By Shivani Srivastava
Staff Writer
For their first concert of the spring semester, the TCNJ Orchestra performed “From Broadway to Tchaikovsky - the Lighter Side of Serious Music'' on Friday, March 4 in the Mildred & Ernest E. Mayo Concert Hall. The orchestra was conducted by Professor Uli Speth.
After a series of applause for the musicians and conductor, the audience fell silent as the orchestra readied their bows for the first note. The concert opened with “March in C Major,” composed by Shirish Jawadiwar, a senior music major who played the bass. Inspired by Mozart and Sousa, the composition came to life, uplifting the audience with its joyous theme.
“I really enjoyed the first song. It was very light and fun, and it was even more impressive knowing a student composed it,” said Emelyne Johns, a sophomore marketing major.
At the conclusion of the piece, Jawadiwar walked to the front of the stage to address the audience.
“I wanted to create something a little bit lighter, something I would enjoy writing and playing,” said Jawadiwar.
The next piece was “An der schönen, blauen Donau” by Johann Strauss II. The orchestra performed this composition with significant control to perfect the short, upbeat sounds of the waltz. Following this, the musicians played the second movement “Symphony No. 4 in F Minor, op. 36” by Peter Ilych Tchaikovsky.
The next two music selections were “The King and I” by Richard Rogers, arranged by Robert Russell Bennett and “Sleigh Ride” by Leroy Anderson. The latter brought the audience back to Christmas and snow, a much needed comfort.
The orchestra concluded the concert with the third and fourth movements of “Symphony No. 4 in F Minor, op. 36” by Peter Ilych Tchaikovsky.
“I loved ‘Sleigh Ride’ because it was so much fun and really brought me back to winter break, with the holiday spirit and happiness. I also really liked the last movement of ‘Symphony No. 4’ because it was very fast-paced, and it was very evident the work put in to make that piece a success,” said freshman biology major Neha Sarabu.
Throughout the concert, the orchestra demonstrated outstanding control of volume and pace, and left the audience with an experience to remember. The hardwork and dedication of the entire orchestra were apparent given their delivery during the concert and positive reactions from the audience. The concert ended with a standing ovation as the musicians and conductor bowed in appreciation.
The TCNJ Orchestra is scheduled to perform their next concert on April 28.
