JOSEPH ROUTON
Princeton University Organist Eric Plutz.
I realize that the 350 Jersey Songs series has been dominated by pop and rock songs, but, really, any type of music can qualify, as long as it has some connection to New Jersey, or is being performed at a New Jersey venue. Today, we turn to Soviet composer Aram Khachaturian’s “Sabre Dance,” from his 1942 ballet, “Gayane,” as gloriously played by Eric Plutz, solo, on the Princeton University Chapel’s organ.
Of course, “Sabre Dance” has a place in popular culture, as its frantic quality has made it a favorite of film and TV music supervisors: It’s been in everything from “The Twilight Zone” and “The Hudsucker Proxy” to “The Big Bang Theory.” Dave Edmunds’ 1960s band, Love Sculpture, recorded a great version of it as well.
Plutz is the University Organist at Princeton University, and recorded this version of “Sabre Dance” for his 2008 CD, Carnival.
New Jersey celebrated its 350th birthday from Sept. 2014 to Sept. 2015. And in the 350 Jersey Songs series, we marked the occasion by posting 350 songs — one a day, for almost a year — that have something to do with the state, its musical history, or both. The complete list is here.
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