The first symphony of John Corillaino, which Gustavo Dudamel and New York Filarmony was introduced at the beginning of the new season, begins with the wavy crush of orchestral rage. Lines play in unison, which quit under pressure from varnishes. Timpani, bass -drums and piano follow with a concussion. After the second howl in the strings, the shock percussion brings two more blows in a quick sequence – the dark echo of the rhythm of the “fanfare of Copland for an ordinary person”. Finally, the entire ensemble unleashes a dissonant cry, with the ruthless blows of Timpani, recalling the first symphony of Brahms and the anti -war opera Bern Alois Zimmerman, Die Sondaten. Corillaino wrote his symphony at the end of the nineteen eighties to mourn the friends who died from AIDS And condemn the indifference to these deaths. The work contains sonorous bouts of sadness, but rage is its main registry.
Dudamel, who officially begins his stay as a music director of the Philharmonic in the next season, but is already effectively answering, was never brazenly by a political artist, but politics has a way to catch up with him. The product of the Venezuelan program for educating music, known as El Sistema, he had long been silent about the problems of human rights in his country. Then, in 2017, he expressed concern about the regime of Nicholas Maduro, which led to many years of absence in Venezuela. Now that he ends his stay in the Philharmonic in Los -Andheles and turns his attention to New York, he breaks away from a fresh wave of repression, this time emanating from the White House. Last summer, he planned to deliver to the Hollywood bowl the symphony of Simon Bolivar, the flagship orchestra El System, but, according to La Fila, from the “Complications of Travel” – perhaps the performances were canceled.
Against this background and with the administration of Trump, they demonize trans-people and undermine the achievements of gay rights, Corillano first lands with particular force. Dudamel and the orchestra delivered an account with absolute conviction and almost punishing. Solo -violonocels of Carter Bray in the first and last movements provided a vulnerable, very human contrast with an onslaught. Corillano, who was eighty -seven, was at hand to take huge applause.
I was struck by two things about the launch of the Philharmonic season. Firstly, the orchestra covers pluralism and diversity in the face of the right Kulturkampf. The opening program included “from light and stone”, a new luminous part of the local Hawaiian composer Leilehua Lanzilotti. This quotes the songs of Queen Liliuokalani, the last monarch Hawaii, which states that the islands have a proud cultural tradition that has long been preceding their seizure of the United States. This work was paired with the third concert of Bartok, written in New York by the expulsion from Hungary, aligned by the Nazis. Later this season, Dudamel will hold the orchestral version of the masterpiece of protest Frederick Rzuuska: “The people of United never suffered a defeat!”; Thomas Ades will repeat his 1999 cantata “America: Prophecy”, which includes Maya's apocalyptic texts; And Kvama Ryan will head the new account of the great black composer George Lewis. These events are part of the series, observing the double anniversary of the United States, but no one will take them for triumphal propaganda.
It was also noteworthy that Dudamam used his celebrity to advance the work of modern music. In his first years, he focused mainly on the classic canon in Los -Angeles, but recently he paid more and more attention to new work, paying special attention to Latin American composers. It seems to be encouraging, he seems to be ready to fulfill this mission in New York and, possibly, even advance it further. It is also not limited to light material. Symphony Corillano in style and confrontational in style and confrontation. If Dudamel was not on the catwalk, I believe that after a break there would be many places. I went to two performances, on Saturday evening and on Sunday afternoon, and in both cases the vast majority of the audience remained to the end.
In the older repertoire, Dudamam reached mixed results. In Bartock, he postponed the amazing young pianist Ununhankhan Lim, who, in slow movement, voiced chords with a dreamy sensitivity, which resembled an incomparable pleasing. Happy BIS, in the form of a song by Annio Morricone “Love Affair”, reminded us that Lim is still a child. The Dudamel of the second symphony of Aves was originally not enough characterized, but in the Adagio cello, they strengthened the mood with brilliant, amber phrases, and the finale was noisy to the maximum. The smallest satisfactory proposal was the fifth place of Beethoven, which preceded Corillano. The first movement, which made it more than it moved forward; Dudamel slowed the impulse, inserting strange little Ritarchdandos. The second movement lacked song, and the third had little secret. Horns flashed too loudly everywhere. Only in the final, the performance was hung in life. The orchestra seemed only adapted related to the direction of Dudamel – a warning sign among the noise.
