Out West Arts: Performance at the end of the world

Big hug with Salonen, Bronfman and the LA Philharmonic
Photo : mine 2008

The final program of the L.A. Philharmonic’s 07/08 season this weekend was a little bit of a disappointment, but only in the way the last ones always are. The desire is to have a big spectacular bang to go out on, but the reality is that the chances that the last show will surpass everything else over the last eight months is rather unlikely. Not impossible, just not statistically probable. A lot of expectations were riding on this Salonen-led weekend, which featured the local premiere of his own piano concerto, written for and again performed by Yefim Bronfman as it has been previously in New York, London, and Chicago.

It is an interesting composition that any composer in hopes of a lasting reputation could be proud of. Still I’m not completely sold on it like, say, Salonen's Wing on Wing. The concerto contains nearly miraculous flights of notes for Bronfman that he dispatches with a little sweat and plenty of dexterity. It is especially remarkable considering that Salonen never lets the orchestra stop playing during the piece, and Bronfman must overcome lots and lots of competition to be heard. Often he plays duets with individual members of the Philharmonic including one spectacular passage accompanied by the group's new principal violist, Carrie Dennis, recently arrived from a position with the Berlin Philharmonic. She killed – you’d be wise to keep an eye on her. Despite all of this, however, I felt rather detached from the whole thing. The concerto seemed like a rush of music filled with references to just about everyone you could think of, but I never got a sense of it as a distinct entity of its own. Of course, this was only a first listen. Maybe I’ll change my mind later after the DG recording made from this weekend’s performances is released.

The rest of the program consisted of a new arrangement of Debussy’s Preludes by Colin Matthews and a world premiere arrangement of Stravinsky’s Les noces by Steven Stucky. Salonen was on the mark here and in his element with another harbinger of music to come next year. The rhythmic elements were front and center and played well in this tale of an arranged marriage. Now, if it were only possible to have heard any of the four clearly talented soloists the orchestra had recruited to sing the lead roles, it would have been perfect. I know they were singing because I could see them moving their mouths; I just couldn’t hear them over all of Stravinsky’s beautiful music. It’s sad but true, even in 2008, size matters.

So that’s it. Another season draws to a close and those of us who love the L.A. Philharmonic and music in general try hard not to think about the reality of the Hollywood Bowl until we are back again in the most beautiful public room in America next October. Of course, that season will bring a world of "final performances" as well. Which reminds me, I guess I shouldn’t complain about anything in this program after all. I doubt I’m going to get too many opportunities in future years to hear a music director of the L.A. Philharmonic conduct a new composition of his own. Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you got 'til it's gone.

Labels: LA Philharmonic 07/08, Salonen

Adès, Hodges, and members of the LA Philharmonic
Photo : mine 2008

The L.A. Philharmonic is sending the season out with a bang this week. The final shows this weekend will feature the local premiere of Salonen’s Piano Concerto with Yefim Bronfman. But before that auspicious event was another big show - Thomas Adès followed up last week’s François Couperin love-fest with an evening of his own works including the U.S. Premiere of a new work, In Seven Days, with a video component designed by Tal Rosner.

But first there was old-fashioned music without video. The show opened with Arcadiana, a string quartet from 1994 in seven movements brimming with various musical and artistic references. Many of these deal with themes of water or land, which made a nice prelude to the to the latter part of the program where God gets about making the distinction between these two in the first place. The piece was played quite capably and very seriously by the Calder Quartet who released a new CD featuring this as well as other works today. This was followed by another work from the same year, Living Toys, for a small ensemble with piano and percussion. The same work was included in Adès’ Zankel Hall appearances earlier this year with the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group. I must admit that I was even more taken with tonight’s version, which sounded both fantastic and exciting in the hands of the L.A. Philharmonic players. It was a big winner that got a substantial pre-intermission ovation from the substantial crowd.

Of course, all of this was prelude to In Seven Days a co-commission from the LA Philharmonic and London’s Southbank Centre where it received its world premiere on April 28 this year. The work is a sort-of piano concerto that concerns, you guessed it, the Biblical tale of the creation of the earth. The work is accompanied by a six-channel video designed by Adès' domestic partner, Tal Rosner. Whether or not this personal and professional collaboration is the harbinger of a pairing along the lines of Britten and Pears as opposed to Madonna and Penn has yet to be determined. But there was plenty to be excited about tonight and overall it appears the future is more likely to be promising than not. The work's movements blend together and closely follow the traditional Genesis story. The music is pretty, accessible, and frequently rhythmic lending itself well to the moniker of “video-ballet” used by its creators. Nicolas Hodges was the piano soloist and, while he was solid, this work is not about flashy virtuoso maneuvers and the piano seldom stands out apart from the rest of the action.

Adès, Hodges, and Rosner
Photo : mine 2008

Video-accompaniment can be a risky business and it’s much to Rosner’s credit that his contribution is both attractive and very professional looking. This is a town that knows video and while this isn’t Bill Viola, it’s not shabby either. Rosner owes much more to early 20th century artists who experimented with music and visual images and people such as Oskar Fischinger than he does to any of his contemporaries. His work takes photographs and digital video and processes them with a modicum of computer wizardry. Nothing is ever completely recognizable, and the remnants have a kinetic sense closely timed with the composition.

The work received a big standing ovation and while I was sad to see it end and could have easily tolerated another 30 minutes or more, if I have any criticism it’s that the whole thing seemed a bit prosaic. God creates the stars and the piano tinkles away in the high register while little white dots of various sizes flash on the screen. God creates the sun and there you have a giant yellow-kaleidoscope. Still In Seven Days continues to suggest Adès’ growth as a composer. He continues to display a sense of the theatric and an appreciation of the collaborative process that makes one eager to see what’s next from him. And that may be the most exciting thing of all.

Labels: LA Philharmonic 07/08, Thomas Ades

Terry Riley and the WDCH organ

The L.A. Philharmonic programming folks have been busy invigorating some of their more staid series with new life these final weeks of the season with some guest stars in unusual places. Last week we had Thomas Adés show up in a “Baroque Variations” bill and this week (though perhaps less surprisingly) we have Terry Riley in a recital on the mammoth Walt Disney Concert Hall Organ. The usual Baroque and 19th century fair of these organ programs was put aside for some music this rather beautiful machine has not seen before in the shape of two updated works and a new commission from Riley.

