On October 24th, 1919, the first performance ever by the Los Angeles Philharmonic was held at the Trinity Auditorium on 851 S. Grand Avenue. On the program that historic night was: Franz Lizst’s Les Preludes, Emmanuel Chabrier’s España and Antonin Dvořák’s New World Symphony. A century later, and several blocks away, the LA Phil celebrates its 100th anniversary with a Centennial Concert and Gala on Thursday night at Walt Disney Concert Hall.
Throughout the 2018-2019 season and this summer’s Hollywood Bowl season, the LA Philharmonic has celebrated its 100th by commissioning new works, inviting former music directors and long-time friends to conduct and asked some of the world’s best musicians to perform.
Thursday night’s concert is no exception, but it should prove to be exceptional.
The concert will open with Wagner’s Overture from Die Mistersinger von Nürnberg.
Conductor Emeritus Zubin Mehta (who served as Music Director at the LA Phil from 1962-1978) will then lead the orchestra in Ravel’s La Valse. Ravel wrote the piece in the same year the LA Philharmonic started. The first LA Phil performance was in 1924.
That will be followed by Lutoslawski’s Symphony Number 4 to be conducted by Conductor Laureate Esa-Pekka Salonen (Music Director from 1992-2009.) The symphony, written in 1992, was commissioned by the LA Philharmonic and had its world premiere in 1993.
Igor Stravinsky’s The Firebird Suite continues the program. Gustavo Dudamel, the current Music and Artistic Director of the LA Philharmonic, will lead the orchestra in that work.
The evening concludes with the world premiere of From Space I saw Earth by Icelandic composer Daniel Bjarnason. This was also commissioned by the LA Philharmonic.
What makes this work intriguing is that it has been written by Bjarnason for three conductors. And you know who they will be: Mehta, Salonen and Dudamel.
All three conductors have a piano rehearsal with the composition on Tuesday. They will be rehearsing with the full orchestra on Wednesday and Thursday.
Having all three conductors take turns already made this concert compelling. Having them on separate podiums leading separate sections of the orchestra at the same time should prove spellbinding.
We will have an interview with Daniel Bjarnason later this week.
For tickets go here.
Main Photo: The LA Philharmonic in 1919/Courtesy of the LA Philharmonic Association
All other photos Courtesy of the LA Philharmonic Association