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/.

Gustavo Dudamel’s much-anticipated Mahler Project opened in grand style at Walt Disney Concert Hall this weekend.  Culture Spot LA attended the Jan. 14 concert, and clearly Gustavo and Gustav have a kinship that is special.

The Mahler Project is an international collaboration between the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela.  The two orchestras will present Mahler’s entire symphonic corpus over an intense few weeks here in LA, and then repeat the cycle in Caracas to honor the 100th anniversary of Mahler’s death.

This first program featured the LA Phil with internationally acclaimed American baritone Thomas Hampson singing Songs of a Wayfarer (Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen) and Symphony No. 4 with Swedish soprano Miah Persson joining in the final movement.  The pairing made for a great introduction to the Project.  Arguably these two compositions frame the early period of Mahler’s development and are perhaps the most tuneful and approachable of his works.  Both compositions were based loosely on the popular German folk poetry of The Youth’s Magic Horn (Des Knaben Wunderhorn), although Mahler composed the text himself.

Dudamel, without score, led us through Mahler’s all-too-personal sentiments of love, rejection, grief and aimless wandering.  His style this evening was a bit more subtle than usual, perhaps saving his energy for the immense journey on which he has embarked.  His left hand produced significant direction; I found myself mesmerized by its fluid expression.  The tonus of each muscle was informed by the innate soul of this magnificent music.

Large in stature with an even larger voice, Hampson, who spent much of the past year celebrating Mahler, was a commanding presence in persona and sound.  His voice filled the entirety of the Hall, and his expressions and gestures bespoke the affect of love and youth.  His range of expression was extraordinary.

Hampson found the character in each movement and realized them masterfully.  The opening song, When My Sweetheart Is Married, featured upbeat winds juxtaposed against his dark, sullen vocals.

I Went Over the Field This Morning sported an energetic melody and pastoral feel with the flute and voice.  The sound was delicate with brilliant combinations of winds and high strings, punctuated with subtle percussion effects.

As you may expect, I Have a Gleaming Knife was highly charged, relatively dissonant and loud.  Dudamel allowed the smallish ensemble to play unbound.  The despair and angst were palpable in both Hampson and the musicians.

The concluding song of the cycle, The Two Blue Eyes of My Beloved, was beautifully lyrical and evoked a connotation of chorale.  The ending produced a sweet reverie that left the audience somewhat stilled, and Dudamel heightened the effect with his lingering gestures.  The delayed applause increased in its intensity over a period of minutes.

After a short intermission, we heard Mahler’s Symphony No. 4, perhaps the most often performed of his compositions, and the last of his delightful Wunderhorn-inspired works.  Persson’s final song was preceded by three symphonic movements that were significantly weighted with woodwinds. Curiously, there were no low brass instruments, their role artfully subsumed by bass-clarinet, contrabassoon, seven contrabasses and percussion.

The first movement, in traditional sonata form, was lightly warmed by the cheery sound of gentle sleigh bells and high, chirping winds.  The second movement scherzo, featured Principal Concertmaster Martin Chalifour with devilishly alluring fiddle-style passages.  The adagio was wonderfully serene and peaceful, and the Phil players executed Mahler’s orchestration flawlessly. Every detail in the combination of individual instruments was exquisite, and easily perceived in our magnificent Disney Hall.

Persson produced a heavenly song that soared high with the saints she referenced.  Her silken voice gave meaning to the melodies that Mahler had so skillfully crafted.  Her artistry was astonishingly affective.

Bravo to Dudamel and his vision for this Project!  Place him in league with Bernstein and Boulez among Mahler enthusiasts.  Bravo to Hampson and Persson for their unforgettable performances!  Don’t miss the unique opportunity to experience this epic musical adventure as we move into the deeper realm of Mahler’s psyche in the coming weeks.

