The New York Philharmonic with Music Director Alan Gilbert debuted at Disney Hall on May 9, 2012. / Photo courtesy of LA Phil

Shocking as it may seem, although many of the world’s great orchestras have visited Walt Disney Concert Hall in the almost nine years since it officially opened, the New York Philharmonic hasn’t been one of them. That is, until May 9 when they came to town led by their fairly recently appointed music director, Alan Gilbert. (Gilbert and Gustavo Dudamel became directors of their respective orchestras at about the same time in 2009. The scuttle was that the NY Phil was also interested in Dudamel before LA Philharmonic Association President Deborah Borda scooped him up.) There was eager anticipation in the air not only about the NY Phil, but also about Gilbert. Conscious or not, on this evening Angelenos wanted to compare their young music director with ours (who sat in the audience for the first half of the concert).

The program consisted of three works, including the Carnival Overture by Dvorák; the West Coast premiere of the Piano Concerto No. 2 by Finnish composer and NY Phil Composer in Residence Magnus Lindberg, with soloist and frequent Disney Hall guest Yefim Bronfman; and the Symphony No. 4 in F minor by Tchaikovsky.

The concert opened with the Carnival Overture, which has been performed twice in Disney Hall this season (The other time was by Neeme Järvi and the LA Phil). Gilbert’s interpretation was interesting in that he seemed to downplay the horns, trumpets, and trombones in favor of a stronger string presence in this otherwise brassy showpiece. In fact, at times I had to strain to hear the trumpets and trombones, especially in the last section where they are usually more present. Gilbert also played with the tempo, dramatically slowing it down in the Andantino con moto section, with very nice solo playing by the principal flutist Robert Langevin, principal English horn player Philip Myers, and Concertmaster Glenn Dicterow, and then speeding it up more than is marked in the score in the coda. Although there were moments of brilliance, the overall effect was less than what one would expect from such a rousing concert overture.

It is difficult to comment on a newly composed piece, especially a piano concerto which, as Lindberg himself has observed “is one of those genres that has such a load of history.” Indeed. One thinks immediately of the piano concertos of Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev and Shostakovich. Lindberg’s second concerto certainly matches many of those in its length, orchestration, and demands on the soloist, which are nothing short of Herculean. However, as a traditional listener, I looked, mostly in vain, for some melody or phrase to latch on to. There were certainly tonal motives that were repeated. And the concerto, while structurally modern, does contain recognizable tempos. After all is said and done, one probably has to listen to such a work several times before fully appreciating it, and that is unlikely to happen for most listeners.

What can be said, however, is that whether or not one understood or even liked the concerto, Bronfman’s performance was astounding. The power of Bronfman’s bear-like stature was transferred to his playing, especially in the frequent forte chords in the low registers. It was all the more impressive because Bronfman was sight-reading the piano part, having premiered it with the NY Phil only six days earlier.

Other than Bronfman’s playing, the highlight of the evening was the Tchaikovsky. This, I think, is what the audience expected and what they got: a sensitive but, at the same time, riveting performance of this warhorse symphony.

Tchaikovsky dedicated the symphony A mon meilleur ami (To my best friend), referring, of course, to his patron, Nadezhda von Meck, whom he never met. As Tchaikovsky noted, the symphony centers around the first movement, which he described as “the best movement” and the one which introduces “the seed of the whole symphony”: Fate.

Gilbert and his band gave the Disney Hall audience a rendition that would be difficult to match. He crafted the first movement expertly, masterfully contrasting the powerful fateful theme at the beginning with the more delicate sections, which he caressed with loving care, bringing the movement to a rousing conclusion. The other three, shorter movements were also gems each in their own right. Again, Gilbert took some liberties with the tempos, but it worked marvelously. And, unlike in the Dvorák, the brass were bold and loud just as Tchaikovsky intended.

After several curtain calls, Gilbert reappeared and launched into an encore version of the Corsair Overture by Berlioz, played livelier than usual, but intended to capitalize on the audience’s already-giddy mood.

The verdict based on this performance is that Gilbert has taken the oldest orchestra in the country, and one of the only orchestras with many first chairs with international name recognition, and made it sound young and vibrant.

If any of the concertgoers in the audience thought that New Yorkers got the short end of the stick by not landing Dudamel and settling for Gilbert, the performance last night demonstrated that both the LA Phil and the NY Phil hit the jackpot with their respective young conductors.

—Henry Schlinger, Culture Spot LA

Sir Simon Rattle / Photo courtesy of LA Phil

Sir Simon Rattle returned to Los Angeles this past weekend to conduct the LA Philharmonic in an ambitious program including Atmosphères by György Ligeti, the Prelude to Act I of Lohengrin by Wagner, the Rückert-Lieder by Mahler featuring mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kozená, and the Symphony No. 9 in D minor by Bruckner.

