Thursday night I attended a spectacular opening of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra's season concert series. For the first part of the evening, Gustavo Dudamel led the orchestra in U.S. Premiere of "man made" by David Lang. It was co-commissioned by the L.A. orchestra. The L.A. native spoke to the pre-concert program about the work that featured the four person group called "So Percussion" who have performed around the country with their base at Princeton University. The members are Eric Beach, Josh Quillen, Adam Sliwinski, and Jason Treuting. They began by setting in the front of the orchestra snapping twigs and dropping them to the floor. Later they played tuned wine bottles...all accompanied by percussive music from the strings and other members of the orchestra including the percussion section. Later they went to a platform behind the orchestra to play xylophones, metal trash cans, a steel drum and a trap set. The composer is quoted as describing the interaction as the orchestra catching the soloists sounds and then conveying them with them. The music was fun to observe and hear.
The orchestra then played the 75 minute Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 5, written in 1902 and 1902. The full orchestra included 15 brass instruments including 7 French horns, 4 trumpets, 3 trombones, and a Tuba. The first of 5 parts of the symphony opens with a funeral march and trumpet solo by Principal, Thomas Hooten. The long 3rd section featured solos by Andre Bain, principal French Horn, who stood during the Scherzo movement.
Here are some photo's from the L.A. Times by Lawrence K. Ho:
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| The orchestra and the soloist, Po Percussion, and their sticks...some broken on the floor. |
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| The tuned wine bottles that were played. |
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| The artist at work. |
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| The soloist playing the trash cans and xylophones |
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| Dudamel in action. |
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| Thomas Hooten, Principal Trumpet playing a solo. |
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| Andrew Bain, principal horn, standing and playing solo. |
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