In his own notes, Riley mentions that he was offered an opportunity to compose for the organ following the L.A. Phil’s “Minimalist Jukebox” shows two years back and jumped at the chance. Of course, he is famous for electronic organ performances of his own throughout the 60s and 70s that were often all night psychedelic affairs. While Sunday didn’t quite approach those bounds, it was clearly filled with enough other-worldliness to stimulate more than a little nostalgia for those in the audience who were there at the time. And the Philharmonic obliged with shifting colorful lights in the otherwise pitch-black hall for effect. Riley chose to sit at the main fixed console of the organ as opposed to the remote console typically placed on the main stage for these performances. For two hours he played away, periodically vocalizing in a hypnotic stream of sound.

Of course, the Disney pipe organ, which Riley nicknamed Hurricane Mama, is also a substantially different instrument from the ones he composed for and performed on back then, and Riley visited L.A. on several occasions over the last few years learning about the organ and its capabilities, often experimenting and rehearsing into the wee hours of the morning. The result on Sunday was three pieces. The first two A Persian Surgery Dervish in the Nursery and Salome Dances for Peace were adaptations of prior works here blown up to a grand scale and played essentially without pause for the first hour of the program. The second half consisted of a new composition Universal Bridge specifically written for the occasion. Filled with all the hyper-determined meaning that the phrase implies, the work is about many things beyond the specific occasion of its performance and provided plenty to consider. All three works represented Riley at his wild and woolly best with meandering melodies and rhythms, interlocking repetitive figures and influences from a plethora of areas from Middle Eastern music to the Blues. It was fun-loving stuff and certainly the trippiest experience yet for this young but spectacular centerpiece of the L.A. Philharmonic’s home.

Labels: LA Philharmonic 07/08, Terry Riley

Salonen, Anssi Karttunen, and the LA Phil
Photo : mine 2008

Well, not really. But one could hardly be faulted for thinking so based on Friday’s concert by the L.A. Philharmonic at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Esa-Pekka Salonen led the orchestra in one of a series of shows in the last two weeks of the season that focus on 20th century and more recent composers. The program tonight was all 2oth century, Bartók’s Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta, Stravinsky’s Symphony in Three Movements and Henri Dutilleux’ "Tout un monde lointain..." Not necessarily a readily digestible program but one that nearly filled the hall to capacity on a holiday weekend-Friday—in the rain no less. (That, my friends, is cataclysmic weather by L.A. traffic standards.)

The near capacity crowd was in for a treat as Salonen and the orchestra were in top form. The program began with the Bartók piece - piano, celesta, and harp center stage with the orchestra divided into two separate ensembles on either side. Starting quietly, the music grew to a thrilling and forceful account with Bartók's trademark folk-touches. It was very exciting stuff. After the break was Dutilleux' "Tout un monde lointain...", a de facto cello concerto played in five movements which is almost entirely about small gestures from a very large ensemble. This was a replacement of sorts for a new commission from Oliver Knussen that apparently wasn’t quite ready to go on for this performance so Salonen and soloist Anssi Karttunen switched gears and presented the Dutilleux piece, which certainly featured virtuosic passages Karttunen handled with ease. The work in its own subtle way remains restrained never rising above a fascinating simmer as it weaves in and out flirting with tonality.This was never about flashy theatrics and provided a nice counterpoint to the other works on the bill. Karttunen's visits to L.A. are consistently highlights and that tradition continues.

The program ended with a preview of next season as Salonen led Stravinsky’s big bustling Symphony in Three Movements. Salonen was not messing around, returning from the intermission and blazing into the opening chords with no pause for the audience to even start quieting down. Salonen's admiration for Stravinsky is well established by now, and his performances of Le Sacre du Printemps with the L.A. Phil will always remain in my mind. This Symphony was easily of that quality flying and pouncing with amazing detail and accuracy. The seeming effortlessness of a performance so well controlled is remarkable. At this level, next season, Salonen's last as music director here in L.A., may end up being one of his best. The program repeats on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon if you are so inclined.

Labels: LA Philharmonic 07/08, Salonen

Thomas Adès, Ariana Ghez, and Bruce Hudson
Photo : mine 2008

Is it wrong to have a schoolboy crush on a composer? OK, well, how about a sustained artistic admiration? I’ll admit I’ve developed rather a high opinion of Thomas Adès over the last several years through his many visits to Los Angeles that seems to grow with each new encounter of his work. Wednesday continued that tradition with the first of two appearances he will make at WDCH with members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

So, how cool is this. In the midst of the Philharmonic’s “Baroque Variations” series, which typically features touring ensembles playing the usual Vivaldi, Handel, and the like, in pops Mr. Adès who throws all the usual trappings out the window to devote an entire evening to his own preoccupation with the work of French composer François Couperin. Adès accomplished this in two segments. In the first half of the program he played his own arrangements of Coperin’s works enlisting the help of the superb Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. These works clearly retained Couperin’s baroque melodies, but the structure and attack were radically altered with the orchestra divided into two halves passing the lines back and forth both in cooperative and at times oppositional fashion. The brief pieces suddenly felt amplified and alive in ways one might not typically expect from music of this period, but it was still clearly identifiable and very playful and amusing. The first half concluded with a work of Adès’ own, Sonata da caccia, completed when he was only 23 and intended as a cheeky homage to Couperin. Adès played the harpsichord himself with Ariana Ghez on oboe and Bruce Hudson on French horn. Again the quirky effect of a decidedly modern take on these Baroque forms was not only whimsical and amusing but rather insightful.

Thomas Adès and Tal Rosner
Photo : Clara Molden 2008

For the second half of the program, the games were put on hold as Adès shared Couperin’s music with the audience in its original format just as he himself enjoys it, by his report from the stage, everyday in his own home. Le Parnasse, ou L'apothéose de Corelli was followed by Troisième leçon de ténèbres which featured vocals by local talents Elissa Johnston and Christine Brandes. I think it is always exciting to see living composers talk about and perform the music that excites and inspires them. This is part of why Salonen is such a great conductor and Adès was clearly having fun as well. As with his recent appearances in New York, Adès prefaced these works with comments from the stage, about his own admiration for Couperin and what his own understanding of these compositions were. He was witty, unassuming and downright charming throughout. Adès will be back next week for a program of his own works including the U.S. premiere of a new commission, In Seven Days, a collaboration with video artist and Adès’ partner Tal Rosner, which recently debuted in London to generally positive reviews. Not to be missed.