Rattle, who was last in LA in 2009 with his house band, the Berlin Philharmonic, began the program on Saturday, May 5, with the Ligeti, in which the composer replaces traditional musical form with tone clusters where several consecutive notes on a scale are played simultaneously. As has been noted many times, the piece was used by Stanley Kubrick for the monolith and the deep space scenes in his movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. Despite the absence of harmony or melody in the piece, the LA Phil’s performance was spellbinding.

Rattle then transitioned into the Wagner without interruption (interestingly, Vladimir Jurowski had done something similar in a 2008 concert with the London Philharmonic transitioning from Atmosphères to Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring), which proved to be very effective not only because it prevented the audience from applauding, but also because the waning sounds of the high violins in the Ligeti were not unlike the opening notes played by the violins in the Wagner, giving the impression that the two pieces were two parts of a whole. Rattle and the LA Phil offered a luscious, but controlled rendition of the Lohengrin Prelude which slowly moves, over its eight-minute length, from the quietest of strings to a cymbal-crashing crescendo with the entire orchestra before fading back to end, as it began, with the violins playing in the high registers.

With the almost one-hour Bruckner ninth symphony on the second half of the program, the Ligeti and Wagner would have been sufficient musical fare for a first half. But Rattle wasn’t through just yet. He then brought out mezzo-soprano (and his wife) Kozená for a performance of the Rückert-Lieder. These brief songs, sparsely orchestrated by Mahler and intimately rendered by Rattle, were sung brilliantly and with just the right emotion by Kozená. Her voice blended seamlessly with the orchestra, and Rattle made sure her singing could be heard at all times.

Rattle concluded the concert with a moving performance of Bruckner’s last, and unfinished, symphony. Interestingly, throughout most of the piece, Rattle focused his attention on the string sections, instead of cueing the many woodwind and horn entrances. The result was a performance with an increased sense of despair and urgency.

Bruckner’s strong religious conviction can be gleaned from several of his symphonies, but none more so than the ninth, which was dedicated to “dem leiben Gott” (“to the beloved God”). Perhaps it was because he knew he was dying and might not get to finish it — hence, his comment about the third movement being his “farewell to life,” and the markings of Feierlich (solemn) in the first and third movements. As Richard Lehnert recently wrote on Stereophile.com in contemplating the addition of Bruckner’s extensive sketches of a fourth movement, “What earthly music could possibly follow such an embodiment in sound of pain and suffering, followed by hard-won peace fading out at the last into barely audible acceptance?”

Indeed, one could ask this question following the ravishing performance on Saturday night by Rattle and the LA Phil. In fact, even applause following the last sustained notes in the horns seemed sacrilegious.

Rattle had the LA Phil playing at their very best on Saturday night, and the orchestra acknowledged their appreciation when they stomped their feet during his final curtain call.

In this video, hear Sir Simon Rattle talk about the “new” fourth movement of Bruckner’s ninth symphony, his recording of which is slated to be available later this month:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9Jlgh_gpSs&feature=player_embedded

Neeme Järvi and Ralph Kirshbaum / Photo courtesy of LA Phil

On March 15, Estonian conductor Neeme Järvi conducted the first in a series of concerts as part of the Piatigorsky International Cello Festival featuring the Cello Concerto in B minor by Dvorák with soloist Ralph Kirshbaum and the Symphony No. 5 in D minor by Shostakovich. Also on the program was the Carnival Overture by Dvorák.

Maestro Järvi repeats the concerts at Walt Disney Concert Hall on Saturday, March 17, and Sunday, March 18, with different works for the cello: the Cello Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major by Shostakovich with Mischa Maisky (on Saturday at 8 p.m.) and the Variations on a Rococo Theme by Tchaikovsky with Alisa Weilerstein (on Sunday at 2 p.m.).

The inaugural Piatigorsky International Cello Festival was organized by the USC Thornton School of Music and the LA Phil in partnership with The Colburn School and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. The finale on Sunday, March 18, at 7:30 p.m. will feature more than 100 cellists onstage at Disney Hall for the West Coast premiere of Rapturedux by Christopher Rouse.

The concert on March 15 opened with the Carnival Overture, one of three overtures Dvorák wrote in honor of his homeland. (The other two are In Nature’s Realm and Othello.) The overture is a brilliant 10-minute orchestral showpiece and is difficult not to be a crowd pleaser.

Järvi conducted it briskly, but without much feeling. And he used a score, which is puzzling considering he’s recorded the piece and probably performed it more than a few times in his long and illustrious career. Because the piece is so short, his frequent and sometimes furious page turning was a distraction. Kudos to Principal Percussionist Raynor Caroll for some outstanding tambourine playing.

In the Dvorák Cello Concerto, Texas-born Kirshbaum showed why he is still one of the preeminent cellists, playing with strength but also sensitivity. Some cellists seem to labor playing the piece; for Kirshbaum, the cello seemed to be an extension of his voice. He obviously knew the piece well, playing most of it without looking at the fretboard.

But the orchestral accompaniment was off and on. The first movement seemed choppy, and Maestro Järvi seemed to have difficulty finding the right balance between the orchestra and the cello. For example, the woodwinds were frequently too loud and yanked one’s attention from the cello. Admittedly, the acoustics in Disney Hall make it a tough nut to crack in this regard. Also, unless one is sitting in the front orchestral section, there are times when it is simply impossible to hear the soloist.

