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Beethoven and Marsalis Philadelphia
Marian Anderson Hall, Kimmel Center
05/28/2026 - & May 30, 31*, 2026
Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 in A major, op. 92
Carlos Henriquez: La Cumbia de Paz
Nduduzo Makhathini: Unembeza (arr. Marcus Printup)
Elliot Mason: Origin
Wynton Marsalis: Symphony No. 4 “The Jungle”: Movements I, V & VI
Wynton Marsalis & Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Marin Alsop (principal guest conductor)
M. Alsop, W. Marsalis (© Jeff Fusco)
Life may get complicated, like a big old wrinkled sheet, pulled in all directions, wadded up and tossed into a corner. But music is the iron that comes along, steams out the lumps, and smooths all the edges. Pretty soon, it holds place of pride in the linen closet, smelling of rosemary and promising sweet dreams.
That’s how I felt about this weekend’s Philadelphia Orchestra concert featuring the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Programs were printed, soloist selected, everything was set for the world premiere of Wynton Marsalis’s Symphony No. 5 with Marin Alsop conducting. Only it wasn’t. For reasons unknown, the world premiere was pulled and replaced by three movements of the jazz great’s Symphony No. 4 “The Jungle”.
Backstage, there must have been more than a few flutters of panic, but the two orchestras and their leaders turned potential chaos into cultural gold. All this occurred over a few weeks, giving the musicians a short but much appreciated cesura in which to reboot for the three iterations of the program this past weekend. This was one of the best examples of the triumph of “go with the flow” that I’ve seen in a classical music setting. Jazz is cool, and cool saved the day as the musicians smiled and dug into the scores before them with grit and gusto.
Here’s how the revised program played out. Following a warm, comforting reading of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 comprising the first half of the program, Jazz at Lincoln Center took center stage. Three charming jazz originals opened the session, including a melodic reverie, La Cumbia de Paz, composed by Lincoln Center bassist Carlos Henriquez. They were followed by three movements from Marsalis’s Symphony No. 4.
Titled The Jungle, the work creates the pounding energy and suave sophistication of New York City with jazz tropes both familiar and new. But it may also depict the entanglements of the modern mind. The Philadelphia Orchestra joined and intermingled with the jazz musicians on stage for all three movements (I, V, VI). The result was a smart conglomeration of musical styles and forces. For the third of these movements, titled, “Struggle in the Digital Market”, I imagined Mondrian’s Broadway Boogie Woogie coming to life, with the honking, screeching, and squealing sounds of New York City streets echoing the roar of lions and shrieking bonobos from an earlier age. It was inventive and thrilling, but also extremely loud. Is a trigger warning advisable here? My ears are still ringing a day later. But it was worth every decibel.
The first half of the program was dominated by a spirited performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7. Alsop captured every driving beat, those racy discords grinding against each other, resolved for a second, then clamoring back again. Ah, that beautiful second movement, which some listeners diminish by calling it a funeral march. Come on.
What would I have changed? Should there have been grace notes a minute from the end of the second movement? I missed them. And the repeated blare of the trumpets in movement four irritated rather than edified. But these are mere details. Alsop brought a breathless energy to this familiar but always welcome musical feast. Perhaps I would have liked a little more frenzy but that is like sugar cubes at a tea party. If we don’t have enough, we can use our imagination to make up the difference.
Linda Holt
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