As nice as it no doubt was to hear master conductor Michael Tilson Thomas lead the LA Philharmonic in performances of Tchaikovsky’s 6th Symphony this past week, the real highlight of his time here are this week’s concerts. Starting on Friday the program he leads includes Tchaikovsky’s Romeo & Juliet Overture-Fantasy and Variations of a Rococo Theme paired with Charles Ives’s A Symphony: New England Holidays. Joining for the Variations is cellist Gautier Capuçon.
Tilson Thomas has long been a master of Tchaikovsky’s work (as was his mentor, Leonard Bernstein.) However good he is at the Russian composer’s work – and he’s quite good – he knows how to navigate the inherent challenges built into each and every one of Ives’s compositions.
If you think you are going to hear Christmas holiday music in this work, think again. Ives celebrates Washington’s Birthday, Decoration Day, The Fourth of July, Thanksgiving and Forefather’s Day in this work.
For those who have time on Friday morning, the first of these concerts takes place this Friday at 11 AM. The other concerts are Saturday night at 8 PM and Sunday afternoon at 2 PM.
Also joining the LA Philharmonic for these concerts is the LA Master Chorale.