The second movement was better, perhaps because the orchestral accompaniment during the cello part was quieter and more sustained. And in the third movement, Järvi began to find his footing in the Hall and he smoothed out some of the rough edges heard in the first movement.

The second half of the program, though, was quite different than the first half. One reason might have been that most of the principals who did not play in the first half were onstage. But Järvi himself seemed to be more at home with the Shostakovich. It was really a moving performance of a wonderful concert piece.

All four movements have different tempos and feelings, yet each is connected both musically and in terms of instrumentation. The moods range from serious (in the first movement) to one of anxious jocularity (in the Allegreto), to solemn (in the third movement) and, finally, to march-like and glorious (in the Finale). But transcending the different terrains of these movements is Shostakovich’s use of certain instruments, including the xylophone (played expertly again by Caroll), harp and celesta.

At times, Järvi let the orchestra play without much direction, and at other times he used his hands not so much to provide the tempo, which he did more in the Cello Concerto, but to give nuance to the sound. Even though he also used a score in the Shostakovich, one hardly noticed because Järvi was as moved by the music and the LA Phil’s performance as the audience.

Gustavo Dudamel

On Thursday night, Gustavo Dudamel continued his Mahler marathon by conducting his hometown band, the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela (SBSOV) (formerly the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra), in a rousing, impassioned performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 in C sharp minor at Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Mahler began writing the first two movements of his fifth symphony (which he designated in the score as Part I) in 1901 after he almost died from an illness, but then completed the work the following year when he was fully recovered. And without knowing the details, one can tell which movements were written when. In the first movement, marked Trauermarsch (Funeral march), whether unconsciously or consciously, Mahler uses the same four-note motif used by Beethoven in the second movement (Marcia funebre) of his Symphony No. 3, and also in the opening movement of his fifth symphony. The theme is first presented by the solo trumpet and was played with power and precision by principal trumpeter Tomás Medina. After an emotional rollercoaster ride (which pretty much can be said about the entire symphony), the movement ends with an increasingly softer roll on the bass drum punctuated at the end by pizzicato violas, cellos and basses.

Mahler designated the second movement (also Part I), which Dudamel appropriately played without interruption, as Stürmisch bewegt, mit größter vehemenz (Moving stormily, with the greatest vehemence), in which one can also hear the same four-note motif although less conspicuously. If the first movement reflects Mahler’s resignation, the second reflects his anger. However, like the first movement, the second ends with a whimper with quiet glissandos in the violas, cellos and bases followed by two final pizzicato eighth notes and one final pianissimo eighth note by the timpani.

Things change with the third movement (Scherzo), marked Kräftig, nicht zu schnell (strongly, not too fast), which alone constitutes Part II. Not only does the key change from C^# minor (in the first movement) and A minor (in the second movement) to D major, but the mood is joyous and dancelike. However, echoes of foreboding reappear, reminding us of the tragic, stormy first two movements, with markings of Sehr wild (very wild). There was also some first-rate playing by principal horn player Daniel Graterol leading up to the conclusion of the movement, which resembles that of Mahler’s first symphony.

Mahler wrote the famous fourth movement, Adagietto (Part III), also in a major key (F major) for strings and harp; and the strings of the SBSOV, sounding like more mature musicians, played it with the intense feeling that Mahler obviously felt and wanted to convey. The strings-only movement was a stark contrast to the previous brass, woodwind and percussion-heavy first three movements, and Dudamel was able to stretch out the last note, as Mahler wrote it, diminishing from quiet to very quiet followed by a pause that Dudamel kept (with the audience breathless) by very slowly lowering his arms.

The last movement, Rondo-Finale: Allegreo giocoso, in D major, begins with the single E played by the horn, answered by a low A in the violins and then the horn, and answered this time by the bassoon and then the oboe and clarinet, all of which play back and forth until the horn leads into the entire orchestra joining in what can be best described as a bucolic and joyful melody. The horn part was played with sensitivity but confidence by the second principal horn, Rafael Payare. The movement rushes to a joyous climactic ending, again resembling the conclusion of Mahler first symphony, and making the listener almost forget the intense woefulness of the first two movements.

The individual musicianship of the SBSOV is obviously not of the same caliber as, say, the LA Phil, although there are some definite standouts. But what they lack in their playing, which is admittedly not that much, they more than make up for in their passion for the music and their obvious love and respect for Dudamel, which they showed by stomping their feet during the curtain calls and then refusing to stand when he asked them to. These young musicians, many of whom were born poor and with little to no music in their lives before becoming a part of Fundación Musical (the Venezuelan orchestral academic program), now find themselves playing on the great concert stages of the world for enthusiastically appreciative audiences. They take nothing for granted and, on Thursday night, left it all on the stage, putting not only their hearts and souls into it, but their bodies as well. Each section swayed together with the music; the total effect was a sea of movement. It was a performance from the gut as well as the head, and with a smiling and ecstatic Dudamel, they offered a performance of the 75-minute Mahler that flew by and brought the audience to their feet screaming.