Labels: LA Philharmonic 07/08, Thomas Ades

Peter Serkin, Christoph von Dohnányi and members of the LA Phil
Photo : mine 2008

Wedged amidst the Salonen-led programs that round out this year’s L.A. Philharmonic season is a bit of an oddity. Not in terms of programming or quality or anything, it’s just that suddenly this weekend we found Christoph von Dohnányi back at the podium for a show that included a good bit of Messiaen and the requisite Beethoven symphony. The show was also supposed to include the talents of Pierre-Laurent Aimard who apparently had to cancel due to back problems. I truly love to hear Aimard play, so I was a bit disappointed, but the Phil seems to have impeccable luck in finding replacements and they phoned in Peter Serkin to cover. Not only is Serkin an expert hand in this area, he also dropped the originally planned Janácek opener in favor of an additional bird themed Messiaen work, Petites esquisses d’oiseaux for solo piano. It asked a lot for the typical Sunday matinée audience who had to manage their active TB cases for this but they didn't do too badly. It was well received, and rightly so.

This was followed by the originally planned Oiseaux exotiques for piano and small ensemble. Together the two Messiaen works were quite wonderful. While I prefer Aimard’s perhaps less industrious approach in general, Serkin gave an account filled with curiosity and detail – without a doubt very thoughtful and studied. Dohnányi stayed out of the way for the most part and let Serkin and the Philharmonic players communicate with each other in this language of the birds. Unfortunately, this trend would not continue into the second half of the program where Beethoven’s 3rd was on offer. What can one say? It was Beethoven’s 3rd, absolutely nothing more. Plain as day and easily bowled over by the first half of the program. Having just heard Salonen conduct the work last season, it made one glad that this weekend was only a short detour before he’s back on track with two very ambitious programs between now and the end of the month.

Labels: Dohnanyi, LA Philharmonic 07/08

The EAR Unit and John Luther Adams
Photo : mine 2008

It’s been a week for chamber music at the Walt Disney Concert Hall with two very different programs in two very different spaces. Upstairs in the main hall, the L.A. Philharmonic hosted its final chamber music program of the season. The L.A. Phil’s chamber music programming has had somewhat of a rocky road since the opening of the new hall. Prior to WDCH, these 8 or so shows a season featuring chamber music played by various combinations of the Phil members were held in various, smaller venues around town. But with the new digs, everything is hosted downtown, and, while it is a beautiful space, it is a very big one – often too big for chamber music. Filling the hall even to half-capacity has been a struggle, and strategies to boost attendance have ranged from free wine for subscribers to the inclusion of visiting guests (e.g., Dudamel, Thibaudet, etc.). Sometimes it works splendidly, sometimes it doesn’t.

Tuesday didn't really work. Despite the presence of guest star Eric Owens, this last show of the season fell flat. It was a grab bag of pieces with no real unifying idea. Of course not everything needs a big concept to justify it’s existence, but the performances here were more rocky than not, including a run-through of Schubert’s “Rosamunde” string quartet and two pieces for two pianos from Reinecke and Schumann. Perhaps the biggest surprise, though, was how workman-like Owen’s own performance was in JS Bach’s Catata BWV 82 “Ich habe genug.” While the playing was quite pretty, I didn’t feel much drama here in terms of either faith or peaceful letting-go. It just was.

But, in case you’re thinking it’s all bad news, the REDCAT hosted the California EAR Unit ensemble downstairs at WDCH on Wednesday for a program of “premieres” all from contemporary composers who were present for the performance. They met varying degrees of success, though it must be said the players of the ensemble including Vicki Ray, Amy Knoles, Erika Duke-Kirkparick, Eric km Clark, Phil O’Connor and guest flutist Sara Andon were excellent without exception. The EAR Unit's appearances at REDCAT are a regular affair and always a special treat. The two best items of the evening ironically were not the two world premieres on the program but the pieces that had actually started their lives elsewhere. First up was Eric Chasalow’s Trois Espace du Son for piano and percussion with more than a handful of electronic elements. A “slow” piece about the decay of tones where, in Chasalow’s own words, “different colors of attack are allowed to resonate.” A particularly interesting second movement included both pianist Ray and percussionist Knoles playing the piano - the former at the keyboard and the latter on both the strings and the structure itself. It worked wonderfully and created a nice companion piece to the other highlight of the show, John Luther Adams’ The Light Within from 2007. Here the glow of the tones is more sustained and solid. It’s tempting here to draw parallels to the themes of light and the environment of Adams’ own Alaskan landscape, but it seems too obvious. It’s beautiful music that should be heard – let’s leave it at that.

The rest of the program was silliness that I could attempt to make witty biting comments about, but this post is running long, so for everyone’s sake I'll leave well enough alone.

Labels: John Luther Adams, LA Philharmonic 07/08, REDCAT 07/08

Salonen, Griffey, Paasikivi and the LA Philharmonic
Photo : mine 2008

Or at least not this weekend at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. What started out as a great program stumbled along the way to a not necessarily superb finish when Esa-Pekka Salonen led the L.A. Philhamonic in a 20th century program including Hindemith’s Mathis der Maler symphony paired with Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde. Certainly a program with very little fluff and the kind of show that Salonen and our excellent hometown crew can get down to serious business with. The soloists for the Mahler included tenor Anthony Dean Griffey and mezzo-soprano Lilli Paasikivi so my expectations naturally were somewhat high.

Things started off well with a very convincing performance of the Hindemith, which benefited greatly from Salonen’s clean-as-a whistle, detailed approach. The sound was amazing and did get one to wondering exactly why we haven’t heard Hindemith’s operas on these shores more regularly. Smaller amounts of less interesting music have been used to launch a thousand Puccini productions over the years, and this symphony proved extremely rewarding.

So with such a strong start, it was hard to wrap my head around why Mahler’s song-cycle of a symphony didn’t fare better. Part of it sadly was Griffey. I love Anthony Dean Griffey and after his triumphant turn as Peter Grimes at the Metropolitan Opera this spring, one wants to believe he can do anything. But Salonen and Mahler were merciless; easily overpowering him throughout and leaving him inaudible even in the great acoustics of the hall. He was clearly straining as if he were being tormented by Bugs Bunny at another famous Los Angeles landmark.


