LA Phil Rehearsal Concert

On Friday, Colleen and I enjoyed a rehearsal/concert of the LA Phil conducted by the young Polish conductor, Krzysztof Urbanski.  He is currently the Music Director of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and is in demand as a guest conductor all over the world.

The opening piece was entitled Krzesany which was composed in 1974 by the Polish Wojcech Kilar who was born in 1932.  This 15 minute number had an giant orchestra filling the stage.  This included 10 basses, 4 timpani players, four of all the woodwinds, 4 of the each of the brass...except just one tuba, Norman.  The percussion section was jammed with tom-toms, cow bells, base drum, snare drum, gong, cymbals and all sorts of other bells including sheep-bells.  It was a rousing beginning to a great morning.

About a third of the orchestra left before we heard Chopin's Piano Concerto No.2 in F minor with the 26 year-old Khatia Buniatishvili on the piano.  She was born in Tbilisi, Georgia.

After intermission we witnessed the performance of Prokofiev's Symphony No.5 in B-Flat Major. This Russian composer lived from 1891 to 1953.  His works reflect the "heavy" themes in Russia during his life.