I love Summer. The longer days and warmer weather facilitate more outdoor activities in Southern California. We can enjoy the plethora of al fresco high- and low-brow choices without the annoyances of mosquitos, high humidity, or thunderstorms to ruin the fun. Musically, the Hollywood Bowl looms large over the scene, and with the top-notch multi-genre … Continue reading
Expectations have been rather high for the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s 2018/19 season. After all, they’ve had some rather impressive seasons leading up to it, and you’d guess that they’d make an even bigger splash for their 100th Anniversary season. The full season announcement was to have been made this morning Alas, we’ll have to wait … Continue reading
This past weekend’s press release from Los Angeles Opera about Music Director James Conlon’s latest contract extension through the end of the 2020/2021 season included statements from General Director Plácido Domingo, Board Chair Marc Stern, and Mr. Conlon himself. One person who was not quoted was the company’s Resident Conductor, Grant Gershon, so I asked him for … Continue reading
With the season-opening gala in the rear view mirror, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Music Director Gustavo Dudamel decided to kick-off their regular subscription concerts with a tried-and-true formula: Beethoven, more Beethoven, and a newish work by a living composer inspired by Beethoven. Such concerts usually attract a full house, but they can also be … Continue reading
I watched the Dodgers win a playoff game two nights ago. This is notable not so much for the Blue Crew’s victory but rather because of the fact that I actually watched it. Due to a combination of obstinacy and greed from Time-Warner cable, roughly 75% of Dodger fans can’t watch the team’s games. Normally such a … Continue reading
We in Southern California are so spoiled. We’ve got amazing weather and a diverse geography with which to enjoy it; where else can you spend a couple of hours surfing in the morning and be snow skiing by lunchtime? We’ve got Vin Scully, two Stanley Cups in three years, and two solid college football teams 13 … Continue reading
The Los Angeles Philharmonic is in the midst of the continental European leg of its tour to London, Lucerne, Paris, and New York. Reviews of concerts in London have been consistent in their high praise of the orchestra’s performance and sound in the fairly adventurous repertoire they have taken on the road. On balance, they … Continue reading
As promised, I did my best to tweet details of the upcoming Los Angeles Philharmonic 2013/2014 season. That said, I’m sure there are those among you who didn’t follow along for whatever reason — perhaps you were otherwise occupied, or maybe you just don’t do that newfangled Twitter thing, or the dog ate your homework. … Continue reading
For their season finale, the Los Angeles Philharmonic ordered up a world premiere of a major new work from John Adams, their Creative Chair and one of the most prominent American composers currently living. Once again, the orchestra was thinking big and taking risks. You’ve gotta appreciate their moxy. Audentes fortuna juvat — “Fortune favors the … Continue reading
I’m killing time before this evening’s Los Angeles Philharmonic concert by drinking an old fashioned — a really good one, BTW, care of the bartender at the Omni Hotel near Walt Disney Concert Hall. Anyways, I started thinking about tonight’s world premiere of The Gospel According to the Other Mary, a modern bit of social … Continue reading
“Let’s rrrrock this place.” Gustavo Dudamel wasn’t talking about the Prokofiev 5th Symphony when he made that comment from the stage at Walt Disney Concert Hall, but he could have been. In fact, he should have been. On a Friday night when the performance of a newly commisioned work for electric cello should have provided … Continue reading
There is a point in the last movement of Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique when funeral bells loudly toll and announce the beginning of a dance of witches. The ominous three note sequence repeats — forte, then piano — and continues on as the tubas begin playing the Dies Irae from the old Roman Catholic mass for … Continue reading
I received an email from the Los Angeles Philharmonic a couple of days ago informing me that there would be a slight change for their October 20 & 21 programs: instead of Tromba Lontana by John Adams, the curtain raiser will now be Short Ride on a Fast Machine (also by Adams) in a concert which also includes … Continue reading
All is Yar 