It must be said that if it weren’t for his unabashed modesty and humbleness, Dudamel might be considered to be superhuman. He is conducting all the Mahler symphonies, plus some other works by the composer, all from memory and in less than a month. That’s no small accomplishment. There are many, more seasoned conductors, who haven’t even memorized one of Mahler’s symphonies. And one can tell that Dudamel has learned every part; he cues most of the accents in the music. Finally, one can tell how much he loves this music — indeed, all music he conducts — and it’s also apparent that the SBSOV would do anything for him; and they did on Thursday night, leaving the audience in a state of frenzy. All one can say is “Wow,” and hooray for the Fundación Musical!

— Henry Schlinger, Culture Spot LA

See the full Mahler Project schedule here: http://www.laphil.com/tickets/mahler/index.cfm.

Immerse yourself in full concert performances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, led by dynamic Music Director Gustavo Dudamel, live from both Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and this season, Dudamel’s home turf of Caracas, Venezuela, with LA Phil LIVE at movie theaters. Learn more at: http://www.laphil.com/laphillive/.

Miguel Harth-Bedoya and Jean-Yves Thibaudet / Photo courtesy of LA Phil

The relatively young (he’s 43) Peruvian conductor of the Ft. Worth Symphony Orchestra, Miguel Harth-Bedoya, returned to LA (where he was assistant and then associate conductor from 1998-2004) on Saturday, Jan. 7, to conduct an LA Phil, without many of its principals, in three works, the Hussite Overture by Dvorák, the Piano Concerto No. 2 in A major by Lizst (commemorating the composer’s 200^th birthday) with Jean-Yves Thibaudet as soloist, and the Symphony No. 3 in C minor (“Organ”) by Saint-Saëns.

On the surface, the three works selected by Harth-Bedoya don’t seem to have much in common except that they were all composed within a 20-year period toward the end of the 19^th century and each in its own way represents the pinnacle of the Romantic period. However, whether it was his intent or not, these particular works share some subtler commonalities. First, each consists of numerous fluctuations in tempo, which Harth-Bedoya wasn’t shy about exposing. And second, each juxtaposes moments of quiet tenderness with moments of fierce energy.

The program began with Dvorák’s Hussite Overture, one of his early pieces in this genre and one of the most interesting, though not as refined as some of the later overtures. We should thank Harth-Bedoya for introducing us to such an interesting piece, which is pure Dvorák with all of its Czech melodies and rhythms. Dvorák’s Carnival Overture is frequently played, as it will be this season, but Dvorák wrote many exquisite overtures that deserve to be heard in the concert hall more often.

Reminding one a little of our own young South American conductor (although I prefer Gustavo Dudamel’s movements), Harth-Bedoya conducted the Dvorák and the Saint-Saëns scoreless and all three pieces with an energy and zeal that made the audience want to go along for the ride, and a wild ride it was.

The French piano virtuoso Jean-Yves Thibaudet didn’t do anything to slow things down in the Lizst, his fingers dancing across the keyboard and appearing to barely touch it. Both conductor and soloist were in the same groove and gave a wonderful performance of a piece that, because of its fluctuating rhythms and dynamics presented in one continuous movement, seems disjointed at times. And principal cellist for the night, Ben Hong, produced a beautifully rich sound in his solo with Thibaudet.

The Saint-Saëns is a piece that needs to be heard in Disney Hall with its magnificent organ. And Harth-Bedoya milked it for all it is worth — and it is worth a lot. Even though the organ part is not particularly demanding, Saint-Saëns, an organist himself, perfectly incorporated it into the fabric of the symphonic form. Principal keyboardist, Joanne Pearce Martin, was flawless in her playing, and Harth-Bedoya had her play it loudly so that it shook the rafters of Disney Hall.

Harth-Bedoya is also like Dudamel in his humbleness. He never ascended the podium to take his bows. Rather, he stood with and applauded the well-deserving orchestra. And, like Dudamel, he let Jean-Yves Thibaudet take the spotlight after the Lizst, even though Harth-Bedoya provided excellent accompaniment.

The concert repeats Sunday, Jan. 8, at 2 p.m. For more information, go to www.laphil.com.

Gustavo Dudamel

As you may know, the LA Phil’s music director, Gustavo Dudamel, is performing all of the symphonies of Gustav Mahler in The Mahler Project between Jan. 13 and Feb. 5. With a few exceptions (e.g., Europa Galante performing on Wednesday, Jan. 25; Joshua Bell in recital on Tuesday, Feb. 7; and Leif Ove Andsnes in recital on Wednesday, Feb. 8), for almost one month, Disney Hall will only hear the sounds of Mahler. In this Herculean undertaking, Dudamel will conduct both the LA Phil and his hometown orchestra, the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela, in both LA and Caracas.

