Emanuel Ax and Yo-Yo Ma perform at Disney Hall on Jan. 27.
The fall portion of the 2009-2010 season of the Los Angeles Philharmonic is already behind us, having left us with some memorable concerts. If you missed any of them, don’t fret because the spring schedule offers many sure-to-be-great performances as well. LA Phil’s new music director, Gustavo Dudamel, will be conducting and touring with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra until very late in the season, but the list of guest conductors and soloists is impressive. Here are January’s highlights.
The new year starts off on Thursday, Jan. 7, with a performance by Andre Watts of the Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat, a staple of Watts’ repertoire. The concert also includes the rarely heard Symphony No. 2 in D, “The London,” by Vaughan Williams. Bramwell Tovey will lead the orchestra in these concerts. The program repeats on Friday, Jan. 8, and Sunday, Jan. 10. Watts will also perform a chamber music recital on Tuesday, Jan. 12, with members of the LA Phil, including, among other works, the Mozart Quintet for Piano and Winds in E flat, K. 452.
Next on the schedule is Lorin Maazel, who recently stepped down as music director of the New York Philharmonic. Friday through Sunday, Jan. 15-17, Maazel will conduct a series of concerts featuring the work of Richard Strauss, including Der Rosenkavalier Suite and Salome’s Dance and Final Scene from Salome with soprano Nancy Gustafson. Also on the program will be Sibelius’ popular Symphony No. 2 in D major.
Then for all you Brucknerds, Maestro Maazel stays in town to conduct the LA Phil in performances of Bruckner’s Symphony No. 8 in C minor on Thursday and Friday, Jan. 21-22, and Sunday, Jan. 24.
Sandwiched in between the two Maazel series of concerts is a recital by pianist Richard Goode on Tuesday, Jan. 19, with works by Bach, Haydn, and Schumann.
Another pianist, Piotr Anderszewski, will be in town for a week starting on Tuesday, Jan. 26, performing chamber music that night with members of the LA Phil and then Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the entire orchestra, conducted by Vasily Petrenko, for three days beginning on Friday, Jan. 29. Also on the program is the Manfred Symphony by Tchaikovsky.
On Wednesday, Jan. 27, a couple of performers you may have heard of, Emanuel Ax and Yo-Yo Ma, will perform a recital featuring works by Schumann and Chopin. Ax, this season’s LA Phil On Location Artist, will be at Disney Hall for five different programs celebrating the bicentennials of Romantic Era composers Schumann and Chopin.
For tickets and information, (323) 850-2000 or www.laphil.com.