But this wasn’t the Hollywood Bowl, and with the more lively aspects of Erde under water, the slower drearier bits stood out making the work seem more lumbering and ponderous than it needed to. There were a number of really amazing moments, though, attributable in large part to Lilli Paasikivi – yet another Finnish wonder with an absolutely beautiful voice that she employed to maximal effect. She nailed the thanatos of the work. Her appearances in the U.S. have been limited, which is a situation I’d surely vote to change in the very near future. Still, there are plenty more programs featuring Salonen left on this season’s Philharmonic schedule so we’ll keep our fingers crossed that things pick up.

Labels: LA Philharmonic 07/08

Salonen at the podium
Photo : mine 2008

I must keep reminding myself that separation is a process. It will hurt less over time and things do get easier as life goes on. So it is with me, Esa-Pekka Salonen and the L.A. Philharmonic. With a little over a year to go until his departure, I find that I now believe myself about 4 times out of 10 when I tell myself that everything is going to be all right when he is gone. Every day things get a little better.

Of course, nights like yesterday's don’t necessarily help. Salonen was back in town for a series of concerts that will wrap up the 07/08 season in May. This weekend’s main event was an absolutely kick-ass rendition of Bruckner’s 6th Symphony. Clear, cool, and lyrical, it was a performance with insight and Salonen's own brand of detail we’ve come to love here in L.A. Those ringing, solid final notes of each movement were a wonder to hear. Is it crazy to say I'd have paid to hear Salonen lead this excellent group of musicians for those three or four notes alone? It’s like they’re a machine that can stop and turn in a new direction in a split second with no sign of effort. Mozart's clarinet concerto was also on the bill with the L.A. Phil's Michele Zukovsky as soloist. It was thoroughly enjoyable and a nice warm up for the Bruckner. These performances will conclude with a visit to the Segerstrom concert hall tomorrow afternoon.

Labels: LA Philharmonic 07/08, Salonen

Dutoit and Thibaudet
Photo : mine 2008

Let us not forget that the L.A. Philharmonic aims to please. It can’t play Saariaho, Adams, Salonen, and Knussen every night. And while they never pander quite as much or consistently as L.A. Opera, the Philharmonic programs its fair share of greatest hits for the set who aren’t exactly sure when they’re supposed to clap. (Yes, I’m personally trying to destroy classical music with my elitist attitude. If only it were that easy.) Thus tonight began four performances under Charles Dutoit with Ravel’s Ma mère l’oye, Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor, and Saint-Saëns’ Symphony No 3 because when else are you gonna use that big French-fry organ when the Philharmonic's around. The guest soloist was L.A. favorite and frequent visitor Jean-Yves Thibaudet, who again brought his admirable and sophisticated playing to these shores. His seemingly endless appearances here suggest he has a true affinity for this city and since he doesn’t really strike me as the Silverlake type, I assume he must be fraternizing in other parts of our fair metropolis. But while no one gets any gold stars for original programming this weekend, the playing met the typical high-standard and Dutoit is no slouch with this repertory. A good time was had by all.

But the orchestra is not the only group at Walt Disney Concert Hall that seemed to be very open and welcoming this weekend. Is it just me or has there been some new major charm initiative from the ushers at the Music Center? For those of you not familiar with our local system. The LA Music Center is the organization that supports the facilities of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, the WDCH/REDCAT, the Ahmanson Theater and the Mark Taper Forum downtown. Unlike some arts organizations around the country, they have their own professional “house staff” ushers who work the four theaters instead of volunteers. With significant exceptions, these folks, though often sweet and well-intentioned, are frequently slack-jawed youths who are often likely to be more confused about the seating than you are. (I suppose that not unlike flight attendants this is only an ancillary part of their job and that the ushers are mainly there for our safety.) But lately the blank stares and half-frightened offers of assistance with seating have been joined by something new – unsolicited pleasantries. Over the last few weeks I have been met with “I hope you enjoyed the performance” and “Have a safe trip home” on more than one occasion. While I suppose this generates the illusion of consideration, I’m from the Midwest where we firmly believe that if people are friendly with you, it means they want something and you are best advised to be wary. But hey, what’s the harm – L.A.’s a friendly town right?

Even though it has nothing to do with the previous commentary, I have two other brief WDCH and L.A. Phil notes I want to mention. First, a word of advice for newcomers to the hall: when you are exiting the building from the upper floors, do not be fooled that the management has both escalators running in the down direction in an apparent attempt to aid egress from the building. Stick with your instincts and stay to the right side. The escalators that normally go up and are now running in reverse find this new state abhorrent and unnatural and are highly likely to seize up in protest jolting everyone traveling down on the left-side to a sudden stop. I see this happen on average once a month and, entertaining as it may be, I do fear someone may get hurt.

On a second unrelated note, the Philharmonic has done another of their stealth programming changes. The upcoming performances by Esa-Pekka Salonen over the weekend of May 1 will still include the Brahms second piano concerto with Leif Ove Andsnes. However, the originally scheduled orchestral selections from Wagner’s Ring scheduled to open the evening have now been replaced by Götterdämmerung excerpts which will apparently require the assistance of soprano Lisa Gasteen and will now conclude the program. Curiouser and curiouser.

Labels: LA Philharmonic 07/08

Dudamel, Josefowicz and the LA Phil
Photo : mine 2008

It was better. Not great, but better. Over these last few months I have increasingly felt (for no reason other than my own delusions of grandeur) that I alone am carrying the “con” banner when it comes to discussions of Gustavo Dudamel and his veritable beatification by the media here in Los Angeles and around the world. If you don’t believe me, just look at the cover of yesterday’s LA Times. Now I’m no stranger to gushing, but, as I have made the case on many prior occasions, Dudamel is overrated as a conductor at this point in his career.

Now all that being said, I am also aware that mantels can be heavy to bear, so let me put mine down for a moment to talk about the fact that I actually do think the LA Phil’s music-director-to-be is very talented. He exudes a warmth and clearly is well-liked by the orchestra and other musicians. Twice in the last two weeks, he seated himself amongst the orchestra members in order to watch encore performances from celebrity soloists. He appears to care deeply about what he is doing and arguably does bring excitement to the proceedings. Although his approach seems overly enthusiastic a little too often, he is not dull to watch. And frankly dull may be a bigger crime than overstated.

