tagged w/ Gustavo Dudamel
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When Gustavo Dudamel led the Los Angeles Philharmonic earlier this month in Verdi's "Requiem," audiences may have noticed that the second violin section had reverted to its old seating arrangement, wedged between the first violins and the woodwind section.
This seating was the standard for the orchestra at its previous home in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Sometime after moving to Walt Disney Concert Hall in 2003, Esa-Pekka Salonen decided to shake things up by placing the second violin section on the opposite side of the stage from the first violins, in what is known as European seating -- and it has stayed that way for the most part ever since.
So does the "Requiem" mean that Dudamel has reversed Salonen's decision? The answer, according to violinists in the orchestra, is no.
They say Dudamel intends to keep the European seating introduced by his predecessor but that certain pieces like the "Requiem" require placing the second violins in their old spot.When Gustavo Dudamel led the Los Angeles Philharmonic earlier this month in... more
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Dudamel, 28, engenders a passion among music lovers that is entirely new to the world of classical music. Tickets for his Saturday debut as music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic disappeared within minutes -- the fastest sellout in the history of the 18,000-seat Hollywood Bowl.
"He is a phenomenon," said Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times music critic. "He generates excitement the likes of which hasn't come around in a very, very long time -- maybe since Leonard Bernstein."
Swed was in the audience two years ago when Dudamel conducted the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, delivering a reading of Beethoven's Fourth Symphony that left fans delirious.
"I haven't seen that kind of reaction from a crowd since I saw the Beatles at Dodger Stadium," Swed said.
Dudamel's face has been a common sight for months in Los Angeles. His billboards look down on freeway commuters. He adorns city buses. At the famous Hollywood hot dog stand Pink's, there is even a dog named in his honor -- the "Dude Dog," piled high with jalapeno peppers, guacamole and tortilla chips.
As music director of the philharmonic, Dudamel said he hopes to spread a little of the El Sistema magic in Los Angeles. He already has organized one youth orchestra in the run-down neighborhoods of south Los Angeles. Those music students opened for the orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl.
But it was Dudamel and Beethoven's Ninth Symphony that brought the crowd to its feet at the concert's end.
It was a promising beginning for a man many are hailing as the savior of classical music. They hope Dudamel can bring a whole new audience to symphonic music, and believe the Los Angeles Philharmonic is the perfect podium for the young maestro.
"He fits in with this town in a lot of ways," Swed said. "Obviously being Spanish-speaking in a city where the majority of people either speak Spanish or understand some Spanish ... you know he fits in. The youth culture? He is young. He is also great, which doesn't hurt."Dudamel, 28, engenders a passion among music lovers that is entirely new to the world... more
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If there was one thing to say about Saturday night's concert at the Hollywood Bowl, which was 28-year-old Gustavo Dudamel's premiere as its conductor and music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, is that it brought excited crowds out from all walks of life.
From where we sat, a young couple was heard talking about indie bands and Silver Lake/Echo Park music venues. One row down, a 70-year-old man is used his point-and-shoot camera to record the Dudamel in action. To the side, a toddler pretended to conduct the orchestra with his hands.
When Dudamel walked out for the first time to conduct the youth orchestra, he was given a standing ovation by the 18,000 (or so) people in the crowd. It was quite a statement in itself for the world's most watched conductor to raise his baton for the first time at his new job, not to professionals, but to children from South Los Angeles. But that's what Dudamel is all about--the children, education, experiencing music like he did growing up in Venezuela.
And then came the L.A. Philharmonic. And in the words of LA Times' music critic Mark Swed, "the Dude pulled it off." In a major way. Beethoven's Ninth Symphony literally rocked.
If you missed it (in person or online), no worries, the Dude will be here for a good while. He says he loves this city. So do we.If there was one thing to say about Saturday night's concert at the Hollywood... more
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With a wide array of accents and a distinctively L.A. feel, a rainbow coalition of musical acts and a fired-up Hollywood Bowl crowd welcomed Gustavo Dudamel on Saturday night to his new position as music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
The 28-year-old conductor, who arrived in town earlier this week, was naturally the piece de resistance of the five-hour free concert, dubbed "¡Bienvenido Gustavo!" in his honor. He concluded the evening in rousing fashion, conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Master Chorale in Beethoven's Symphony No. 9.
After taking his initial bow at the end of the symphony, Dudamel locked arms with his musicians and soloists to acknowledge the waves of applause. Then he addressed the crowd in English and Spanish, saying, "This is a very special moment for my life."