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

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LA Phil with Miguel Harth-Bedoya and Jean-Yves Thibaudet

Jean-Yves Thibaudet is known as a soloist in the salons and chamber halls of LA, and he is in demand as a soloist in the film industry for his ability to express passionate music. He is a great match with Liszt. Conductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya is an international star, and his leadership of the Fort Worth Symphony is lauded by the cultural community, according to the Dallas Morning News.

Program:

•  Dvorák:  Hussite Overture

•  Liszt:   Piano Concerto No. 2

•  Saint-Saëns:  Symphony No. 3, “Organ”

Saint-Saëns Third Symphony was his last, and he dedicated it to the memory of his friend Franz Liszt, who died that year, 1886. Fans of the film Babe will recognize the theme.

Thursday, Jan. 5, 8 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 6, 11 a.m.

Saturday, Jan. 7, 8 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 8, 2 p.m.

Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Avenue, LA

Tickets:  LAPhil.com, the Walt Disney Concert Hall Box Office or any Ticketmaster outlet. To order by phone with credit card, please call the Walt Disney Concert Hall Box Office at (323) 850-2000, or Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. For more information, call (323) 850-2000.

Upbeat Live pre-concert events take place in Walt Disney Concert Hall’s auditorium one hour and 15 minutes prior to the Friday concert and in BP Hall one hour prior to the Thursday, Saturday and Sunday concerts, and are free to all ticket holders. Alan Chapman, KUSC-FM radio host, composer-lyricist and pianist, hosts.

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Pasadena Master Chorale and Los Angeles Daiku sing Beethoven’s Ninth

Beethoven’s Ninth comes to LA in grand style on Jan. 7, when the Pasadena Master Chorale (PMC) joins Los Angeles Daiku at the San Gabriel Mission Playhouse in a wonderful concert to hail the new year.

Jeffrey Bernstein, Artistic Director of both PMC and Los Angeles Daiku (the largest such group outside Japan), says that “when a Japanese person says ‘daiku,’ he or she is referring to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. In Japan, there are literally hundreds of performances per year, with some of them drawing massed choirs of 500 to 600 participants.”

Soloists are Krystle Casey, soprano; Jessica Marney, mezzo-soprano; Arthur Rishi, tenor; and Cedric Berry, baritone.

Saturday, Jan. 7, 7:30 p.m.

San Gabriel Mission Playhouse, 320 S. Mission Drive, San Gabriel

Tickets:  $25

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Moscow String Quartet

The Da Camera Society Chamber Music in Historic Sites brings the Moscow String Quartet to Topanga at the Mermaid.

The ensemble players are Eugenia Alikhanova and Galina Kokhanovskaia, violins; Tatiana Kokhanovskaya, viola; and Olga Ogranovitch, cello.

Program:

•  Borodin: String Quartet No.2 in D Major

•  Mozart: String Quartet in D Major, K575

•  Shostakovich: String Quartet No.1 in C Major, Op.49

Expect the Borodin quartet to be authentic — Jim Eninger’s Clickable Chamber Music Newsletter says that the quartet players “are graduates of the Moscow Conservatory and Gnessin Musical Institute in Moscow, who met in the class of renowned cellist Valentin Berlinsky of the Borodin Quartet. They went on to gain international acclaim by winning the Leo Weiner International Quartet Competition in Budapest, Hungary. The quartet also won First Prize for best performance of Classical music and Grand-Prix for its interpretation of contemporary music at the International Quartet Competition in Evian, France.”

Sunday, Jan. 8, 2 & 4 p.m.

The Mermaid, Topanga

Single tickets: $88, $78, includes a light reception

For information, call (213) 477-2929.

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~Theodore Bell/Culture Spot LA

Culture Spot LA recommends Jim Eninger’s Clickable Chamber Music Newsletter, an extensive calendar of upcoming music events, large and small, happening all around Los Angeles.

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

The UCLA Choral Outreach Program at Venice High School on Oct. 26, 2011

Teenagers listening to a teacher with utmost interest and intense concentration… teenagers following instructions with utter devotion, striving to be the best they can be… and ultimately, teenagers grinning as happily as if they were at a party, even though what they’ve been doing was, in fact, hard musical work. Elusive though such visions often are, they’re fully apparent in recent photos from Venice and Mira Costa high schools, depicting their students’ participation in the new UCLA Choral Outreach Program.