In less than a week, Dudamel returned to California, opening his last season in La Phil. Again, the premiere was compared with jam. Ellen Reed “Earth between the Oceans”, receiving his world premiere, is an exciting chaotic Paan for the Power of Nature, which, as the composer says in a software note, will inevitably survive “rising political chaos”. Khoral Los -Angeles said non -verbal syllables, but the message was somehow clear. The raid assessment alternates between Rapsodia and the column, and the latter wins in a violent code. (Dudamam will bring a work in New York in the spring.) The authoritatively developing story about the “Alpine Symphony” Strauss had long -awaited wildness, as if under the influence of the story of the raid. Charisma and energy of Dudamel will be missed in Los Angeles, although, since Esa-Pekka Salonen must leave for a five-year term as a creative director, the orchestra is unlikely to lose positions.
Politics also appeared in the first night of the capital's opera, in which the local premiere of the “amazing adventures of Kavalier & Clay” Mason Bates participated. The fact that gay -ties play a role in this story may explain why Peter Gelb, MET General Manager, turned to the audience, saying: “On this, we proudly support the freedom of artistic expression.” When Gelb was on stage, he was welcomed by applause, as well as with some BUU. Bure, perhaps, was completely thought about the recently declared cooperation between MET with the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where the expression is not free, and homosexuality can be punishable as a result of death. Then Gelb introduced Senator Chaka Shumer, who said: “The art is attacked”, prompting several people in the crowd to answer: “Do something about it!” Others shouted: “Approve the Mamdani!” When the crowd of MET starts angry, everything is not very good on Earth.
After the curtain rose, the evening went into predictable patterns. Once again, MET ordered a new play on ambitious theme, the novel by Michael Chabon 2000 about two Brooklyn Jewish cousins, an American and charismatic Czech emigrant, who combines the Nazi’s superhero, and gave him a composer who demonstrates more skill than a person. Like Kevin’s “Clock”, since 2022, and “reasonable” Janin Teseri since 2024, “Kavalier & Clay” is turning over the catalog of styles, not finding a distinctive, generative voice. In the beginning, we hear thoughtfully and minor, followed by the thoughtful G-Sharp Minor with the first inversion. The same progress appears as a result of John Williams' score for the “raiders of the lost ark” to a stronger effect. Later, the fallen string figures and dying drones have the taste of Danny Elfman and Hans Zimmer. For the opera of the comics, it makes sense to rely on the movies about comics, but, as in the case of Bates’s attempts to large ranges and Broadway unraveling, the music carries worthy of disposal. Libretto, Jin Scheer, a little better. The unbotative work of combat and military work is caused by the lines “back and forth. / Up and down. / Again and again. / Inclusion! “
Shell kinetic production with the direction of Bartlett Cher and sets, lighting and video design from Collective 59 Studio, supports the eyes. “Escapist”, a comic book of cousins, drew in real time; Unconditional wartime is compared with home routine; Empire State Building becomes a platform for night gays. Miles Mikkanen, a mournful Sam Clai, and Andrem Filanchik, a stormy Joe Cavalier, led a large and capable cast, which made especially amazing turns Lauren Snuffer, like a doomed sister Joe and Edward Nelson, as a “betrothed lover of Sam”. Yannik Nezet-Segin, in the pit, let the voices call clearly. Nevertheless, the whole spectacle was felt inadequate for the weight of the Roman of Chabon, who celebrates the external glamor of pop culture, observing his deception. Joe, Shabon, writes: “Perhaps the first to feel the shame of glorification, in the name of democracy and freedom, the vengeful cruelty of a very strong person.” Opera, which seriously turned What The topic will be equal to the crisis that covers the American experiment. ♦
