Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, Orchestra (Seat O118,
$41).
Program
Italian Girl in Algiers Overture by Rossini (1792-1868).
Rigoletto “Caro nome” by Verdi (1813-1901).
La traviata “E strano – Ah, for’e lui” by Verdi.
Chrysanthemums by Puccini (1858-1924).
La Sonnambula “Ah! Non credea mirarti” by Bellini
(1801-1835).
Linda di Chamounix “O luce di quest’anima” by Donizetti
(1797-1848).
Symphony No. 4 in A Major, Op. 90, “Italian” by
Mendelssohn (1809-1847).
The last time I went to an NJSO concert, I complained
about how expensive a ticket was. This
time they were offering 50% off tickets, so we decided to bite. We live only about 30 minutes from Red Bank,
so we left our house at 6:15 pm, thinking that would give us plenty of
time. Turns out it was very difficult to
find nearby parking. When we tried to
order sushi at the restaurant and expressed our desire for a quick meal, we
were advised to order meals from the kitchen instead of the bar. It was good advice, we had ten minutes to
spare.
I remember Count Basie Theatre as a run-down place
greatly in need of an overhaul. The
revival of Red Bank the last twenty or so years also extended to the
theatre. It is now a very nice looking
venue, ornately decorated inside. The
smallish venue made everything sounded great, and we had rather good seats in
the orchestra section.
The first half of the program consisted of pieces from
well-known Italian opera writers. I hadn’t
heard the Puccini and the Donizetti pieces before, but the other pieces were
pretty standard.
The soprano Mongiardo did a superb job. Her voice had a very pleasant quality, and
carried very well. There were some very
high notes (e.g., in La traviata) that she reached without difficulty. A couple of minor misgivings: there were not
that many soft passages, and she had a bit of trouble with the trills. Also, the voice comes in before the orchestra
in “E Strano,” and I am not sure she hit the notes correctly. Nowadays I don’t trust my ears as much as I
did, though.
The Symphony by Mendelssohn was familiar, especially the
slow movement whose tune is used in a well-known hymn. The four movements are Allegro vivace,
Andante con moto, Con moto moderato, and Saltarello: Presto. The orchestra did surprising well. I was quite ready for it to mess up the
fourth movement, and was glad that they proved me wrong.
The young Brazilian conductor explained to the audience a
little about the background to the Italian Symphony. I am not sure he added that much to the
Program Notes, though.
This was generally a program of popular music, and I
enjoyed it. At half price, the concert
was certainly worth it.
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