Program
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- Notations IV, for solo piano
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- Notations IV, for orchestra
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- Notations VII, for solo piano
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- Notations VII, for orchestra
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- Intermission
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- Rituel in memoriam Bruno Maderna
- Choreography co-commissioned by the LA Phil with the Orchestre de Paris—Philharmonie, the New York Philharmonic, and L.A. Dance Project
About this Performance
As a teenage aspiring composer with a modernist ear, Esa-Pekka Salonen idolized composer and conductor Pierre Boulez and has become one of the biggest champions of his music. Salonen writes, “It can be complex without ever losing its clarity, it can be aggressive or delicate, hypnotic or kaleidoscopically flickering, ritualistic or virtuosic. But most importantly, it is often hauntingly beautiful.”
Salonen contrasts Boulez’ serialist voice with fellow French composer Debussy’s impressionism—a pairing critic Mark Pullinger compared to “glaring sunburst [and] smudgy haze” or “Monet and Jackson Pollock.” Boulez’ solo piano Notations (each only 12 bars) flow into a version for orchestra that explodes the original musical idea with orchestral colors.
Like Salonen, Boulez was not only a renowned conductor of Debussy’s music, but also of Bartók’s. Teaming up with pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Salonen leads one of Bartók’s most lucid and lyrical creations and Debussy’s conversation between wind and wave.
For the finale, L.A. Dance Project takes the stage for Rituel—“the most sensuously appealing score of Boulez’s career” (The New Yorker)—in a new dance choreographed by Benjamin Millepied.
This afternoon's concert recognizes the Ernest Fleischmann Centennial, celebrating the visionary impresario who led the Los Angeles Philharmonic as its Executive Director from 1969 through 1998. You can read more about Ernest Fleischmann, along with tributes from the artists whose careers he shaped, in the May edition of Performances magazine.
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Enhance Your Experience
Upbeat Live with Zach Neufeld
Event starts at 1:00PM
Before the concert, some of the sharpest musical minds around–including guest artists–guide you through the evening’s music, complete with a Q&A session for any lingering questions. This free event is held in BP Hall accessible after your ticket is scanned.
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