The project begins on Friday, Jan. 13, with three concerts featuring Mahler’s pastoral Symphony No. 4. Also on the program is Mahler’s “Songs of a Wayfarer” with baritone Thomas Hampson.

The Project continues on Thursday, Jan. 19, for three concerts featuring the Symphony No. 1 in D major (“Titan”) and the Adagio from Mahler’s unfinished Symphony No. 10.

On Sunday, Jan. 22, Dudamel will lead the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra in the Mahler Symphony No. 2 (“Resurrection”), and then on Tuesday, Jan. 24, he will conduct the same orchestra in the Symphony No. 3.

On Thursday, Jan. 26, Dudamel with lead the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra in a performance of the Symphony No. 5 followed on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 28 and 29, by a performance of the Symphony No. 6, this time with the LA Phil.

Dudamel then switches back to the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra for a performance of the Symphony No. 7 on Tuesday, Jan. 31, and then finishes out the project with performances of the Symphony No. 9 on Thursday and Friday, Feb. 2 and 3, and Sunday, Feb. 5, and of the Symphony No. 8 (“Symphony of a Thousand”) on Saturday, Feb. 4, featuring both symphony orchestras.

Following the Mahler extravaganza, Dudamel takes a break, at least from LA, and the LA Phil finishes out February beginning on Thursday, Feb. 23, with three concerts featuring guest conductor Charles Dutoit leading the LA Phil in works by Stravinsky (“Symphonies of Wind Instruments”), Debussy (“La Mer”), and Prokofiev (Suite from “Romeo and Juliet”).

March at Disney Hall comes in like a lion for three concerts beginning Friday, March 3, with guest conductor Pablo Heras-Casado leading the LA Phil in Richard Strauss’ Ein Heldenleben. Also on the program are Beethoven’s Egmont Overture and the West Coast premiere of the LA Phil-commissioned Violin Concerto by James Matheson featuring LA Phil Concertmaster Martin Chalifour as soloist.

Neeme Järvi and Ralph Kirshbaum

Three interesting concerts are scheduled on March 15, 17, and 18. As the LA Phil website states: “A large contingent of the world’s greatest cellists will converge at USC to celebrate the Gregor Piatigorsky International Cello Festival. As part of this celebration, the LA Phil will present several special events, including a weekend of concerts in which each performance will feature a different piece with a different cello soloist.”

The three concerts feature the Estonian conductor, Neeme Järvi, with three distinguished cellists – Ralph Kirshbaum, Mischa Maisky, and Alisa Wellerstein – performing three great works for the cello – the Cello Concerto by Dvorák, the Shostakovich Cello Concerto No. 1, and the Tchaikovsky Rococo Variations. Also on each of the programs is the Carnival Overture by Dvorák and the Symphony No. 5 by Shostakovich. The last concert on Sunday, March 18, at 2 p.m. will be followed that evening by a cello recital featuring these three cellists plus five more.

Beginning on Friday, March 23, the Finnish conductor Osmo Vänskä will lead the LA Phil in three concerts featuring works by Richard Strauss (Der Rosenkavelier Suite) and Sibelius (Symphony No. 6).

Andre Watts joins the LA Phil in the Grieg Piano Concerto in A minor in three concerts beginning on Friday, March 30. Also on the program are Bartók’s Miraculous Mandarin Suite, and Respighi’s “Three Botticelli Pictures” or “Botticelli Triptych.”

Beginning Thursday, April 5, LA Phil Creative Chair John Adams conducts three concerts of new music featuring performances of Arvo Pärt’s “Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten,” Adams’ own Violin Concerto, and the West Coast premiere of the LA Phil-co-commissioned Symphony No. 9 by Philip Glass.

Herbert Blomstedt returns to Disney Hall to conduct the LA Phil in three performances of Beethoven’s “Missa Solemnis” beginning on Friday, April 13. Then on Monday, April 16, and Wednesday, April 18, a series titled Sublime Schubert commences, featuring Christoph Eschenbach accompanying baritone Matthias Goerne in two recitals of Schubert song cycles, and then concludes on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for concerts with the LA Phil performing Schubert’s Symphony No. 9, “Great.”  Sandwiched in between is a performance on Tuesday, April 15, of the Schubert String Quartet in A minor and the famous Quintet by members of the LA Phil.

April concludes with a Spanish flare in three concerts beginning on Thursday, April 26, featuring guitarist Pepe Romero and conductor Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos in works of Turina (Danzas fantásticas), Rodrigo (Concierto de Aranjuez), and Brahms (Symphony No. 2).

May starts off heavy on the third with four concerts featuring Sir Simon Rattle conducting the LA Phil in Bruckner’s Symphony No. 9. Also on the program are György Ligeti’s Atmosphères, Wagner’s Prelude to Act I of Lohengrin, and Mahler’s Rückert-Lieder.

The second major American orchestra to visit Disney Hall this season (the first was the Boston Symphony; see our review) is the New York Philharmonic who, under the direction of their recently appointed music director, Alan Gilbert, will perform a concert on Wednesday, May 9, featuring the Carnival Overture by Dvorák, the West Coast premiere of the Piano Concerto No. 3 by Magnus Lindberg, and the Fourth Symphony by Tchaikovsky.

