Ambiance and Musical Symmetry at Count Basie Theater - Essay Example

Here Your Here Your Organization Here Here Ambiance and Musical Symmetry at Count Basie Theater After attending the grand performance by the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra at Count Basie Theater in Red Bank, leftover emotions and higher appreciation for the plight of the orchestra remained long after the event. Enjoyment of the symphony was certainly not limited to the more obvious elements of music such as tempo and style, the performance was pounded out by a host of talented musicians who furiously engaged the audience with competent instruments.

The performance included Tchaikovsky – Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64 which was a rather brilliantly executed in a rather unique tempo with both conductor and musician working incredibly hard to focus attention on powerful percussion. Neeme Jarvi, the conductor, was rather violent in his obligations, which served to draw audience focus away from the instruments so as to see the passion Jarvi obviously has for music and the symphony. My traditional history with the symphony had rarely illustrated such an active conductor, which I believe made this particular series of performances more captivating.

Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg was the soloist violin at Count Basie Theater, who managed to work the crowd into somewhat of a frenzy with her unique style. Moving across the strings like an expert craftsman, the solo violin brought thunderous applause as the musician wiped the sweat from an overworked brow. Musical animation, such as that of Salerno-Sonnenberg, provided increased awareness of the obvious love for music that these musicians carry from the audience perspective. I have noticed that many violinists tend to stay firmly within the boundaries of traditionalism, manipulating the strings without any individual touch or musical flair.

For instance, though speaking from the perspective of an individual without a musical degree, during the performance of Bruch – Violin Concerto No.1 in G minor, Op. 26, audience approval was relatively minimal. This was due to a missing element that was present during various performances: Passion and a flair for the dramatic movement. When these elements returned, such as during the performance of Tchaikovsky when the musicians were more obvious in their musical frenzy, the audience followed suit with roaring appreciation.

Moderately amusing to this performance was the bass player who was nearly lost by the towering instrument which overshadowed her small frame. However, the musician hungrily slashed at the strings of her behemoth, to the delight of the audience who was obviously excited at all of the musicians’ animated play. In this particular symphony, the most enjoyable element was not just the roaring blare of talented musicians, it was realizing how the physical actions of the players and conductor are, themselves, instrumental in engaging the audience to participate.

I was left with a newfound respect for the symphony and its connection between competent musical performance and the passion for making song. When tempo shifts to a faster pace or a soloist uses their own individual style to reinvent Svendsen, the audience is left captivated the not only the talents, but the lives the musician.