Critiques

Too many middling performances can turn a frequent concertgoer off a classical warhorse, leaving one to wonder why all the time and talent are accorded pieces that had their day long ago. But go to enough concerts with open ears, and there might be one that changes your mind.

Friday’s performance of Carl Orff’s 1930s dramatic cantata “Carmina Burana” at NJPAC in Newark was such a revelatory event.

Thanks to an inspired team—the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Montclair State University Chorale, Moscow Conservatory Chorus and an excellent trio of vocal soloists—this neo-primitive celebration of spring fever that has so often seemed kitschy was entertaining, even touching.

Guest conductor Jacques Lacombe, a 45-year-old French Canadian, galvanized the 266 performers for a communal experience. “Carmina Burana” can seem longer than its usual hour, but Lacombe’s dynamic subtlety and zest made it fly by. He is a musician’s conductor, the rapport he achieved in rehearsal coming through on stage; blessed with a rare memory, he worked without a score, maximizing his eye contact with the orchestra and chorus, the intimacy aurally apparent.