The instructor who so inspires them, smiling an infectious smile in every photo, is UCLA’s associate director of choral activities, Dr. Rebecca Lord, whose youthful, pixieish appearance belies her years of experience as a soprano soloist, actress, dancer, violinist and orchestral conductor. The outreach program, developed this year by Lord and Professor Donald Neuen, director of choral activities, sends Lord traveling to middle and high schools in the greater Los Angeles area, offering knowledge and training to enhance the quality of school choir performances, and striving to help high school choral directors make choral singing an exciting, enjoyable activity in which students want to take part.

The outreach program, which was launched in October, is designed to remedy the recent dearth in public school music education. The current depressed economy has caused funding for the arts to be cut, eliminating music programs altogether in many schools, and making it almost impossible for the remaining public-school music teachers to dedicate the time and energy needed to really bring forth the joy, excitement and passion of great music.

The aim of Lord and her associates is to work with teachers to build a stronger arts community, giving the students quality artistic experiences that the schools can no longer afford to provide. Through hands-on coaching sessions offered free of charge, they seek to help school choir directors make their ensembles shine, to motivate music students to prepare for a higher education and to instill in them a love of singing and music that will last a lifetime. So far 140 schools in and near the UCLA area have been contacted about the outreach program.

Upon request, at the choir director’s convenience, Lord visits a school and hears its choir. She validates the students’ and director’s good work. Then she helps them to enhance it by studying their previously rehearsed repertoire with them, bringing her own expertise to the proceedings. In her coaching sessions, or “clinics” as UCLA has dubbed them, Lord helps students to improve their vocal technique, phrasing and musicality, instructs them on how to properly stand and hold their scores, and assists them with their diction, in French, German and Italian as well as in English, so they can sing the classic choral repertoire in all its original languages.

Perhaps most importantly of all, she helps students to enhance their personal expression in song. Choral singing demands such concentration from a purely musical standpoint that emotional expression is easily lost, but with unique “acting” exercises, Lord encourages students to remember the meaning of the text they sing and convey that meaning to their audience in a compelling way. Under her guidance, students learn to infuse their singing with passion, all too rarely heard on a middle and high school level, making the music exciting not only for audiences but also for the young singers themselves.

In addition to coaching, the outreach program provides free concerts for middle and high school students, performed by the UCLA Choruses and held in UCLA’s Schoenberg Hall. These concerts are conceived to enhance middle and high schoolers’ understanding of choral singing and help to motivate them by exposing them to professional-quality performances.

“Every time my students visit the UCLA Choirs,” states public school choral director Heather Gold, who annually brings her students to UCLA to hear chorale rehearsals, “they come back more dedicated to excellence, excited to rehearse.”

The goal of the new outreach concerts is to bring such dedication and excitement to a greater number of students than ever before. The first concert took place on Dec. 2, with enormous success.

“I was able to feel the emotion of music in a way I never have before,” declares one student who attended the concert. “I was inspired.”

Other concerts will follow in 2012 on March 16 and June 8.

Over the past two months, Lord and her associates have worked with more than a dozen schools and hope to work with many more in the future. To do so, however, they will need increased financial support in the following months. The Choral Outreach Program is funded entirely by private donations and cannot continue beyond 2011 unless devotees of musical education continue to donate. Any financial assistance will be greatly appreciated by faculty and students alike. Donations can be made by visiting the UCLA Choral Activities website, www.uclachoralmusic.com, and clicking “Give.”

“We love working with the students,” Lord declares, “watching their faces catch on fire with excitement as they express themselves and grow as artists. We rejoice as they cheer each other on, building teamwork and achieving excellence.”

The teachers and students with whom Lord has worked thus far return her enthusiasm. “Dr. Lord is professional, knowledgeable, articulate, inspiring, and my students loved her,” states one teacher. “You have a real gem there!”

