Thursday, May 8th, LA Philharmonic at Disney Hall

Gustavo Dudamel conducted the Phil in and evening of Ravel waltzes, Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 3 in C major, and a new piece by Desnne called "Sinfonia Burocratica ed'Amazzonica."  The Ravel waltzes were enjoyable and yet challenging.  He opened the program with "Valses nobles et sentimentales," composed in 1911-12, consists of seven waltzes and an epilogue.  The program described the pieces as "sometimes caustic, sometimes sentimental, always bracing view of Vienese dances as filter through sophisticated Galic eyes."

Lang Lang, the Chinese pianoists, plaed the Prokofiev piano concerto with the orchestra.  He played it with flair and drama which I enjoyed very much.  The 32 year-old wonder was born in China and by the age of 13 he wond international competions.  By age 15 he began studies at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.

Mark Swed, the L.A. Times critic, was not happy with Lang Lang's performance last Thursday.  I and most of the audience loved it, we gave him a standing ovation.  He plays with great ease and style...it is fun to watch him with his high hair and lofty demenor.  Swed called him over confident and seem to be urging humility.

Paul Desennne was in the audience to hear his 2004 Sinfonia performed.  The composed like Dudamel are from Argentina.  The orchestra convey the mood of the Amazon, Andes, and the frontier of South America.  The five tableaux protrayed included "Anaconda"..."a slow-moving orchestral reptile, slimy at times."  You may imagine the scenes portrayed were intertaining with lots of creative percussion.

The final "La valse" by Maurice Ravel was composed in 1919 after the First World War  and at a time the Frenchman was less enamered of the music of Vienna... so the music that began before the war as a tribute to the city turned into a piece with a "brooding character...with a darker undercurrent."

This L.A. Times photo of Lang Lang shows his intensity and the fast movement of his fingers on the pianol