Gustavo Dudamel's first Los Angeles Philharmonic season

Gustavo Dudamel will begin his first season as music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic conducting Beethoven's Ninth Symphony at the Hollywood Bowl. And as a gift to the city, all 18,000 tickets to a daylong program Oct. 3 culminating with the performance, called "Bienvenido Gustavo," will be free.

The details of the 2009-10 season were to be revealed at a Walt Disney Concert Hall news conference today with Dudamel in attendance. They have been a matter of much speculation, given how rapidly the young Venezuelan conductor, who will turn 28 on Monday, has achieved an international superstar status not only within the classical music world but also, increasingly, outside it.

Dudamel will lead eight weeks of subscription concerts of widely mixed repertory and will premiere five of the nine new works commissioned by the philharmonic for the coming season.  His concerts also will include a major sampling of other recent music, among it some of the most successful works written for the philharmonic in recent years, along with music from Latin America and works by Verdi, Mozart, Mahler and other traditional composers.  (UPDATE: An earlier version of this post incorrectly stated that Dudamel would lead nine weeks of subscription concerts.)

Calling Los Angeles a magical city, Dudamel said Wednesday shortly after arriving in town from New York, where he had been conducting the New York Philharmonic, that he wanted to continue in the tradition of Esa-Pekka Salonen in making the orchestra a center for innovation.

“Here is a tradition of new things, not old things, and it is an example for orchestras all over the world,” he said.

Dudamel’s Disney Hall season will begin with a gala Oct. 8 that will be televised later on PBS.  John Adams has been commissioned to write a symphony for the occasion titled “City Noir,” and the concert will conclude with Mahler’s Symphony No. 1. (UPDATE: An earlier version of this post incorrectly stated that the gala would take place Oct. 9 and that PBS would televise the concert live.)

The commission also will signal Adams' new role with the orchestra as creative chair.  He will organize a festival of California music, “West Coast: Left Coast,” that will include concerts conducted by Dudamel, Leonard Slatkin and the composer himself.  Among the participants will the Kronos Quartet, which also will have a new role with the philharmonic as ensemble in residence.

The festival will run from Nov. 21 to Dec. 8 and cover many aspects of the West Coast scene.  Among the highlights will be an appearance by composer Terry Riley playing the Disney organ; the premiere of a concerto for the Kronos and orchestra by Thomas Newman; and music by Frank Zappa and Harry Partch.  Dudamel will conduct Salonen’s “LA Variations” and Lou Harrison’s Piano Concerto (with Marino Formenti as soloist).  The festival will conclude with a jazz concert celebrating the Beat Generation.

A second festival in the spring, “America and the Americas,” will be directed by Dudamel.  “We tend to think of music of the Americas by looking south,” Philharmonic President Deborah Borda explained in her office earlier Wednesday. “But Gustavo starts in South America and looks north.”

Highlights of that festival, which will begin with a youth concert April 10 and conclude May 4 with a Green Umbrella program of new works conducted by Dudamel, will be a performance of Osvaldo Golijov’s popular “Pasión Según San Marco” led by Venezuelan conductor Maria Guinand and Antonio Estévez’s “Cantata Criolla” conducted by Dudamel.

Calling the 1954 cantata the first important Venezuelan work, Dudamel said he would present it in a theatrical version directed by filmmaker Alberto Arvelo.  Also in the festival will be a concert led by Dudamel with Peter Lieberson’s “Neruda Songs,” sung by Kelley O’Connor, and Leonard Bernstein’s “The Age of Anxiety,” with Jean-Yves Thibaudet as piano soloist.

During the season, Dudamel will premiere major works by the Korean composer Unsuk Chin (Concerto for Sheng and Orchestra) and Los Angeles composer Steven Hartke (Symphony No. 4 “Organ”).  With the exception of the evening-long Verdi Requiem, which Dudamel will conduct the first week in November, he will mix standard repertory with more contemporary works.  For instance, he will pair Mozart symphonies and Berg’s Violin Concerto (with Gil Shaham as soloist) and Schubert with Luciano Berio.  He also will take the orchestra on a two-week U.S. tour in May.

As usual, a number of guest conductors will appear throughout the season.  Andrey Boreyko, Robin Ticciati and Jaap van Zweden will make their philharmonic debuts.  Among the maestros returning will be Christoph Eschenbach, Zubin Mehta, Lorin Maazel, Herbert Blomstedt, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Charles Dutoit, James Conlon, Edo de Waart, Semyon Bychkov and Thomas Adès.

The orchestra's current music director, Esa-Pekka Salonen, will not appear next season, Borda said, by his own choice.  But the welcome mat is out, and he has agreed to at least two weeks in each of several succeeding seasons.

