M. Somers
     
Saturday, October 28, 2006

New Jersey Symphony Orchestra
Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank
Sarah big and bold
Järvi with a wink and smile

Paul M. Somers
     
Sunday, October 29, 2006

New Jersey Symphony Orchestra Chamber Players
Dante Hall, Atlantic City.
Prime players
Dante’s Paradiso

Paul M. Somers
     
Sunday, October 29, 2006

Princeton Pro Musica chorus and orchestra
Richardson Auditorium, Princeton.
The Grandeur of Opera
The Grandeur of Opera redux

Paul M. Somers
     
Sunday, November 5, 2006

Masterwork Chorus
St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Morristown.
Mystical music
Three great Es

John Hammel
     
Saturday, November 11, 2006

Coro Lirico
Presbyterian Church, Chatham Township.
The Grandeur of Opera
The Grandeur of Opera redux

Paul M. Somers
     
Saturday, November 18, 2006

Double Percussion
Salon 33, Princeton.
“Salon” music
Up close and personal with a marimba

John Hammel
     
Saturday, November 18, 2006

Summit Chorale
Presbyterian Church of Madison
Turning on a dime
In praise of nature

Paul M. Somers
     
Friday, December 1, 2006

New Jersey Symphony Orchestra
Prudential Hall, Newark
A Cinematic Clock in Bohemia
Swashbuckling violinist

Paul M. Somers