Argentinean composer Esteban Benzecry draws on Latin American mythology to develop what he calls “a kind of imaginary folklore.” The result is a brilliant mix of contemporary orchestral techniques and traditional dance rhythms. Berlioz’ psychedelic masterpiece about an artist obsessed by his beloved has become a signature work for the LA Phil.

One of the first symphonies to tell a story, Berlioz' rule-bending Romantic work follows a young artist’s “fantastic” voyage from infatuation with a lover to the gallows and on to a gathering of witches. This remarkable piece - hallucinatory, dreamlike and described by Leonard Bernstein as "taking a trip and [winding up] screaming at your own funeral" - has become a signature work of Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

The program also features the U.S. premiere of Argentine composer Esteban Benzecry’s Rituales Amerindios,” a work commissioned by the Gothenburg Symphony and dedicated to Gustavo Dudamel. Written as a triptych, the piece celebrates the three great pre-Columbian cultures – the Aztecs, the Mayans and the Incas – by having each movement explore a god venerated by those cultures. The first movement, named after the Aztec wind god Ehécatl, replicates the ethereal fury of that element; the second, named for the Mayan rain god Chaac, shows the power and creative energy of that element; and the final movement celebrates Illapa, the Incan god of thunder and lightning, with all the rhythm and energy of a rain dance.