“You see, we can’t always name the things we feel…and that’s where music is so marvelous, because music names them for us, only in notes instead of in words.”
- Leonard Bernstein. Young People's Concerts Carnegie Hall 1958
Click to listen to Crescendo
To mark the 75th anniversary of the NZSO, 10 New Zealanders have been asked to choose a classical piece that sparks an emotional connection and been paired with 10 musicians from the Symphony Orchestra who have their own intimate understanding of how the music works.
From Beethoven to Berlioz, Split Enz to Stravinsky, the music crosses centuries and the choices are revelatory.
Photo: Roy Cox Photography / New Zealand Rugby
In our first episode, Dame Pasty Reddy talks about the enduring power of Beethoven's Symphony #9 and NZSO conductor Gemma New explains why the symphony packs such an unforgettable emotional punch.
For Dame Patsy, it's the confidence of the composition that makes the work special.
"The thing about Beethoven that I love, for people like me who love listening to music but are not musicians, [is] I feel like I know where every note is going."
Conducting Symphony #9 has been a career highlight for Gemma New.
"It relates to all of us on the entire planet," says New. "It was written 200 years ago, yet it feels so relevant to life today... When I'm conducting it, there's a lot to think about. But the journey of it is so perfectly made."
NZSO conductor Gemma New. Photo: Latitude Creative
Click to listen to Crescendo
It's also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Google Podcasts or any good podcast app.
Crescendo is voiced by RNZ Concert’s Clarissa Dunn with sound mix by Marc Chesterman. It was written and produced by Noelle McCarthy from an original concept by Bird of Paradise.
Photo: Bird Of Paradise Productions