There was electricity in the air on Oct. 2 as the packed house at Walt Disney Concert Hall awaited the appearance of Gustavo Dudamel in his last season as the music director of the LA Phil. They waited with bated breath for two masterpieces by Stravinsky that are Dudamel and LA Phil staples: The Firebird Suite and The Rite of Spring.
The first half began with an LA Phil commission and U.S. premiere of Frenzy, a short symphony by long-time composer in residence, and LA favorite son, John Adams. The compact 19-minute piece begins with syncopated staccato bursts from the brass and keeps up an exciting, frenzied pace throughout, except for a small section towards the end. But the last few minutes had the entire orchestra playing, as Adams wrote in the program notes, “with hard-driven, choppy string figures, tsunami waves of brass and madly scurrying woodwinds, all of which come together to earn the piece’s title.” The listener might have recognized some rhythmic changes reminiscent of Stravinsky’s The Rite of Springwith a few brief quotes from the Rite.
Frenzy was powerful and dramatic and demonstrated Adams’ mastery of orchestration. It was a very tonal work that fit exceedingly well with the Stravinsky on the rest of the program. The audience was primed to burst with appreciation and admiration for Dudamel and the LA Phil musicians and Adams. And they showed it with an immediate standing ovation and cheers. Dudamel then brought Adams onstage for some bows. The ever-humble Adams seemed a bit uncomfortable as Dudamel goaded him back out for a second round of cheers. One could tell that Adams was pleased with his friend’s interpretation and the masterful playing by the Phil.
The audience barely had time to catch their collective breath before Dudamel reappeared to conduct the The Firebird Suite. Dudamel held the audience spellbound with his interpretation, and the large orchestra showed off their individual and collective expertise in what turned out to be nothing short of a monumental performance. Dudamel masterfully massaged the dynamic nuances of the suite until the final (quadruple ffff) fortissimo conclusion, which brought the audience to their feet for minutes on end. And that was only the end of the first half — with The Rite of Spring to come! This conclusion let loose the energy that was palpable from the moment Dudamel first came onstage to cheers from the WDCH audience for his 16 years at the helm of the Phil.
It was difficult to believe that after performing two demanding orchestral works, Dudamel and the orchestra still had The Rite of Spring to come in the second half. Perhaps that accounted for the slightly longer than usual intermission?
What can one say about The Rite of Spring that hasn’t already been said? That it caused a scandal when it premiered in Paris in 1913? That is effectively ended Romanticism in music and ushered in the era of modern music? That it was like nothing anyone had ever heard before?
Even though it has been 112 years since it was composed and premiered in Paris, Stravinsky’s music still sounds fresh. With the excitement in WDCH on Thursday surrounding Dudamel’s last season, plus the audience having been pumped up by Adams and Stravinsky in the first half, the audience was ready once again to explode. The kinetic energy the audience brought in with them was ignited by Dudamel and the Phil’s performance of the Rite. This reviewer sat there imagining the riot caused by the work’s premiere in Paris in 1913. Of course, there was no riot in WDCH; but the audience erupted in barely restrained adulation at the conclusion, which Dudamel carefully orchestrated for maximum effect.
Although there were several notable individual performances by LA musicians, not to mention the orchestra as a whole, one must single out Principal Bassoonist Whitney Crockett’s sensitive and sonorous playing in the Berceuse of the Firebird and the opening introduction of the Rite.
All the factors mentioned above made for an unforgettable concert. If the other concerts Dudamel conducts in his last season as music director are anything like this one, it will be an unforgettable season that no one who loves classical music, the LA Phil and WDCH should miss.
—Henry Schlinger, Culture Spot LA
For information about upcoming concerts, visit www.laphil.com.
Photo credit: The Rite of Spring with Dudamel at Walt Disney Concert Hall on Oct. 2, 2025 / Photo by Timothy Norris