After a long and much deserved hiatus from his Mahler Project (although he was surely not sitting idly), Gustavo Dudamel returns on Thursday, May 10, for two concerts featuring mostly Scandinavian music, including Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 and the Symphony No. 5 by Sibelius.

Gustavo Dudamel and Mariusz Kwiecien

And then the very next day, Dudamel takes on the task of conducting three concert performances of Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” with baritone Mariusz Kwiecien. This is the first installment of the Mozart/da Ponte Trilogy, which Dudamel and the LA Phil will present over the next three years.

And, for lovers of Mozart’s chamber music, sandwiched in between two performances of “Don Giovanni” on Tuesday, May 22, is a performance by members of the LA Phil of Mozart’s Piano Quartet in G minor and two string quartets, in C major, K 465, and in D minor, K 421.

And without taking a breath, Dudamel squeezes in two more concerts on Thursday, May 25, and Sunday, May 27, of the Symphony No. 5 by Sibelius. On the program this time is Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto.

The 2011-2012 season concludes with four concerts beginning on Thursday, May 31, featuring Dudamel conducting the world premiere and LA Phil-commissioned “The Gospel According to the Other Mary” by John Adams.

For a complete list of events at Disney Hall, please go to http://www.laphil.com/tickets/calendar-fullseason.cfm.

Photos courtesy of LA Phil

On Dec. 10, the BSO returned to LA to cap off a five-city tour of California. Under the direction of the relatively unknown (at least to Los Angeles audiences) French conductor, Ludovic Morlot, the BSO presented an ambitious program of three large-scale works, including the Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77 by Johannes Brahms with Gil Shaham as soloist, the Symphony No. 4 by John Harbison, and the Daphnis and Chloé, Suite No. 2 by Maurice Ravel.

Ludovic Morlot

Even though Morlot may not be familiar to LA audiences, he is well known in Boston, having served as assistant conductor to the Boston Symphony Orchestra and James Levine from 2004-06 after having been a Seiji Ozawa Conducting Fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center in 2001. The BSO must really like him because following two weeks of programs in Boston this November, he was picked to lead the orchestra in its West Coast tour culminating last night at Disney Hall. And last night Morlot showed why he will now be on our radar.

As numerous writers have pointed out, the acoustics in Disney Hall are tricky, especially for musicians who have never performed there. At least a visiting orchestra that performs a few concerts gets more than one chance to tweak its sound to the sensitive hall. But Morlot and the BSO got only one shot — and they hit it out of the park. It is rare for a visiting orchestra to sound as good in Disney Hall as the BSO did last night.

The concert opened with the Brahms, and as soon as the first few notes of the opening theme, played by the violas, cellos, and bassoons, and joined after three bars by the horns, began, it was clear that this was going to be a special night. And so it was.

Gil Shaham

As great as Disney Hall is acoustically, one perennial drawback is the difficulty of hearing string soloists especially when the orchestra is playing. But Morlot performed a feat of magic in getting the BSO to play superbly without ever stepping on Shaham’s toes. This, despite the fact that Shaham spent considerable time facing Morlot and the second violins and violas while playing, almost as if he was too modest or shy to face the audience. Of course, Brahms helped Morlot with his modest classical scoring for the concerto (two flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, trumpets, four horns, and strings).

Shaham’s performance was one of restrained beauty and lyricism, just like Brahms’ concerto itself, and one could tell not only from Shaham’s playing but also from his facial expressions that he clearly loves this concerto. And the audience loved his performance.

Another standout in the Brahms was the BSO’s principal oboist, John Ferrillo, whose powerful, yet lyrical playing, especially in the solo to begin the second movement, revealed a new dimension of the solo.

In the Brahms, the BSO sounded like the finest of aged wine, deep, buttery, full-bodied, and balanced.  When Morlot and the BSO launched into the Harbison, to begin the second half of the concert, with its opening “brash fanfare,” in Harbison’s words, it was a different BSO — not the aged wine of the Brahms, but the bold, clean, and crisp sound of an orchestra that since its founding has featured American premieres of numerous 20^th century masterpieces. Moreover, it boasts two of the greatest French conductors of all time, Pierre Monteux and Charles Munch. Thus, the BSO brought a strong French connection to Disney Hall.

The performance of the Harbison Symphony No. 4 is part of the BSO’s two-season survey of all six symphonies, the last two of which were commissioned by the BSO. The Fourth Symphony was commissioned by the Seattle Symphony Orchestra of which Maestro Morlot is their newest music director — but there is also apparently an LA connection. According to the publisher’s website, Harbison is quoted as saying:

In some way the Symphony began with a summer drive to the Hollywood Bowl in 1986, my first day in L.A., with the person who became my best friend there, Deborah Card. She has “collaborated” with me on The Most Often Used Chords for the LA Chamber Orchestra, and again on this fourth symphony.

