By Nancy Plum
New Jersey Symphony returned to Richardson Auditorium last weekend for its first Princeton event of 2026 with a program of music inspired by patriotism and national culture. Conducted by Symphony Music Director Xian Zhang, Friday night’s concert presented three works which well represented the national identities of their creators.
Throughout history, composers have used music to inspire pride and courage in their homelands in times of strife. The tone poem, Finlandia by Jean Sibelius, dates from the turn of the 20th century, when Finland had been under Russian rule for more than half a century. A recognizably Finnish piece through its tunefulness and orchestration, Finlandia was a call for an assertion of national identity and was, as Sibelius wrote, “the song of our battle, our hymn of victory.”
Zhang and the New Jersey Symphony opened Finlandia authoritatively, with low brass chords announcing something ominous in the air. Crisp winds contrasted this texture, and one could almost hear the cracking of winter ice in the decisiveness of the sound. Very present timpani and authoritative trumpets marked this tone poem as a declaration of defiance. Zhang built tension well, always giving phrases direction. A hymn tune elegantly introduced by the winds was reverent in the hands of the strings, leading to a triumphant close to Sibelius’ musical statement of independent spirit.
American Samuel Barber wrote his sole violin concerto at a time when the repertoire was dominated by 19th-century compositions. Both Barber and the 1939 Violin Concerto have strong roots in Pennsylvania, with the work commissioned from a Philadelphia philanthropist. Joining New Jersey Symphony for Barber’s Concerto was violinist Randall Goosby, a young, unassuming yet mesmerizing performer who has been a longtime friend to the Symphony. Goosby has described his career as “a way to inspire others,” and his command of Barber’s virtuosic writing was certainly inspiring to the listeners in Richardson Auditorium.
Barber departed from traditional concerto form by opening the first movement without the customary orchestral introduction to the solo line. Goosby’s sound, along with the other strings, was fresh and open, complemented by a pair of horns and pizzicato celli. Goosby showed himself to be a reflective player and seemed to absorb the music from the accompanying instruments when not playing. He nevertheless had no trouble maintaining full control over quick passages when the Concerto became intense very quickly.
Horns played a significant role, often paired with the solo violin and featuring principal hornist Chris Komer’s expressive playing. Goosby took particular time with the solo violin passages of the middle “Andante,” and deftly switched gears for the non-stop technical demands of the closing “Presto.” In a movement containing great activity for both soloist and ensemble, conductor Zhang drew out drama and a bit of playfulness in uniting the swirling solo and complex accompaniment to close the Violin Concerto with joy.
New Jersey Symphony ended Friday night’s program with a 19th-century work popular in its time and also rooted in a national musical tradition. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 2 in C Minor was nicknamed the “Ukrainian” symphony for its use of folk tunes from that region, and the piece was well received among Russian people. Throughout the four-movement Symphony, Tchaikovsky’s imaginative use of a single tune pulls the music back to its Russian origins, with rhythmic drive providing a strong sense of Romanticism.
Principal horn Komer began the first movement with an extended solo melody based on the folksong “Down by Mother Volga.” This melody made its way through the orchestra as the Symphony musicians smoothly moved through the opening “Allegro.” The second movement proved to be a quirky march, with music from a Tchaikovsky opera which he himself destroyed. Zhang kept the texture light as shades of the later “Nutcracker” ballet cold be heard in the inventive wind writing.
Winds continued to be key as pairs of clarinets, bassoons, and oboes, together with a trio of flutes and piccolo, added charm to the rich string sound. The brass sections compellingly created a majestic atmosphere in the “Finale,” with well-executed syncopation and a simple but complexly-orchestrated five-note motive evolved into a majestic conclusion.
New Jersey Symphony will present its next Princeton performance on Friday, March 13 at 7:30 p.m. in Richardson Auditorium. Conducted by Ruth Reinhardt and featuring pianist Eva Gevorgyan, this concert will include music of Bartók and Chopin. Ticket information can be obtained by visiting njsymphony.org.