This weekend the Philharmonic was again in his hands with a largely French program including Debussy's Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune and Ravel’s complete ballet music for Daphnis and Chloé. And, while neither was perfect, there was a clear sense of dynamics, particularly in the Ravel. I’m usually not a fan of ballet music (with a few exceptions) and the Ravel is not a favorite. I thought Dudamel’s account was engaging and worthwhile. The Pacific Chorale sounded great as did the Philharmonic players. The Debussy seemed unfocused, but was not bombastic or inappropriate at all. Of course I was sitting in the Balcony due to the high demand for tickets for all these sold-out shows this weekend, which may have tempered things for me, but I still felt this was a significant improvement over his last few appearances with the LA Phil, and certainly the best since his debut at Walt Disney Concert Hall.

The other big item on the menu was the second Bartòk violin concerto with Leila Josefowicz, which I admired more in concept than in actual execution. Josefowicz seemed distant to me at times, but this is not an easily digestible work, and to feature it is the first sign that Dudamel won’t completely be timid about the 20th century (or at least the first half of it). It seemed to me that conductor and soloist were attentive to one another even though it didn’t quite come together all the way. So, admittedly, I for one left Sunday’s matinée pleased. Despite my recent doom and gloom on the topic, I think the Dudamel era may well be a remarkable one. There may be a lot of PR crap to cut through to get to it, but it may be there. And maybe I can begin to believe that NY didn’t get the better bargain with Alan Gilbert after all.

Labels: Dudamel, LA Philharmonic 07/08, Music Reviews 07/08

Dudamel, Simon Trpceski, and the LA Philharmonic
Photo: mine 2008

So I’m back in LA and, while I still have some New York stuff to write about (which I’ll get to later), I rushed back today primarily to hear our beloved LA Philharmonic in the last of this weekend’s shows under the direction of Gustavo Dudamel. These were his first appearances with the full orchestra since the announcement that he will take over the music director’s position here in 2009 after the departure of Esa-Pekka Salonen. It was a big show at least in terms of expectations and if nothing else is clear, the city has already warmly embraced our young new intended music director, if Sunday’s audience was any indication. Even the musicians themselves seem to love him already. So, how come I can't seem to bring myself to jump into the love-fest?

Let me continue to go on record as saying that, while there is plenty to be excited about with Dudamel, I, for one, am still far from won over. This may be more psychological than anything in that he seems to have been given the easiest ride imaginable in the press, which always raises my suspicions. There seems to be an awareness of his shortcomings but they are always presented as somehow charming and youthful. The fawning seems nearly without end.

This weekend’s shows included Esa-Pekka Salonen’s own Insomnia, as well as Prokofiev's first piano concerto played by Simon Trpceski, and Berlioz’ Symphonie fantastique. All of the pieces were given enthusiastic and admirable performances, cranked up to full crowd-pleasing mode. There were certainly more of a dynamic range here than with anything played by the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra under Dudamel last November. But as enjoyable as this all may have been, it still seems to me that Dudamel has one approach to virtually everything and he’s sticking with it. Everything is taken at its full-bore, juiced-up enthusiastic best. It’s certainly a fun, dramatic, and exciting way to take in the world of music, but one that lacks an amount of subtlety and texture. Salonen’s piece suffered the most under this weight, and while Dudamel’s rendition had much to recommend it in terms of energy and tension, it paled in comparison to Salonen’s own approach to the work which we here in LA have had the benefit of hearing first hand on a number of occasions.

Still, I suppose overly energetic is preferable to dull and lifeless any day. I guess I just wish there seemed to be a little more middle ground here. Dudamel will return for more shows next weekend featuring Debussy and Ravel but it appears that these programs are sold out already as were this weekend's.

Labels: LA Philharmonic 07/08, Music Reviews 07/08

Janine Jansen and Edo de Waart with the LA Philharmonic
Photo: mine 2008

Before I took off for New York this week, the LA Philharmonic treated me (and everyone else fortunate enough to be in attendance) to a surprise. This came in the form of 30-year-old virtuoso violinist Janine Jansen who visited in a series of performances this weekend. It seems these days that young, attractive musicians with glossy marketing campaigns are a dime a dozen and Jansen is no exception. The surprise however is that not only is she talented, but she projects a sense of earnestness without a note of the arrogance or histrionics that plagues so many of her peers. And what's more – she did this playing Tchaikovsky of all things. On Friday, Jansen joined members of the LA Philharmonic in a chamber music program where she led an amazing performance of Souvenir de Florence. Certainly nothing radical here but the sheer spirit of the work shone through without an ounce of cheap sentiment. And for a follow-up, Jansen performed the very tried and very true Tchaikovsky violin concerto with the entire Philharmonic under the leadership of Edo de Waart. Again Jansen played the mustiest of numbers with a remarkable freshness. LA tends to be a town quick on the standing ovation, but these were two evenings where they were well deserved.

Speaking of LA audiences and our local arts institutions, the LA Times published a rather lengthy and at times interesting round-table discussion between the leaders of LA’s five major arts organizations – LACMA’s Michael Govan, the Getty Foundation’s James N Wood, Center Theater Group’s Michael Ritchie, the LA Philharmonic’s Deborah Borda, and LA Opera’s Placido Domingo. The questions generally concerned LA’s development as a major cultural center and the challenges local organizations face particularly compared to other major US cities. The group raises many important points about the need for improved arts education in developing future audiences and the city’s need for a richer and more sustained practice of arts philanthropy. The most interesting point, however, comes at the very end of this long discussion when our hero, Placido Domingo, brings up the issue of the local media.

After literally pages of the Times hemming and hawing over the role “Hollywood” does or doesn’t play in the city’s cultural organizations, Domingo boldly, but also politically, notes that an actual problem may be the relative lack of an involved, local media culture that is engaged in a critical way with these institutions. He notes that cities such as Chicago and New York have much richer and varied media outlets that engage the work of their local institutions whereas LA is almost exclusively reliant on the Times. LA is certainly lucky to have the many wonderful arts critics it does have at the Times including Mark Swed, Charles McNulty, Lewis Segal, and Christopher Knight. However, outside of the LA Weekly’s staff including Alan Rich, this is about it. When there is a big arts event in LA, you can bet that more will be written about those events by out-of-town media than anyone local that should have an investment in the community as a whole.

And what’s worse, the Times continues to run under the control of out-of-towners whose vision of LA, its role in the world, and its people, seems more informed by the movies made in Hollywood than any familiarity with reality. A constant call to cut back through reduced staff reporting in many areas threatens virtually the only major source of coverage of local arts as well as other news. While Mr. Domingo is wise to be politic in his comments, the truth is that the Times is not sufficient to cover the arts in a city as diverse and alive as Los Angeles, and it itself is threatened by the short-sighted desire to improve its bottom line in an industry under pressure.

