the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ , From Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet to an uplifting medley of Beatles songs, the Ridgewood Symphony Orchestra (RSO) will present an evening of love songs on Friday March 8 at 8:00 p.m., at the West Side Presbyterian Church in Ridgewood. Featuring romantic favorites spanning two centuries, the theme of the concert is “All You Need is Love.” The concert features guest soloist Lindsay Deutsch, an American violinist who recently toured as solo violinist with Yanni, and has thrilled audiences world-wide with her brilliant display of technique and musicianship. The program will present the NJ premiere of Beatles Fantasy, an arrangement of Beatles songs taking the listener on a journey spanning the Beatles’ music throughout the group’s career. Popular Beatles’ tunes will be unmistakable yet original when the orchestra and violin soloist Lindsay Deutsch perform the concerto in three movements led by Artistic Director and Conductor Stephen Culbertson.
Opening the concert will be the ever popular Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture, a symphonic poem in sonata form with three main sections. Transforming a tragic love story into a music story, Tchaikovsky successfully captures the tension, drama, and intense love with notes and instruments. The program also features the romantic legend of another couple, Tristan & Isolde. The passionate prelude from Richard Wager’s romantic opera Tristan & Isolde is based on the tragic tale of two lovers fated to share a forbidden but undying love. The never resolving harmonies of the prelude express the insatiable longing, rapture and misery of love. In a long, slow crescendo the tension builds to a tremendous climax and then slowly subsides.
George Gershwin is hailed as the finest songwriter of the first half of the last century; with the Beatles undoubtedly touted as the finest in the second half. Gershwin’s hit musical Girl Crazy featured Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller in the orchestra and Ginger Rogers and Ethel Merman on stage. The RSO revives the sparkling overture of the musical, which contains some of the show’s most memorable tunes: I Got Rhythm, Embraceable You, Mexican Dance, But Not for Me, and Bronco Busters. True to its slogan “Great Music Close to Home,” the Ridgewood Symphony Orchestra presents exceptional, professional-level music and provides a platform for developing local and international talent under the direction of world-class artistic leadership. It is committed to enriching the lives of future musical performers and listeners through educational outreach programs, scholarships, Festival Strings Youth Orchestra, composer competitions and special treatment for patrons from senior living communities. Artistic Director and Conductor Stephen Culbertson has conducted orchestras, opera productions, and ballet companies in Europe and the U.S. and is recognized by performers and concert goers for his inspirational and creative approach to making music fresh and exciting.
The performance will be held at the majestic, state-of-the-art concert hall of the West Side Presbyterian Church, located at 6 Monroe Street in Ridgewood. It is handicap accessible with ample parking. For more information or to purchase subscriptions and advance tickets, please visit https://www.ridgewoodsymphony.org or call the RSO office at 201-612-0118. About The Ridgewood Symphony Orchestra The Ridgewood Symphony Orchestra has been bringing classical music to the community since 1939. It is one of the largest community orchestras in the United States and one of Northern New Jersey’s premier cultural institutions. The intergenerational orchestra, composed of talented volunteer musicians, serves the surrounding communities with many musical and educational activities, including the Festival Strings Youth Orchestra, which provides a unique opportunity for young string players to benefit from the experience of playing in an orchestral setting. For further information please visit: https://www.ridgewoodsymphony.org.