Gustavo Dudamel’s October 8 inaugural gala concert at Walt Disney Concert Hall (seriously folks) will be featured on PBS’s Great Performances tonight at 8 PM (EST). Check local listings.
For those of you who’ve kept up with eclectique|916, I attended a rehearsal of the Venezuela’s Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra in April. Dudamel started his musical career with the youth orchestra or its parent group, the National System of Youth and Children’s Orchestras of Venezuela aka “The System.” He became the orchestra’s conductor at the age of 18 in 1999.
Dudamel’s LA Philaharmonic concert also has a Deutsche Grammophon DVD deal. A release of the performance is scheduled for November. Tonight’s program includes Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 in D Major (“Titan”) and the world premiere of that latest work by Pulitzer Prize-winning music composer John Adams, City Noir.
It’s always curious to me how we bark at one another across the global relations table, yet embrace each other’s finest artistic talents — well sometimes. It’s a little easier when the music has no words or images that convey messages.
Honestly, I’m not phased by the music. I just enjoy watching “The Dude” work the baton. Fuego y Musica.