LA Chamber Orchestra displays its range in outstanding season opening concert

Andrew Norman, James Matheson, and Augustin Hadelich

Do you have one of those friends that are good at seemingly everything they do?  You might already know that they’re like that, but when you see them in action you always have to shake your head in surprise and admiration.

Jeffrey Kahane and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra are like that.

They kicked off their 2012/2013 season Saturday evening in Glendale with a generous program, featuring West Coast premieres of works by Andrew Norman and James Matheson sandwiched in between two very different concertos:  the Ravel Piano Concerto in D with Mr. Kahane conducting from the keyboard, and the Beethoven Violin Concerto with Augustin Hadelich in his LACO debut.

With its mix of different compositional styles and performance requirements, the concert gave Mr. Kahane and the orchestra a great opportunity to demonstrate the breadth of their musicality and talent.  If one had never been to a LACO concert before, I’d be hard pressed to think of a better way to become acquainted with the variety of things these musicians can do in an orchestral setting.  Taken in combination with their other series for smaller ensembles (most prominent among them are the “Baroque Conversations” downtown and innovative “Westside Connections” in Santa Monica), it was the kind of concert that shows how LACO continues to stretch the boundaries of what a traditional “chamber orchestra” can and should be.  Thank God for that.

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