Hurricane Mama Birthday

I attended a Los Angeles Philharmonic concert last Thursday which featured "Hurricane Mama" the 10 year old pipe organ at Disney Hall.  The concert conducted by Gustavo Dudamel featured the pipe organ in the four musical pieces.  Cameron Carpenter played the organ on three of these plus he gave a pre-concert recital.  This 33 year-old is a force of nature himself as he attacks the organ in sequined adorned shoes and a feline dark strip of hair over a shaved head.  He changed from silver pants and sport coat at the preconcert recital to a tailored tuxedo with tails for the for the main concert.  Mark Swed of the L.A. Times described Carpenter as "an extraordinary virtuoso and thinking musician, he demonstrates a unique and increasingly compelling combination of flash and substance."  He wrote in his review that Carpenter looked from the back as he was seated at a console like a wild organ animal ready to pounce.

The recital included a Trio Sonata No. 3 in D minor by J.S. Bach, "Love Walked In" by Gershwin arranged by Carpenter and "Dieu Parmi Nous" by Messiaen that seemed to almost blow the roof off the Disney Hall. Mark Swed described Carpenter's playing of the Messiaen piece as "so rich and effusive that it was simply the most overwhelming Messiaen organ playing I've ever encounter."

The main concert included Toscata Festive, Op.30 by Samuel Barber, Sonata No. 4 in F-sharp major, Op. 30 by Alexander Scraibin, Symphony No. 4 by Stephen Hartke (world premiere), and Symphony No. 3 in C minor, O;. 78 by Camille Saint-Saens.  The Hartke's Symphony is for soprano, organ and orchestra with Heidi Sober singing the soprano part.  Stephen Hartke was in the audience and came to the stage for an ovation form the audience. Joanne Pearce Martin, L.A. Phil's principal keyboard player played for this piece.  

During the final piece by Saint-Saens Mark Swed wrote:  "Carpenter revved Hurricane Mama up to, if not beyond, the organ equivalent of a Category 5 storm surge."  The audience rose and shouted bravo in appreciation for this outstanding musical experience.  

Here are a few pictures:

The Disney stage prior to the pre-concert organ recital.  The wooden external pipes are affectionately call "French Fries."

Soloist Cameron Carpenter (photo by Lawrence K. Ho, L.A. Times)

Gustavo Dudamel conducting the L.A. Phil with Cameron Carpenter at Hurricane Mama organ ( photo by Lawrence K. Ho).