Labels: LA Philharmonic 07/08, Music Reviews 07/08

Grizzly Bear are (l-r) Chris Taylor, Edward Droste, Daniel Rossen, and Christopher Bear

One of the most popular tactics for getting butts (particularly young, firm ones) in American orchestral hall seats these days in a post-music education world is the indie-rock collaboration. Take an orchestra, create some reason for them to play in or around an independent pop-rock outfit and presto – instant event. The Oregon Symphony proceeded into these grounds this year to much clucking by opening the door to what could be described as an endorsement with the possibility of other collaborations with Portland hometown hero Thomas Lauderdale and Pink Martini. The Los Angeles Philharmonic is no stranger to this tactic either and in the last several seasons has bent over backwards to add shows during their major programming initiatives, which include a wide variety of independent rock, electronic, folk and other artists. So this weekend's one-off concert that paired the Philharmonic with the lo-fi indie outfit Grizzly Bear is no surprise. Brooklyn-based Grizzly Bear, under the guidance of founder Edward Droste, has made a reputation for playing loosely structured pop with a heavy dose of electronics but not necessarily big beats. (And for those of you needing clarification they should not to be confused with Bear Force One.) Saturday's show was conceived as an “intimate evening of sensory immersion” with both organizations playing individual sets. The show began with the LA Phil playing “selections hand-picked by Grizzly Bear and the LA Phil, reflecting classical music’s influence on the band’s sound.”

Nor Grizzly Bear (Bear Force One)

OK, whatever. I’m not sure exactly how true this is, especially since Daniel Rossen and Philharmonic conductor Joana Carneiro made no attempt to argue either before or during the show how works in either half were related to one another. When he came out on stage with Caneiro at the show’s start, Rossen was clearly surprised to see the near capacity crowd filling the hall, but his pre-show commentary was restricted mostly to a “wow, we’re glad to be here” moment. Still, both sets were quite strong and there are certainly connections that can be drawn between Grizzly Bear’s music and the pieces chosen for (or by) the LA Phil. The show started with a Berio arrangement of Boccherini’s Ritirata notturna di Madrid that employs some of the same layering techniques that Grizzly Bear has a fondness for using: in the latter's interpretation, recorded loops of flute or clarinet to augment a song's arrangement. Britten’s Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes followed and is atmospheric and arguably loosely structured in a way reminiscent of the band as well. Finally, Caneiro led a very lively version of Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite that was enthusiastically received by an audience that clearly was not as experienced with this kind of music as many that have filled the WDCH over it’s first few years. If the goal was to get a young crowd in the house and impress them with some very well-played accessible bits of 20th century music, the strategy seems to have worked.

After the break, Grizzly Bear took the stage and delivered a number of favorites from Friend and Yellow House. The amplification was a bit of a problem and the vocals sounded echoey at times but this hardly seemed to matter in these low-key unstructured songs. The set ran for just over 90 minutes and was stronger than what one might expect given the results of such acts in this venue over the last few years. The group's quirky and open-ended sound filled the space, making the band seem much bigger than it actually was. Things never exactly rock or take off, but the songs have enough hooks that they draw one in, not unlike the super hits of the 70s at times. It was actually a very enjoyable evening all around. And even if the programming idea was just a cheap excuse to throw everybody together for one night, who cares when the results are this good.

Labels: LA Philharmonic 07/08, Music Reviews 07/08

Time for a big hug - Conlon and Repin with the LA Phil
Photo: mine 2008

...is James Conlon. Or at least he’s the title holder in the LA classical music scene this weekend. Like some American Gergiev, JC headed up 3 performances by the LA Philharmonic as well as two performances for LA Opera (Otello and Der Zwerg) all in the course of three days. The man is a machine and perhaps the most remarkable part is how good it all was. The Philharmonic shows included Tchaikovsky’s 5th symphony and the 1st Shostakovich violin concerto. Vadim Repin was the soloist and he wowed a very appreciative crowd on Sunday with blazing virtuosity and real passion for Shostakovich’s maniacal masterpiece. Like a Pinter play, Shostakovich should always be equal parts fun and menace and Repin and Conlon proved to be kindred spirits. The Tchaikovsky was lively and Conlon left nary a pause between any of the movements. This may have not been the most detail oriented or piercing interpretation but it had real momentum and purpose throughout. (I’ll talk more about the Otello performance later).

The really unexpected part is this – in this town that Salonen built where anxiety is widespread over his pending departure despite all the big promises of a Dudamel-filled future, Conlon has stepped in and quietly become the next major driving force in the musical life of this community. In less than two years he has developed a beloved following from both local audiences and (I’m told) the musicians playing under his leadership. He has laid out an agenda that he has so far delivered on with fairly good results across the board programming both more Wagner and overlooked German repertory for LAO. He is truly excited about what he is doing and is eager to share it with audiences here personally. For example, he’s been doing most of the pre-opera talks of the projects he’s involved with himself and he’s as likely as not to make comments from the stage before his Philharmonic appearances. He is fully involved in community outreach and has already led two free semi-staged performances of large scale works from Britten and Handel at Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral downtown. He attacks everything with gusto and I for one am thrilled about what he’s done so far. We are lucky to have Conlon here right now. So while his LA Phil appearances are done for this year, there are still several performances of both Otello and Der Zwerg to be seen through the middle of March after which JC will be off from LA until the Fall. Don’t miss out.

Labels: LA Philharmonic 07/08, Music Reviews 07/08

Maazel and his cast of thousands
Photo: mine 2008

In a way it seems unfair to pick on Lorin Maazel these days. This is a popular pastime in print and on the internet and blaming him for any number of ills in performances of all stripes seems all too commonplace. But when you see a piece presented as unremarkably as Britten’s War Requiem was on Thursday night with the LA Philharmonic under his guidance, it’s also hard to avoid. On break from performances of Die Walküre at the Metropolitan Opera, Maazel led the Philharmonic for the first time in nearly thirty years. Also on stage were the combined resources of the LA Master Chorale and Children’s Chorale as well as three soloists including soprano Nancy Gustafson, tenor Vale Rideout, and baritone Ian Greenlaw. LA Phil Assistant Conductor Lionel Bringuier led the smaller chamber ensemble that punctuates the Requiem throughout. But all the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't quite make all the pieces of Britten's massive work come together.