“Dr. Lord gave me a solid model for my musical persona,” declares a student, “the professional musician that I want to be.”

But perhaps the most encouraging quote of all is one from another student, simple in nature, but expressing a joy that sums up the motivation, devotion and ambition that the outreach program aims to arouse:

“I had fun singing! I hope Dr. Lord comes again soon!”

—Jordan Serchuk, Culture Spot LA

Contributing writer Jordan Serchuk recently graduated from UCLA’s music department.

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GUILLAUME SUTRE violin

UCLA’s GUILLAUME SUTRE and pianist NEAL STULBERG are performing all of Mozart’s masterpieces for violin and piano in multiple concerts as they prepare for their European tour.  What an ambitious idea this is, and who better to pull it off?  Look for future concerts at Schoenberg Hall in 2012.

Program – Mozart à Deux: The Sonatas for Violin and Piano:

• Violin Sonata in E-flat Major, K380

• Violin Sonata in D Major, K306

• Violin Sonata in B-flat Major, K454

Saturday, Dec. 3, 7 p.m.

Sage-Granada Park United Methodist Church

Center for the Visual and Performing Arts, 1850 W. Hellman Ave., Alhambra

Suggested donation: $15 / $5 for seniors (55+) and students (with current ID).

For information and tickets, call (626) 230 5435.

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KARITA MATTILA soprano

Internationally recognized soprano Karita Mattila will sing songs of Finnish composer Aulis Sallinen, along with arias of Poulenc and Debussy.  The adjustable acoustics built into the Broad Stage design make it a splendid venue for singers.

Saturday, Dec. 3, 7:30 p.m.

The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage, SMC Performing Arts Center, 1310 11th St., Santa Monica.

Tickets: $110, $85, $65.

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TAKÁCS QUARTET

The Ace Gallery Institute of Contemporary Art presents the Takács Quartet with EDWARD DUSINBERRE violin, KÁROLY SCHRANZ violin, GERALDINE WALTHER viola, and ANDRÁS FEJÉR cello.  The quartet received a Grammy and Gramophone Award for the Best Chamber Music Recording for its recording of the Beethoven quartets.

Saturday, Dec. 3, 8 p.m.

Ace Gallery Institute of Contemporary Art, 9430 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills

Admission: $60. Tickets for purchase are extremely limited. Contact the gallery at (323) 935-4411 for information on availability and purchase (unreserved general seating).

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PHILLIP LEVY violin, FRANÇOIS CHOUCHAN piano

Levy and Chouchan will preview their Dec. 11 Le Salon de Musiques program at the SUNDAYS LIVE Chamber Music Series Dec. 4.  FRANÇOIS CHOUCHAN founded the chamber music series Le Salon de Musiques held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, now in its second season.  He and PHILLIP LEVY will perform Franck’s Sonata in A Major and Mozart’s Sonata in E Minor, K304.

SUNDAYS LIVE brings Southern California chamber music concerts free to the public.  No tickets or reservations are required for the live performances, and the concerts are streamed live on the Internet. Listen by clicking http://more.lacma.org:8088/SundaysLive at concert time:

Sunday, Dec. 4, 6 p.m.

Los Angeles County Museum of Art – Leo S. Bing Theater, 5905 Wilshire Blvd. (just east of Fairfax)

Free admission. For concert and artist information, call (323) 857-6234.

Le Salon de Musiques is a unique concept in an especially Los Angeles venue.  The panoramic view of the hills from the Impresario Room of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion becomes the backdrop, and a gourmet buffet with French Champagne and conversation serves up a wonderful coda!  Culture Spot LA’s Henry Schlinger reviewed Levy at Le Salon de Musiques last season and highly recommended the series.

Sunday, Dec. 11, 4 p.m.

Impresario Room, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., LA

Tickets: $65

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ORION WEISS piano, JASON UYEYAMA violin, MADELEINE KABAT cello

La Sierra University Chamber Music Series has a great program in the Redlands area on Thursday evening.  ORION WEISS joins other Juilliard alumni, cellist MADELEINE KABAT and violinist JASON UYEYAMA, the Director of String Studies at La Sierra University.

