Post by erik on Jul 21, 2023 8:35:26 GMT -5
Last night's Hollywood Bowl program was all about Russia, but even more about the great things that the country we had always been taught to fear had actually given to the world in terms of music and art.
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor
Alisa Weilerstein, cello
Prokofiev: SYMPHONY NO. 1 (CLASSICAL)
Tchaikovsky: VARIATIONS ON A ROCOCO THEME FOR CELLO AND ORCHESTRA
Prokofiev: EIGHT SELECTIONS FROM "ROMEO AND JULIET"
A very warm night under the stars began with maestro Dudamel leading reduced forces of the L.A. Phil in Sergei Prokofiev's ultra-popular Classical Symphony (#1), a work he composed during the final months of World War I as a modernist homage to the late 18th century symphonies of Haydn and Mozart. Utilizing the same number of orchestral forces that were in use during the Viennese classical era, the symphony, which at fifteen minutes is only half as long as the ones it emulates, has some very modernist idioms and chord changes that are very sharp. The second movement, marked Larghetto, seemed to honor the slow movements of the later symphonies of Beethoven and Schubert; while the third movement was a throwback of sorts to the Baroque period, marked as a Gavotte. The finale, of course, was rapid-fire, as if it were Haydn and Mozart under the influence of cognac.
The size of the orchestra was reduced further (trumpets and timpani were absent) for what was a cello concerto in all but name, the Variations on a Rococo Theme by Russia's most popular composer, Peter Tchaikovsky. This is one of a number of works in Tchaikovsky's canon that pay homage to Mozart, whom he regarded as a "musical Christ"; and tonight, we heard it performed by one of the great classical musicians of this age, cellist Alisa Weilerstein. Ms. Weilerstein had much to work with here in this work that consists of a particular original but Classical era-inspired theme, followed by eight variations, in a work lasting seventeen and a half minutes and performed primarily uninterrupted. Ms. Weilerstein was greatly applauded at the end, and proceeded to do a five-minute solo encore that may have been one of J.S. Bach's solo works for cello, though the program didn't mention it.
Following intermission, the orchestra was greatly enlarged for the eight selections from Prokofiev's 1936 ballet adaptation of Shakespeare's timeless "Romeo And Juliet". The eight selections were: "Montagues and Capulets"; "Morning Dance"; "The Young Juliet"; "Masks"; "Balcony Scene"; "The Death Of Tybalt"; "Romeo At Juliet's Grave"; and finally "The Death Of Juliet". The ballet so greatly captured the passions of the two lovers, and the ultimately useless fighting amongst their two families that leads to both of them basically committing suicide. While much of this music was very modern and at times quite brash in typical Russian fashion, the ending was very quiet and subtle, leading to a lot of reflective pause when the music ended, and several bursts of applause for Dudamel.
As much as we sometimes like to rat on Russia, last night's program was a reminder of the great things that that country has given to us, in the music of two of its greatest composers.
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor
Alisa Weilerstein, cello
Prokofiev: SYMPHONY NO. 1 (CLASSICAL)
Tchaikovsky: VARIATIONS ON A ROCOCO THEME FOR CELLO AND ORCHESTRA
Prokofiev: EIGHT SELECTIONS FROM "ROMEO AND JULIET"
A very warm night under the stars began with maestro Dudamel leading reduced forces of the L.A. Phil in Sergei Prokofiev's ultra-popular Classical Symphony (#1), a work he composed during the final months of World War I as a modernist homage to the late 18th century symphonies of Haydn and Mozart. Utilizing the same number of orchestral forces that were in use during the Viennese classical era, the symphony, which at fifteen minutes is only half as long as the ones it emulates, has some very modernist idioms and chord changes that are very sharp. The second movement, marked Larghetto, seemed to honor the slow movements of the later symphonies of Beethoven and Schubert; while the third movement was a throwback of sorts to the Baroque period, marked as a Gavotte. The finale, of course, was rapid-fire, as if it were Haydn and Mozart under the influence of cognac.
The size of the orchestra was reduced further (trumpets and timpani were absent) for what was a cello concerto in all but name, the Variations on a Rococo Theme by Russia's most popular composer, Peter Tchaikovsky. This is one of a number of works in Tchaikovsky's canon that pay homage to Mozart, whom he regarded as a "musical Christ"; and tonight, we heard it performed by one of the great classical musicians of this age, cellist Alisa Weilerstein. Ms. Weilerstein had much to work with here in this work that consists of a particular original but Classical era-inspired theme, followed by eight variations, in a work lasting seventeen and a half minutes and performed primarily uninterrupted. Ms. Weilerstein was greatly applauded at the end, and proceeded to do a five-minute solo encore that may have been one of J.S. Bach's solo works for cello, though the program didn't mention it.
Following intermission, the orchestra was greatly enlarged for the eight selections from Prokofiev's 1936 ballet adaptation of Shakespeare's timeless "Romeo And Juliet". The eight selections were: "Montagues and Capulets"; "Morning Dance"; "The Young Juliet"; "Masks"; "Balcony Scene"; "The Death Of Tybalt"; "Romeo At Juliet's Grave"; and finally "The Death Of Juliet". The ballet so greatly captured the passions of the two lovers, and the ultimately useless fighting amongst their two families that leads to both of them basically committing suicide. While much of this music was very modern and at times quite brash in typical Russian fashion, the ending was very quiet and subtle, leading to a lot of reflective pause when the music ended, and several bursts of applause for Dudamel.
As much as we sometimes like to rat on Russia, last night's program was a reminder of the great things that that country has given to us, in the music of two of its greatest composers.