Symphony No. 4, 'Italian' New York Performances

Felix Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 4, nicknamed the “Italian,” grows out of the composer’s travels, translating impressions of sunlit streets and religious processions into early-Romantic orchestral writing. It entered New York’s musical life in the 19th century as part of the city’s push to build a European symphonic repertory, and it has remained a staple ever since. At NJPAC, violinist-conductor Joshua Bell leads the New Jersey Symphony in a reading that draws on his dual experience at the front of the stage and on the podium. One clear strength of the score is how its final movement turns dance rhythms into propulsion rather than decoration.