Harbison’s fourth symphony combines elements of traditional melodies and harmonies with more contemporary harmonies, rhythms, and coloration in a very accessible work. Moreover, the audience probably heard the definitive version, confirmed by the composer taking bows on stage afterwards.

The concert concluded with a ravishing version of an already ravishing work, the Suite No.2 from Ravel’s masterpiece, Daphnis and Chloé (the premiere was conducted by Pierre Monteux in 1912). Morlot and the BSO capped off a concert featuring two relatively long and demanding works with Ravel’s musically and orchestrally lush work featuring a number of standout performances, including the magical playing by principal flutist, Elizabeth Rowe. One could almost hear the footsteps of Monteux and Munch in the hall.

But even after an already full program that would have sent any audience home completely satisfied, the crowd wanted more — a dessert wine perhaps? And Morlot obliged with a rousing version of a work by another French composer, the Roman Carnival Overture by Berlioz, which brought even more cheers and applause for so long that Morlot had to physically lead the orchestra off the stage.

Those in attendance on Saturday night witnessed un concert exceptionnel by one of the world’s great orchestras with a young conductor to keep your eyes and ears on.

—Henry Schlinger, Culture Spot LA

James Conlon and Yuja Wang / photo courtesy of LA Phil

Los Angeles is fortunate to have in our midst at least two internationally recognized conductors, Gustavo Dudamel, music director of the LA Phil, and James Conlon, music director of the LA Opera.

The LA Phil is also fortunate to get Conlon to walk across the street from his usual home at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion to conduct the LA Phil in Disney Hall, which he did this past weekend in a series of concerts featuring three significant works: the Sinfonia da requiem, Op. 20 by Benjamin Britten; the Piano Concerto No. 3 in C major, Op. 26 by Sergei Prokofiev, with Yuja Wang as soloist; and the Symphony No. 7 in D minor, Op. 70 by Antonín Dvořák.

On Nov. 5, when Conlon walked onto the stage, he spoke briefly, and very rapidly, to the audience, as he is wont to do, mostly about the two bookend pieces on the concert—the Britten and the Dvořák— describing how they both move from the serious, but not necessarily sad, key of D minor, to the joyful key of D major, referencing Mozart’s contrasting D minor Piano Concerto and D major symphonies (e.g., the Prague).

Then Conlon launched into the Britten. Britten was just 26 years old when he wrote the Sinfonia da requiem, and it’s little surprise that Conlon selected to perform something by the composer as Conlon is in the midst of a three-year homage to Britten, which includes performances of all the operas and orchestral and choral works and culminates in 2013, the 100^th anniversary of the composer’s birth.

Conlon’s performance of Britten’s largest purely orchestral work — with its serious D minor first movement, described by Britten as a “slow, marching lament,” contrasted with the “final resolution” of the last movement in D major — was deeply felt and moving and effectively conveyed the composer’s sentiments.

The first half of the concert concluded with Prokofiev’s most often performed piano concerto. The Concerto No. 3 opens with a deceptively simple andante played by the first clarinet in 4/4 time and marked dolce by the composer, which seduces the listener, but then very soon an allegro section is introduced by the strings which accelerates until the piano breaks through in an energetic staccato burst which sets the tone for the remainder of the work.  It is apparent from the first entrance of the piano that this is a work to be performed by a young person. After all, Prokofiev was only 26 when he began composing the work, which he himself premiered at the age of 30.

On Saturday night, 24-year-old Yuja Wang’s electrifying piano playing showed hints of the young Martha Argerich, who was famous for her performances of the concerto, and signaled that Wang is her heir apparent. Although the tempo was Wang’s, Conlon was clearly the director. And he’s got a lot of experience in that role, not only as an operatic conductor, but also as the conductor in residence for the Van Cliburn competition in Fort Worth where he accompanies the contestants in their chosen concertos. So he knows how to accompany young piano virtuosos.

But the evening belonged to Wang whose performance literally and figuratively took the breath out of the audience. Her command of the instrument was almost superhuman, her fingers dancing across the keyboard with power combined with grace. I wondered if Lang Lang, who performs a solo recital tonight in Disney Hall, was in the audience and, if so, whether he felt like catching the first plane out of town.

At the rousing conclusion of the concerto, the audience rose to its feet, and, after only the third curtain call, Wang performed an encore, the equally dizzying Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka composed by Johann Strauss and arranged by Cziffra. Although this piece, too, was designed to show off her prowess, it would have been nice if she had chosen something perhaps more lyrical to show her range. No matter. Her goal last night was to dazzle, and dazzle she did.

Conlon concluded the concert with an equally deeply felt performance of the Dvořák Symphony No. 7. Although the LA Phil was without several of its first chair musicians (e.g., Martin Chalifour, Carrie Dennis, Ariana Ghez, and Joseph Pereira), the orchestra still performed wonderfully, although not without some problems. For example, there was a noticeable glitch by the horns in the first movement, but all was forgiven after the flawless solo playing in the second movement. Truth be told, however, it would be difficult not to like a performance of this great symphony by a world-class orchestra in Disney Hall.