Alluding to the theme of universal brotherly harmony expressed in Beethoven's masterpiece, Dudamel also spoke of the importance of unity in the Western Hemisphere, which he described as "our complete continent together, not north and south."
The concluding fireworks over the Hollywood Bowl spelled out "Bienvenido Gustavo," as the conductor led his orchestra in the evening's third and final rendition of Beethoven's "Ode to Joy."
No one appeared to be more pleased than Deborah Borda, the Phil's president, who introduced Dudamel alongside conductor John Williams. She also read a letter of congratulations she'd received that morning from President Obama.
"There's an energy in the air that one rarely experiences," she said. "That Gustavo chose to open his time here with an emphasis on youth -- I'm overwhelmed."With a wide array of accents and a distinctively L.A. feel, a rainbow coalition of... more
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On his first official day of rehearsal with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, amid an enthusiastic welcome from musicians and unprecedented media fanfare, Gustavo Dudamel wanted to make one thing perfectly clear: He's ready to get down to business.
At 28, Dudamel is carrying the weight of his new title -- the L.A. Phil's music director -- as well as great expectations from the classical music world on his shoulders. But speaking Wednesday at a news conference at his new home, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Dudamel rejected frequent media speculation that the formidable demands of the prestigious post could prove too much for him.
The Venezuelan conductor calls his English "terrible," but he had no problem putting his thoughts on this matter into words: "No -- really, no," he said in answer to the question following the day's rehearsals. "I think we have to be clear on something: I'm doing what I love to do. This is part of my natural life."
And Dudamel waxed rhapsodic about his first day -- more specifically, about his first note. "It's very simple to put your hand here and then go down," he said, pantomiming his first graceful downbeat with the baton. "But to feel coming from the musicians this first note in my life is so special. I am really, really happy; I think we will have a beautiful journey, we will go, like, to the stars . . . dreams come true; the best example is this day."On his first official day of rehearsal with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, amid an... more
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If you can't attend Gustavo Dudamel's upcoming inaugural and gala concerts at the Hollywood Bowl and Walt Disney Concert Hall, there are plenty of ways to experience the events remotely.
This week, KUSC-FM (91.5) announced that it will broadcast portions of Saturday's Bowl concert -- including Dudamel conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic in a performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.
KUSC said Saturday's live broadcast will begin at 7 p.m. with the YOLA Expo Centre Youth Orchestra performing Beethoven's Ode to Joy, followed by the Ninth Symphony with the L.A. Philharmonic. The radio station will also provide an audio-only webcast of the concert at its site, www.kusc.org.
In addition, the station said it is providing a live broadcast of the L.A. Philharmonic's Oct. 8 gala both over the airwaves and online.
The Los Angeles Philharmonic previously announced that it will provide a free webcast of Saturday's Bowl concert. The Music Center said last week that it is offering a free outdoor simulcast of the Oct. 8 Disney Hall gala event.If you can't attend Gustavo Dudamel's upcoming inaugural and gala concerts... more
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Over in Los Angeles, the whole city is gearing up for the arrival of Gustavo Dudamel as the new music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic next week.
Not even Berlin's welcome for Simon Rattle when he took over the Philharmoniker in 2002 comes close to the red carpet that LA has rolled out for Dudamel, already the most hyped appointment in recent classical music history.
LA's buses, billboards, and concert halls shimmer with neon-lit messages of welcome for the world's most famous Venezuelan (he's now one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world), and the LA Phil's website hums with Dudamel previews and videos.Over in Los Angeles, the whole city is gearing up for the arrival of Gustavo Dudamel... more
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Young Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel will kick off his first season as music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic in October.
The 28-year-old classical music sensation is already a big hit in Los Angeles, where he has started youth orchestras similar to those of Venezuela's famed El Sistema music school network.Young Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel will kick off his first season as music... more
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Dudamel will be a fantastic addition to the L.A. culture scene when he takes over the L.A. Philharmonic!Dudamel will be a fantastic addition to the L.A. culture scene when he takes over the... more
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The performance was electric as Gustavo Dudamel led his youth symphony through Ravel, Castellano and Tchaikovsky, ending with a trademark encore from West Side Story that had musicians leaping from their seats, twirling instruments in the air and shouting "Bravo!"The performance was electric as Gustavo Dudamel led his youth symphony through Ravel,... more
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