Los Angeles Philharmonic / Gustavo Dudamel - Barbican, 27 January 2011
The first thing that strikes you about the LA Philharmonic is how un-American they sound. We associate US visitors with breathtaking technical precision and an air of cool detachment, yet the Californians dug in with the fire and passion of a native orchestra, rough edges and all. It's a sound they developed way before the arrival of Dudamel, though he's clearly a good fit.
With only two concerts in their UK visit, it was a pity they decided to devote their half of this one to music as banal and inconsequential as John Adams' Slonimsky’s Earbox and Leonard Bernstein's First, 'Jeremiah', Symphony. The Adams is perhaps understandable as the composer holds a sinecure with the orchestra, but the splashy, immature Bernstein is hardly the greatest advertisement for Bernstein himself or American music in general. Either might work well as part of a local season, but tours are like job interviews - you've got to give your best shot, because there's no opportunity to make good later. That said, both works were played cleanly and enthusiastically, with mezzo Kelley O’Connor proving an admirable soloist in the Bernstein.
Enthusiasm was the best thing going for their rudderless reading of Beethoven's Seventh too. Rhythm was precisely articulated, but I was disappointed at how little detail Dudamel brought out, the lack of contrast or dynamic variation, the unwillingness to hold a pause. With the twentieth century masters like Stravinsky and Shostakovich, Dudamel rarely fails to impress, but he has some way to go with The Daddy.
It was enough for his many fans in the audience though. The ovating granny in front of me could barely stay in her seat from the moment he walked on stage, and she was up on her feet as soon as he'd finished. With better programming choices I might just have joined her.
Always the way with Dudamel - no ear for either detail or structure, but lots of Latin flash that the ladeez and the coolsters adore. Not a concert for musicians, any more than his dates with the Simon Bates Orchestra of Venusians, or whatever it's called. Nice to see he's eating so well, though...
Posted by: Stephen Follows | 01 February 2011 at 03:19 PM
I'm totally with you on this one. They were in Paris for 2 concerts, and I was able to attend the 2nd concert only (Mahler's 9th). American orchestra used to be criticized for lack of "character", but always praised for their technical skills.
Now, to me the LAP with Dude seemed to have lost in precision but gained in character -- in character that is not theirs.
Maybe I expected too much, but in any case I was bitterly disappointed in the end.
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Intermezzo replies - I've heard the LA Phil before Dudamel came on board, and to be fair on him, they weren't anally precise even under Salonen. So I don't think he can be blamed for lowering their technical standards - but I don't think he's raised them either.
Posted by: Opera Cake | 02 February 2011 at 05:44 PM
"they weren't anally precise even under Salonen"
I live in Los Angeles and have been going to LAP concerts since the 70's. During Salonen's tenure, a couple friends and I thought about starting a campaign to get the principal horn and trumpet players replaced with people who actually played in tune more than sometimes. The strings are good and the woodwinds good > excellent, but oh that brass section......
Dudamel is changing the basic sound of the orchestra, more lush and rounded than the wiry, biting sound that E-PS preferred.
Posted by: Henry Holland | 03 February 2011 at 06:08 AM
How does one become anally precise? Is there some kind of suppository one can take, or does it just come with practice?
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Intermezzo replies - it's just a matter of getting your shit together.
Posted by: Stephen Follows | 03 February 2011 at 01:10 PM