Program

• Beethoven: Piano Trio in G Major Op.121a, (Ten Variations on “Ich bin der Schneider Kakadu”)

• Brahms: Sonata for Piano and Cello in E minor, Op.38

• Shostakovich: Piano Trio in E minor, Op.67

Culture Spot LA reviewed Orion Weiss in an extraordinary concert last year at the Clark Library with three members of the famed French Ebene Quartet (an interesting story worth reading).

Thursday, Dec. 8, 7 p.m.

Hole Memorial Auditorium, La Sierra University, 4500 Riverwalk Parkway, Riverside

Tickets: $10 / $5 for seniors, LSU faculty, staff and students; $20 for families; children 12 and under are free.  For information, call the La Sierra University Department of Music at (951) 785-2036.

~Theodore Bell/Culture Spot LA

Culture Spot LA recommends Jim Eninger’s Clickable Chamber Music Newsletter, an extensive calendar of upcoming music events, large and small, happening all around Los Angeles.

Esa-Pekka Salonen and Emanuel Ax / photo courtesy of LA Phil

LA Phil Conductor Laureate Esa-Pekka Salonen returned to Los Angeles with Swedish composer Anders Hillborg and a triumphant saga for the ages.  Like Homer’s Ulysses, Salonen tethered himself to the mast of the LA Phil and took us on a dramatic voyage through the world of the Sirens, and with Hillborg’s help, we too heard their irresistible song and survived.

Our odyssey began Friday, Nov. 25, at 8 p.m. at Walt Disney Concert Hall, and after a dramatic all-Beethoven first half featuring world-acclaimed pianist and LA Phil friend Emanuel Ax, we were on course to witness the siren songs of soprano Hila Plitmann, mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter and the LA Master Chorale.

Salonen opened the evening with a bolt of lightning; he put his whole body and soul into it, and prefaced it with an extended dramatic pause.  Beethoven’s dissonant Leonore No.2 served up a powerful opening shot.  Salonen and the Phil are no strangers to the work, having released a recorded performance of it in 2006, and the artistic persona expressed by it is rarely exposed so purely and simply.  Salonen “kicked it up a notch” as he leaned into the orchestra with his animated gestures.  He reminded me of popular chef Emeril Lagasse putting “Bam!” into his Beethoven. The winds were strong, and they balanced artfully with the strings, although the horns were muddled at times. The off-stage trumpet of Chris Still was nicely done, and the frenetic finale created a wonderful introduction for the Concerto.

Emanuel Ax was brilliant with Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 2.  His technique made his work appear effortless, a seemingly impossible task given the lightning quick arpeggios and runs.  His artistic integrity is unmatched, enabled by the acute attention he devotes to the details of every note and phrase.  Although elegant, there was urgency in the connotation of his interpretation, and Salonen, for his part, kept the resulting energy electrified. Ax’s flawless and inspired performance was surely the highpoint of the concert for many in the audience.  After a warm and sustained ovation, he took us to a sweet, more contemplative state before his departure with a beautiful solo encore of Schumann’s Fantasiestücke, Op. 12, No.1.

Hillborg’s Sirens was commissioned by the LA Phil and is dedicated to Salonen and in memory of Betty Freeman. This evening’s performance was the much-anticipated world premiere. Ulysses’ encounter with the Sirens in Homer’s The Odyssey is the theme, and the text is taken from historical sources with original material added by Hillborg.  The text was projected in the Hall and it significantly enhanced the experience, as did the intense blue lighting that was used to create a theatrical effect that ushered us to and from the other-world of the Sirens.

Plitmann and von Otter were stellar in their roles; Plitmann’s voice was crystal clear and pierced through the dense sound like a laser beam, and Von Otter was genuinely alluring. The two of them were especially beautiful in duet when their fluid lyric passages soared over the unsettled background.  The singing was particularly affective when accompanied only by the sound of the ethereal glass armonia, a set of glass bowls that resonate with a delicate shimmering sound made by gentle finger pressure around the wetted rim of the vessel.  The wetness of the sound was a nice touch.