With the largest budget of any American orchestra -- $92 million -- the philharmonic will continue to present expensive touring orchestras in 2009-10, and that roster will include two concerts by the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Simon Rattle.

Nor has the weak economy, at least yet, meant a diminishment of Baroque concerts, new music programs, solo recitals, and jazz and world music concerts. A particularly ambitious import from Amsterdam will be a semi-staged performance of Louis Andriessen’s latest opera, “La Commedia.”

Emanuel Ax will conclude his “On Location” residency with premieres of new works commissioned by the orchestra from Adams, Golijov and Lieberson.  He also will appear in a joint recital with cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

-- Mark Swed

Photo: Gustavo Dudamel. Credit: Bebeto Matthews / Associated Press.

Comments

[Arnie]

Meet the New Boss. Same as the Old Boss. It is as if Salonen isn't actually gone. And in all likelihood, he has just moved behind the curtain.

And the Phil is offering subscribers the 'opportunity' to renew early with a larger suggested contribution well before the details of the season are posted or mailed.

More John Adams, now with a title. The hose-age continues.

[Varda Ullman]

Besides Unsuk Chin, where are the women?

[Me]

I like the previous two comments!

[Russel Higgins]

This is an exciting musical season! I know there will be harsh criticism (it has started already) but I think Gustavo Dudamel has designed a marvelous season. The array of great conductors is impressive. I will be hearing new music of composers I never heard before. This, in my opinion, is world class and I'm overjoyed and excited to be a part of the season. With the "Ring Cycle" at L.A. Opera, Los Angeles will be one of the top musical cities in the world!

[Arnie]

You'll be hearing a slew of composers they've inflicted on us for the past many seasons. Adams, Golijov, Lieberson, Andriessen, Salonen, and that lot. As another respondent points out, it is still the old boys club with literally the same old boys. $92 million smackers and their best idea is, "Hey, the out of town papers bought our minimalist festival PR a couple of years ago, let's try it again."

It is impressive how the Phil has mirrored the recently departed administration. Tight control of the press, aggressive commercialization, selling off public assets to private entities, all capped off with relentless propaganda for Great Leader whose picture is everywhere.

[Robert Berger]

It certainly looks like a varied and interesting season, and I hope Dudamel will achieve a great deal with the orchestra, he's certainly a great talent.
But the comment about the lack of female composers on program just proves the fact that music directors can't please everybody with their programming choices. No matter what they decide on, some one will be miffed at what isn't being done.
I they do a lot of difficult new music , conservative subscribers are outraged and demand their Beethoven, Brahms, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov. If they program more accessible contemporary music , critics blast them for pandering to audiences with "easy listening" instead of fostering "real" modern music; if they program plenty of warhorses,
critics slam them for failing to do new music.
Conductors are damned if they do, and damned if they don't. It's a no win situation.

[Arnie]

This season would have been mostly in the bag as of at least a couple of years ago. It takes that long to get the soloists and conductors lined up, commissions done, along with all the other machinations. This will not be Dudamel's first real season as music director. That will come a couple of years down the road when his seasons get programmed.

If they'll let him. The indications are that the young prince is going to have a lot of filthy old advisors like Adams and Salonen lurking, making sure they continue to get their cut.

[Peter]

Thank goodness the new conductor will follow Salonen's example and remain on the cutting edge. Anyone who feared Gustavo would turn the LA Phil into just another musical museum should be relieved! I'm thrilled by the new season and will be renewing asap.

[Arnie]

They do LA Variations a lot. Dharma at Greg has been done before as has Golijov.

Makes me wonder if Adams and Salonen get royalties when their work is performed at the Phil. Would be interesting if each programs the other in order to keep the conflict of interest books clean.

[Monika]

I guess this conductor already did his debut with Los Angeles Philharmonic. Mr. Swed should actually be better informed.

Friday, November 11, 2005
CONDUCTOR ANDREY BOREYKO MAKES HIS LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC DEBUT AT WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL, CONTINUING SHOSTAKOVICH CYCLE WITH SYMPHONY NO. 15

Program Also Features Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet and Haydn’s Cello Concerto Performed by Exciting Young Cellist Alban Gerhardt

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2005, AT 8 PM
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2005, AT 2 PM

[Varda]

Ret: "But the comment about the lack of female composers on program just proves the fact that music directors can't please everybody with their programming choices. No matter what they decide on, some one will be miffed at what isn't being done" ---

You don't build audiences by marginalizing half the population.

[Jen S.]