So what went wrong? I’m not exactly sure. It’s just that the whole thing seemed rather stale and mawkish. Maybe it was just the lack of a certain British quality to the proceedings. Certainly the work requires a certain amount of reserve, but tonight Maazel and the orchestra just seemed distant and hollow. Much of the first half came off as didactic – all the elements were there and the music sounded good but it didn't hit the mark. The Wilfred Owen texts, as beautiful as they are, almost seemed farcical at times as if taken out of a bad student play. There were bright spots, though. Gustafson stood out and the Master Chorale and Children’s chorale seemed to rise above it all, providing the lion’s share of the evening's memorable moments. Even the silly fade to black in the final bars with a sole spotlight on the conductor couldn’t detract from the wonderful singing of the chorale. Still, with current events what they are, such a hollow War Requiem seems like a missed opportunity.

Labels: LA Philharmonic 07/08, Music Reviews 07/08

The LA Philharmonic with Salonen and Marino Formenti
Photo: mine 2008

The 20th century music bonanza continues in LA this week as our very own Esa-Pekka Salonen dropped back into town in the midst of the “Concrete Frequency” Programs just in case any of us had forgotten the role he has played in helping develop this city's interest in music from the last 40 to 50 years. As is typically the case, he does nothing half way and tonight he presented a freaking fantastic performance of Messiaen’s Des canyons aux étoiles with the profound and emotional playing of Marino Formenti at the piano. (Check out his excellent website.) Of course this is a Messiaen anniversary year so his wonderful music suddenly is in abundance everywhere. But whatever the reason, the huge crowd at Walt Disney Concert Hall tonight was clearly blown away by a performance that was nothing short of masterful.

Written as a commission for the commemoration of the American bicentennial, Des canyons aux étoiles is Messiaen’s reflection of what is perhaps the most beautiful places in North America – Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks. Messiaen may not have seemed the most obvious choice for this work. Let’s face it – what says America more than birds, stars, and Catholicism? But the French have a long tradition of making spectacular gifts to the US and this is no exception. Strangely, and wonderfully, the heady Messiaenic mix overwhelms with beauty and a true sense of spirituality. The work weaves in and out of material about specific birds, the beauty of the canyons, and the stars over the course of its twelve segments incorporating material for solo piano as well as more concerto-like movements. Salonen held everything in complete control producing a loving performance from his band of Philharmonic regulars including a remarkable horn solo from William Lane. The concluding segments of both the second and third parts were awe-inspiring. Although the piano soloist was originally announced to be Andreas Haefliger, an extremely fortunate substitution was made with the presence instead of Formenti. No stranger to Messiaen or the Los Angeles contemporary music scene, Formenti played with remarkable intensity switching from light and birdlike to darkly celestial without missing a beat. He and Salonen, as well as the rest of the players, received an extended standing ovation from the crowd.

The only bad news would seem to be this – with such a miraculous performance so early in this Messiaen year, everything else may be downhill from such a pinnacle.

Labels: LA Philharmonic 07/08, Music Reviews 07/08, Salonen

The LA Philharmonic with Michael Gordon, Bill Morrison, and David Robertson
Photo: mine 2008

This weekend marked the last two performances in the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s “Concrete Frequency” series in which our wonderful local ensemble continued presenting late 20th century masterpieces under the guidance of guest conductor David Robertson. All of this continued to be spuriously yoked to the concept that this music has something to say about urban existence. Robertson certainly continued to make eloquent arguments from the stage as to why. But even if this all seemed a bit of a stretch for me, I have no problem with the Phil coming up with whatever flimsy excuses it needs to program this great music.

Probably the most challenging and rewarding of the shows was on Thursday. The theme that night was the role of nightlife in cities so (surprise!) it was filled with smoky, jazz-influenced numbers like Zimmermann’s Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra, performed here with the exemplary assistance of Alison Balsom. The Phil even imported some jazz-band ringers for an encore of Monk's Round Midnight. In an equally forced, but far more successful move, Robertson paired Ives’ Central Park in the Dark not with the typical The Unanswered Question but with Berio’s Sequenza X for trumpet here played by Gabriele Cassone. The usually winning Ives mania worked well in this context creating a real sense of foreboding and tension. But the real prize of the evening was the extremely quiet and jarring performance of Morton Feldman’s The Turfan Fragments. Twenty minutes of these dissonant and shifting pulsations probably said more about the city that is Los Angeles than any of the skyscraper/industry stuff that littered the rest of the program. Here is a city Angelenos know – multiple fragments, never working together, but strangely affecting, each in their own concurrent way. Mark Swed is right, any orchestra daring enough to program this deserves kudos, and this was a performance to remember.

The final show on Saturday started off with a rather Messiaenic sounding …explosante-fixe… from the mind of Pierre Boulez. Robertson didn’t even try to force the whole city rubric here. He just let it rip with the assistance of two sharpies from IRCAM in Paris on the laptop. It was great and very, very pretty. It’s too bad the series had to end in the way that it did with the ultimately disappointing Dystopia, a world premiere from composer Michael Gordon and filmmaker Bill Morrison. Obviously the series was going to end the way that it began. The first piece in the first show was Copland’s suite for the 30s propaganda film The City presented with the film to remind us all about the soulless destructive nature of the urban environment. With Dystopia, "Concrete Frequency" had finally moved away from the East Coast and gotten around to focusing of the urban landscape of Los Angeles. Morrison's combination of local archival footage spliced with his own work was designed around Gordon's score. Sadly, Morrison has little new to say on the topic in the intervening 70 years since The City. The piece heartily embraces every worn out cliché about a dystopian Los Angeles as the modern template for the distressed, alienating urban landscape. Here you have it all – garbage dumps, traffic jams, poverty, and pollution. Morrison was even able to find all five or six skyscrapers we have downtown for some typical empty soulless alien landscape shots. Gordon’s music pulses along in an urgent if pleasing post-minimalism sort of way that nevertheless has its charms. But at the core of Dystopia is a hollow and pointless commentary that apparently still has a market.

If you want to learn about music and the urban experience in the city of Los Angeles, why not start with Charles Burnett’s 1977 masterpiece Killer of Sheep just recently available on DVD for the first time. This is a film I first became aware of through Thom Anderson's 2003 documentary about the representation of Los Angeles in film history, Los Angeles Plays Itself. Anderson explores the problems with "dystopian" views of Los Angeles far more eloquently than I can here. Killer of Sheep may not be Boulez or Feldman, but it may in fact have something to say about a “concrete frequency,” whatever that may be.