Hillborg’s orchestration was large with the winds extended in all ranges and colors. Unorthodox instrumental and vocal effects around complex inharmonic and harmonic intervals were characteristic of the dense and ever-evolving background, highly charged at times, but rarely lyric.  The chorus snapped their fingers and whispered indistinct syllables in addition to their conventional art.  An undercurrent of constant energy ebbed and flowed to form a sonic mass of meticulous textures, and the melodic lines flowed upward in broad swaths to entice the listener with anticipation.

Hillborg described the chilling culminating scene in which the “Sirens’ true monstrous identity is revealed, as their powerful singing gradually transforms into horrendous screaming, the mirage/hallucination dissolves and all reverts back to calm sea, as Ulysses’ vessel sails out of danger.”

What a voyage!  What an education to hear the charm of the Sirens unfazed.

Bravi to all!  Salonen and the LA Phil, Ax and Beethoven, Hillborg, Plitmann, von Otter, and the Master Chorale navigated us through a very special night of extraordinary epic drama.

~Theodore Bell/Culture Spot LA

Esa-Pekka Salonen and Emanuel Ax / photo courtesy of LA Phil

Ah, the days after Thanksgiving are a great time to spend some quality time with family and friends, and that is just what the Los Angeles Philharmonic is doing this post-holiday weekend, giving us Angelenos a great opportunity to enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime program at Walt Disney Concert Hall.  Conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen returns for three concerts with pianist Emanuel Ax, soprano Hila Plitmann and mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter, backed by the LA Phil and LA Master Chorale.  The program includes Beethoven’s Leonore Overture No. 2 and his Piano Concerto No. 2 fronting a new world premiere, Sirens, by Swedish composer Anders Hillborg.

Leonore is dramatically dark and dissonant with a classic orchestra of woodwinds, brass, timpani and strings, and was first played by the Phil with conductor Otto Klemperer back in 1934.  I certainly didn’t hear the first one, but Salonen and the modern Phil will make it interesting.

The Piano Concerto No. 2 is orchestrated for a smaller orchestra of strings and only a few winds.  This Beethoven was also performed in the 1930s by Klemperer with pianist Webster Aitken.  Internationally acclaimed soloist and recording artist Emanuel Ax is another close friend of the LA Phil, and this performance may well fall in the category of your “greatest sonic life events.”

Sirens was commissioned by the LA Phil and is dedicated to Esa-Pekka Salonen and in memory of Betty Freeman.  The orchestration is large, and the LA Master Chorale will supply the ethereal and irresistible voices.  Ulysses’ encounter with the Sirens in Homer’s The Odyssey is surely a rich opportunity for dramatic expressions.  Hillborg described the chilling culminating scene in which the “Sirens’ true monstrous identity is revealed, as their powerful singing gradually transforms into horrendous screaming, the mirage/hallucination dissolves and all reverts back to calm sea, as Ulysses’ vessel sails out of danger.”

Culture Spot LA can hardly think of a better way to follow the Thanksgiving holiday, and we hope to find you too resting in calm seas after this drama-drenched program.

Friday, Nov. 25, 8 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 26, 8 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 27, 2 p.m.

Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 South Grand Avenue, LA

Tickets:  Call (323) 850-2000, or visit www.laphil.com.

Lucinda Carver, pianist, harpsichordist, conductor and professor at the USC Thornton School of Music will host Upbeat Live one hour before each concert.  Listen to Upbeat Live from your phone: dial (605) 475-4333, enter the access code 184648, and listen to the preconcert show at 7 p.m. on your way to the performance.

~Theodore Bell/Culture Spot LA

Culture Spot LA recommends Jim Eninger’s Clickable Chamber Music Newsletter, an extensive calendar of upcoming music events, large and small, happening all around Los Angeles.