I have a reflexive aversion to anything that resembles a cult of personality, and spurn newness that seems to be for newness's sake. Suffice it to say that, as a newcomer to LA in 2003, I was skeptical of what seemed the excessively personal focus on Salonen. However, I was quickly won over: Salonen has developed the LAPhil into the county's preeminent band and I, for one, have loved every composition of his that I've heard. I think the band has benefitted from his personal stamp. His piano concerto (melodic and rich yet concise, premiered by Bronfman) should become standard repertoir. I eagerly await more from him. And although I am immersed in all of the pre-contemporary masters, I have appreciated Salonen's efforts to season many programs with new composers and new works. I'll take any of them over a Haydn symphony any day. Even though I may not end up enjoyiong 2/3 of the new works I hear, the education and the experience is making me a better listener. Plus, discovering the occasional modern gem is worth it. For those who don't want to even try contemporary, there are plenty of concerts without it. WELL DONE EPS, WELCOME GUSTAVO!

[BruceD]

Are you guys kidding me? LA is getting the single most exciting conductor in the classical world, and you're hemming and hawing over the programming of his first season? Whatever your problem with the LA Phil's moves, I think they can be cut some slack given the brilliant move of getting Dudamel as it's new director. Besides, while Dudamel may have had some input into the upcoming season, I'm guessing it was largely out of his hands (though it sounds like a promising season to me)...

[Arnie]

Who is questioning that Dudamel is a great conductor or that it was a coup to get him? Big ups to Borda, a rare blend of Lady Macbeth and Dick Cheney, for pulling it off.

"Besides, while Dudamel may have had some input into the upcoming season, I'm guessing it was largely out of his hands"

My question is whether it will ever be put in his hands. I suspect that they want his conducting prowess and his undeniable star quality but nothing else.

It is also very unseemly for the Phil to be handing out commission dollars regularly to Adams, Salonen, et.al. and letting them call programming shots at the same time.

[unlessthatis]

Arnie, you need to lighten up. The classical world is not as corporate cut throat world as you see it. Get over your conspiracy theories of how Salonen is behind the scenes. He is not and has gracefully bowed out. Unfortunately, this world is not mainstream enough to be as scandalous as you think.

[Arnie]

"The classical world is not as corporate cut throat world as you see it. Get over your conspiracy theories of how Salonen is behind the scenes. He is not and has gracefully bowed out."

Beg to differ on both counts. He isn't conducting next season but apparently has agreed to two appearances per season in years following per
'The orchestra's current music director, Esa-Pekka Salonen, will not appear next season, Borda said, by his own choice. But the welcome mat is out, and he has agreed to at least two weeks in each of several succeeding seasons.'

Also, the Music Director is generally expected to provide the creative force and artistic direction. So, why is John Adams getting that job?

I've spent a little time around the Phil's periphery and saw how it works. Very, very corporate and quite ruthless. Also check out their 2007 Tax Filing. Not exactly poor, either.
http://dynamodata.fdncenter.org/990_pdf_archive/951/951696734/951696734
_200709_990.pdf

Or, you can get to it from the Foundation Center's repository of 990 forms of non-profit organizations
http://dynamodata.fdncenter.org/990s/990search/esearch.php

[david]

There is nothing to suggest that Salonen and Adams are power hungry schemers and that Dudamel's hire was just a ruse. How do we come up with these things?

I hope for the best for Dudamel and I hope that he can live up to the standard set by Salonen.

[Arnie]

I'll summarize:
Salonen announces he's leaving (very good), Phil hires Dudamel as music director (spectacularly, unbelievably good), and change is finally in the air. Then it so happens that the new MD is going to get a lot of 'help' from the likes of John Adams (very, very bad). And Salonen viill be baaaaackh for a couple of concerts a season after a one year absence (he really wants to compose, you know) tending to bit of crumpet in England no doubt.

You've swapped one brand of musical conservatism for another.

I will admit though that I am happier and relieved having seen the actual subscription offerings, which have now been posted. By renewing and changing two or three concerts, I can still assemble some semblance of a season. If I can get an aisle seat, I can always leave the hall during the stupidities and come back for the music.

[Penelope]

"The classical world is not as corporate cut throat world as you see it. Get over your conspiracy theories of how Salonen is behind the scenes."

unlessthatis you are so naive...classical world is as dirty as Wall Street. Sleaze and nepotism has no tolerance for greatest talents. Only the "fittest", but very rarely the best survive. Dudamel is talented, but not very smart - fitt, indeed!

[dinguy]

john adams is one of the greatest living composers of our time, dudamel is a deep musician as well as a phenomenon and salonen has proven without a shadow of a doubt that he is about as ego-less a conductor/composer as there is. the LA Phil are extremely blessed to have these three incredible musicians as part of the family. what some of you are arguing about here is a matter of taste, and you are entitled to yours, but the LA Phil has a responsibility to program what they believe in. it's a whole lot more exciting than 99% of orchestras worldwide, and if you don't realize how lucky LA is, then it's just narrow-mindedness on your part.