Thursday Night with Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Phil

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Yefim Bronfman, piano and Gustavo Dudamel conducting Tchiakovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor
(Thanks to L.A. Times Photo)

Julien Beaudiment, Principal Flute

The L.A. Phil was in full force and energy under the leadership of Gustavo Dudamel on Thursday.  The orchestra opened with a world premiere of Shing Kham written by Peter Lieberson and finished by Oliver Knussen.  Peter Lieberson was born in 1946 in New York and Died in 2011 in Israel.  He studied Tibetan Buddhism and perhaps wrote this as he was dieing of lymphoma and moving on up. 

This percussion concerto with full orchestra had a timpanist, 4 percussionists playing piano (doubling celesta), harp and a solo percussionist Pedro Carneiro, playing marimba, snare drum, 6 tom-toms, bass drum, 6 wooden tom-toms, 4 suspended cymbals and a triangle.  There was a lot of action and sounds in 10 minutes and great fun to see. and hear.

Next was the Schubert Symphony No. 4 in C minor, "Tragic."  Franz Schubert was born in Vienna, Austria in 1797 and died at age 31 in 1828.  He created nearly 1000 music compositions during that short life.  The "Tragic" was written when he was 18 but not played publicly until 21 years after he died....tragic.  It is a beautiful symphony and well executed by the Phil.

After the intermission out came the Steinway Piano and Yefim Bronfman, Artist-in-Residence with the New York Philharmonic.  He played an amazing rendition of Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No.1 in B -flat minor, composed in 1874-75 when Tchiakovsky was 34.  This beautiful music made famous by Liberace and others is perhaps one of the most popular classical music pieces.  Bronfman's performance was greeting by a standing ovation and cheers of bravo.  Eventually he relented and played an encore with Gustavo setting on the podium next to the piano like a little boy.  Bravos were also given to Julien Beaudiment, the new principal flutist, who performed several of the concerto's solo pieces beautifully.