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How did Gustavo Dudamel end his L.A. Phil season? By saving the best for last

BBG News

As a passionate film of music enthusiast, I must admit that Gustavo Dudamel‘s 16th and penultimate winter season with the Los Angeles Philharmonic has not been as grandiose as some previous ones. This year, there’s no opera on the schedule. Instead, his “Mahler Grooves” festival only includes two full symphonies, which is a far cry from the unprecedented nine-symphony Mahler festival he orchestrated back in 2012. Over the next five-plus months, I’ll only have the pleasure of witnessing Dudamel here for two weeks in August at the Hollywood Bowl.

Has the grand exit from L.A. begun?

At first glance, it might seem like Gustavo Dudamel is fully committed to his final L.A. Phil season in September. However, before then, he has several notable engagements elsewhere. He’s set to conclude the New York Philharmonic’s 2024-25 season next month at Lincoln Center, kick off its summer series in Central Park, and open a new season in September. His upcoming tours include leading the London Symphony in Spain and the Berlin Philharmonic at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan. This summer, he’ll conduct “West Side Story” in Barcelona with a distinguished cast that includes Nadine Sierra, Juan Diego Flórez, and Isabel Leonard.

However, let’s not jump to conclusions. Last weekend, Dudamel garnered more headlines with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. On Friday, he debuted Carlos Simon’s moving, gospel-infused “Good News Mass,” causing quite a stir at Walt Disney Concert Hall. The following day, the L.A. Phil embarked on a bus journey for one of Dudamel’s pioneering performances at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. A week earlier, their concert there ended with crowds shouting, “L.A. Phil! L.A. Phil! L.A. Phil!

Throughout his career, Dudamel has consistently sought to transcend musical genres, and that’s exactly what he’s done. During the recent Coachella celebration on Saturday night at the Open-Air Theater, he shared with the audience, “Perhaps these have been the most memorable weekends of our lives.

Entertainment & Arts

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The leading orchestras from Berlin, Vienna, New York, Munich, and other cities regularly perform popular concerts in parks, introducing new fans to their music. However, the influence of the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Dudamel has become deeply ingrained in L.A.’s culture as a whole. It will be challenging to surpass this achievement, even if Dudamel’s efforts to promote the orchestra prove successful. After all, 300 years after Elector Karl Theodor assembled an ensemble of 90 musicians for his court in Mannheim, Germany, the importance of an orchestra remains significant.

Despite the scarcity of positive news, particularly in struggling American orchestras and other uncertain aspects of American life, composer-in-residence at the Kennedy Center, Simon, drew inspiration for his “Good News Mass” from the importance of community during the pandemic. He was given the freedom by the L.A. Phil to write whatever he desired, using any instrumental and vocal forces, as long as it lasted no longer than 30 minutes.

As an admirer, I’d like to share some exciting news: Encouraging composers to dream big often sparks even grander ideas! The “Good News Mass” is a stunning testament to this principle. This epic composition features a vast orchestra, a jazz ensemble, a narrator, soulful R&B and gospel soloists, a powerful gospel choir, and a film. With a runtime nearing 50 minutes, it traverses diverse musical landscapes. Truly, it’s a breathtaking journey that showcases the boundless creativity of its creator!

Simon adopts a blend of conventional Catholic mass liturgy and innovative texts penned by Courtney Ware Lett and Marc Bamuthi Joseph, which delve into themes such as uncertainty and suppression before culminating in a joyous celebration of existence. In this service, Bamuthi Joseph takes on the role of an impassioned, prophetic preacher. Alto Samoht and tenor Zebulon Ellis deliver stirring performances that fill the room with energy. Jason White and the Samples serve as the unified chorus offering confirmation.

In a stylish manner, Simon seamlessly transitions from captivating symphonic compositions to various African American music genres, allowing for creative improvisation by the vocalists. However, Melina Matsoukas’ film, with its hauntingly beautiful, slow-motion black-and-white street sequences, often diverts focus away from the musical content and unnecessarily complicates understanding the main musical piece (since no lyrics are displayed).

Entertainment & Arts

Across the nation, the National Endowment for the Humanities issued a warning to various museums, stating they would be significantly reducing their financial support – funds which had earlier been promised to institutions like LACMA and the Japanese American National Museum.

The “Good News Mass,” reminiscent of Leonard Bernstein’s diverse “Mass” from 1971, has potential to broaden its delivery in terms of stage and dance elements rather than film. Excitingly, this mass composition by Simon will be staged at the Kennedy Center by the National Symphony Orchestra, providing it survives unaltered programming decisions by the center’s recent administration. Moreover, the Boston Symphony and Chicago Symphony are also involved as co-commissioners in this project.

As a moviegoer enthralled by the harmonious blend of Simon’s eclectic musical styles under the baton of maestro Dudamel, I was captivated as he kicked off the performance with Bernstein’s “Divertimento.” This lively medley, filled with catchy dances and blues numbers, might be seen as insignificant by some, but Bernstein breathed life into it with a heartfelt nostalgia that was simply enchanting. In the hands of Dudamel, this piece has been rejuvenated, pulsating with fresh energy.

After that, there was the initial L.A. Philharmonic performance of Florence Price’s Violin Concerto No. 2, with Randall Goosby as the expressive soloist. In this piece, her last composition, penned in 1951, she ventured into a more impressionistic realm, as demonstrated by the brief, one-movement concerto. It seemed to represent a new start rather than an end.

At Coachella, it seemed as if everything was starting anew. Dudamel conducted brief, TikTok-worthy morsels of orchestral treats – “The Ride of the Valkyries”, the first movement of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, John Williams’ “Imperial March” and the opening of Strauss’ “Also Sprach Zarathustra” – each eliciting enthusiastic cheers from the crowd. Similarly, the audience erupted in applause for principal cellist Robert deMaine’s solo performance from the prelude to Bach Cello Suite No. 1 and associate concertmaster Bing Wang’s solo rendition from the beginning of Max Richter’s arrangement of “Spring” from Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons.

During both weekends of livestreamed performances, Icelandic singer Laufey (also known as the “orchestra girl”) and Argentine hip-hop duo Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso captivated audiences. They interacted brilliantly with the orchestra, showcasing their unique talents. The first weekend had Maren Morris, Becky G, Zedd, LL Cool J who ended with a powerful medley as the finale. For the second weekend, Natasha Bedingfield, Dave Grohl and Cynthia Erivo graced the stage, concluding with a rendition of “Purple Rain.

It appears that this could be just another progression for Dudamel, who frequently invites pop stars to collaborate with him and the L.A. Phil at Disney Hall and the Hollywood Bowl. While he has led them to the Super Bowl in many instances, their roles have often been akin to providing orchestral backing.

In recent times, numerous popular musicians have been venturing into composing orchestral pieces. For example, Esa-Pekka Salonen will be conducting a violin concerto by Bryce Dessner from The National, which will take place next week with the L.A. Philharmonic.

At Coachella, the L.A. Philharmonic was not just a main act in a pop arena but collaborated as an equal partner in creating electrifying music that overlooked disparities. For one hour every weekend, the L.A. Philharmonic served as rare entities in arts and entertainment – purveyors of genuinely uplifting news.

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2025-04-24 21:31

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