The concert repeats this afternoon at 2 p.m.

Friday evening’s concert began with the Mozart concerto, only one of two he wrote in a minor key. Although Goode played well and Dudamel and the orchestra provided a clean and deferential accompaniment, there was something missing in Goode’s performance, at least for this reviewer. There were times when not all of the notes in a run were played with equal emphasis, giving the impression that notes were either missed or omitted. Overall, although there was nothing glaringly wrong with the performance, it was a disappointing one that left the audience wanting for something about which to stand and cheer.

The Strauss was an altogether different story. As Dudamel does with most other major orchestral pieces, he conducted without a score. In fact, one wonders how he finds the time to memorize these complex scores considering his demanding and busy schedule. Dudamel clearly reveled in the luxuriousness of Strauss’ score and the opportunity to conduct more than 100 outstanding musicians — even if they were all dressed in street clothes for the Casual Friday concert. Other interpretations sometimes come across as more serious, perhaps attempting to mine some of the perceived philosophical profundity of the book by Nietzsche. Dudamel, on the contrary, offered up a more playful and joyous version.  Thus, even though the piece ends quietly with high woodwinds followed by pizzicato basses, once Dudamel finally lowered his arms after several seconds of deafening silence, the audience rose to their feet to show their appreciation for the thrilling sonic ride.

I was glad to be able to show off Dudamel and the LA Phil in Disney Hall, especially performing the Strauss, to the first-time visitor from San Diego who sat next to me. The Casual Friday concerts are a particularly intimate occasion, as the shortened program (On Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon, the program includes Grabstein für Stephan by György Kurtág.) allows time to get to know the LA Phil. Rather than having an intermission, an orchestra member talks with the audience between pieces, and after the concert there is a Q&A session and the chance to mingle with the musicians over cocktails.

Dudamel opened the concert with the “Hebrides” Overture, conceived when Mendelssohn was in Scotland and took a boat to the Hebrides Islands to see Fingal’s Cave. We know that the initial theme of the overture occurred to him at the time because he sent a postcard to his family back in Germany with that theme written on it. Although the overture doesn’t reflect any type of program, according to Sir George Grove writing in The Musical Times in 1905, “It is difficult to imagine that this enchanting composition could ever be mistaken for anything but a sea piece. … Those gusts which rise and fall, and sweep and whistle through the rocks; those descending notes, which seem to plumb the depths of ocean’s deepest caves; and other effects, which in the hands of an inferior musician would sound like imitations….” It is this evocative feature of the overture, along with the wonderful melodies, that has made the “Hebrides” Overture such a popular favorite among audiences ever since its premiere.

This certainly continued in Dudamel’s capable hands. The opening tempo was unhurried, which, when contrasted with the faster tempos in the more turbulent sections, perfectly conveyed the feeling of being on the sea off the coast of Scotland. Dudamel made the overture seem fresh, which is not an easy thing to do with such a well-known piece.

The first half of the concert concluded with Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto which, even though it was written relatively late in his short life (he died at 38), still has the freshness and vitality of some of his earlier masterpieces. Of course, the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto is one of the staples of the concert repertoire, and the audience at Disney Hall was treated to a sensitive reading by Janine Jansen. Perhaps because he is a violinist himself, Dudamel is very responsive to his soloists, especially the violinists; and he and Jansen danced beautifully together on Sunday. The audience’s appreciation, and possibly the fact that the concert was being broadcast live in approximately 400 movie theaters across the country, prompted Jansen to perform an encore, the haunting Sarabanda from Bach’s Partita No. 2 in D minor for solo violin.

One observation that I’ve had about the acoustics in Disney Hall is that stringed instruments don’t fare as well when accompanied by the orchestra, which often tends to drown them out in all but the quietest parts of concertos. And this seemed to happen on Sunday as well, even though Dudamel did his best to hold the orchestra back in the quieter moments.

The concert concluded with Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 3 (which was the last symphony he completed). Although the Third Symphony is subtitled “Scottish,” it does not quote any particularly Scottish songs or melodies. In fact, except for the fact that Mendelssohn first conceived of both the “Hebrides” Overture and the Symphony No. 3 on the same trip to Scotland, both are only Scottish in that they represent Mendelssohn’s memories of his trip and the feelings they aroused in him. That is why the two pieces also share musical ideas. For example, they are both in minor keys, the overture in B minor and the symphony in A minor. And they share musical features as well. For example, toward the end of the first movement the rising and falling tremolo notes in the strings suggest the stormy seas depicted in the overture.

The performance of the Scottish symphony by Dudamel and the LA Phil was all Mendelssohn could have hoped in communicating his memories and feelings of his travels in Scotland, from the solemn beginning of the first movement to the lively, but slightly agitated Scherzo, to the rousing conclusion in A major.

Dudamel and the musicians of the LA Phil were all on their game Sunday, showing the audience in Disney Hall and in movie theaters around the country why they are one of the world’s great orchestras. Plus, we got to show off our great concert hall.

—Henry Schlinger, Culture Spot LA

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