Labels: LA Philharmonic 07/08

David Robertson and the LA Philharmonic
Photo: mine 2008

It’s back to business here in LA and the Philharmonic has wasted no time in diving into the new year with one of their major programming initiatives this season. As usual, the marketing people have had their way and come up with perhaps the worst, most indecipherable title for the series, “Concrete Frequency.” In reality, these two week's worth of shows consist of music addressing the experience of urban existence in the 20th century. I suppose this is as legitimate a theme as any, but the really good news is that it serves as an excuse for the Philharmonic to perform a variety of 20th century masterpieces not commonly heard from major American orchestras. The series is under the leadership of David Robertson who is no stranger to this kind of material and his experience was evident in the very strong playing by the Phil as the series got underway.

This weekend was the first of three Philharmonic shows in the series and consisted of Copland’s music for The City, Frank Zappa’s Dupree’s Paradise, George Crumb’s A Haunted Landscape, and Varèse’s Amériques. These are clangy, evocative works filled with wonder and consternation at a densely packed landscape. The high points were definitely in the second half of the show with Crumb’s quiet sounds of isolation and Varèse’s loud booming vision of a new world he arrived in following WWI. These last two pieces provided a nice contrast in that Crumb's Landscape was eerie producing a sense of isolation, a sound that Robertson argued referred to the sensation of a large empty downtown area in the evening. Amériques is maximal music uninterested in melody with everything thrown in to the mix including an air-raid siren. However, while all of this was interesting and enthusiastically received, it was also somewhat disjointed for this audience. With the exception of the short Zappa work, this music is wedded to the vision of a dystopian city filled with skyscrapers, smoke, and the press of people on the streets – a city vision much closer to an East Coast metropolis than anything we in Los Angeles know. “Concrete Frequency” may be about city life, but not about the city we Angelenos live in with its omnipresent sun, large expanses, and physical separation. Not that LA isn't a dystopia, it's just a very pretty and different one.

But no matter how good or bad the playing in any of the “Concrete Frequency” shows may be, they are already in some ways a huge success. The Philharmonic is reasonably filling the WDCH for seven concerts with often challenging music composed entirely in the 20th Century without an obligatory performance of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. I doubt there are too many large classical music ensembles in the US that would dare to pull this off. The programs continue through next weekend and include at least two other programs of popular music from other artists, all at WDCH.

Labels: LA Philharmonic 07/08, Music Reviews 07/08

In full regalia
Gustavo Dudamel and the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela
Photo: mine 2007

I had not planned to comment on the second night of the performances from the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela at the Walt Disney Concert Hall under Gustavo Dudamel. After my report on the first night, I figured I’d leave it at that, but it turned out to be such a strange and surreal mix of elements, that I’ve changed my mind. The evening started out with much more promise. Apparently Dudamel got the memo about the volume and overall things were toned down to a much more pleasing level. (To be fair, it appears that many instruments were held up in customs and the orchestra did not get adequate time to rehearse in the space.) The program started with a very spirited Beethoven’s 5th that was hard not to admire. It was one of those big sound productions popular a few decades ago with a beefed up orchestration to make everything sound fuller. I’m no expert in this area, but I’m pretty sure Beethoven didn’t originally call for 5 flutes and 4 oboes. Still the playing was strongly felt. The group got another standing ovation at intermission as love poured from an audience with more than a few expatriate Venezuelans.

The second half focused on Latin American composers – Moncayo’s Huapango, Márquez’ Danzón No. 2, and Ginastera’s Suite from Estancia. The group and Dudamel were clearly having fun and the audience again responded in kind. Dudamel does in fact appear to be the real deal and the performances he elicited from this group of relative youngsters while not perfect was better than much of what you could expect from most professional orchestras these days particularly in terms of energy level. He is among close friends with the SBYOV and the ease of communication shows. It is easy to be swept away with the sheer youthful enthusiasm of the group.

However, it was at this point that things got a little weird. The show ended with a series of encores drenched in spirited patriotism for Venezuela. The house lights dimmed briefly as the musicians donned blazers with the red, yellow and blue of the Venezuelan flag. The crowd became ecstatic and then John Williams (of all people) appeared in his own Venezuela blazer to lead the massive group through the theme from Star Wars. The SBYOV continued through at least two other encores including the Mambo segment from West Side Story. At this point the group stood and swayed and periodically danced around in maneuvers that are standard fare for most high school marching bands as the excitement level grew. As a final encore, Dudamel cajoled his mentor and SBYOV founder José Antonio Abreu onto the stage where he led the orchestra through the Venezuelan national anthem. Some commentators, including Pliable, have noted discomfort with this brand of patriotism from any group but especially concerning in this case given the current political realities in Venezuela. While this very talented group of young people are drawing attention around the world, this very day their peers are under assault with tear gas and rubber bullets for defending democracy in the streets of Caracas. Of course, we Americans can appreciate what it is like to feel pride in one’s homeland even when that place has political leaders who make very poor decisions and are reviled both at home and abroad. Still, I would have to agree that all this flag waving pushes some boundaries. Certainly this is not 1938 and they aren't playing Deutschland über alles, but I can also certainly imagine Mr. Williams growing to regret some of those photos with his on-stage wardrobe a few years down the line.

Still, for now, everyone seems to be able to look the other way and have a good time, an art mastered by Americans. If anyone had any doubt of that, the appearance of Los Angeles’ own progressively more-troubled Mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa, during the second half should have made that clear. Dudamel and these young players give off many good vibrations and those in need of them are apparently not far from hand. Dudamel has had some big name music mentors including Barenboim, Rattle, and Claudio Abbado, and, if he is wise, he might have leaned in for some words of wisdom from the mayor as well. If these performances indicate anything for Dudamel’s future in LA it may be this – he may be much less likely to face musical difficulties than he is to face political ones. Fair or not, the more of a despot Hugo Chavez becomes and the more his country and the US are at odds, the more pressure he may feel here to take a stand for what he believes in. Dudamel has carefully avoided taking positions on the controversies in his home country in the press while maintaining a necessary amount of contact with the Chavez regime that continues to provide funding for the SBYOV. Dudamel’s biggest challenge here in LA may be remaining publicly neutral in regards to events in his own country. These are tensions felt by many in the expatriate Venezuelan community here, and it may not just be the press that proves unforgiving.

Labels: Dudamel, LA Philharmonic 07/08, SBYOV