Ray and I went down to Disney Hall tonight and heard the L.A. Phil perform Mahler’s 1st Symphony. It was “casual” Friday so Gustavo Dudamel, the LA Phil’s 30-year-old conductor, came out in jeans, a polo shirt and Converse tennis shoes. All the rest of the orchestra was dressed in jeans and tee-shirts, too, which gives a much more relaxed feeling to what could be a rather stuffy activity. Somehow seeing these men and women in their “regular” clothes helps me to relate to them much more readily. They could be my next door neighbor rather than the 1st chair violinist for the LA Phil. That makes the whole event feel friendlier, something that is clearly a goal of the LA Phil’s since they need to keep people coming to their performances, particularly in these tough economic times.
We went an hour early so we could go to the talk about the performance, and we were not disappointed. The speaker was the author of a book about Mahler and he told personal anecdotes about the composer’s life, projected pictures of Mahler and his family on a big screen in the concert hall, and played snippets of music from the 1st symphony to explain what motivated Mahler to write what he did. For someone like me, who loves stories about people’s lives, this is the very best way to “hook” me into loving classical music – just bring the composers to life so their music has meaning for me.
Disney Hall is beautiful, by the way, for any of you who haven’t seen it. The building was designed by architect Frank Geary and it’s a wild design indeed. It’s made of stainless steel and it’s all curves.
The acoustics in the concert hall are amazing so there is not one bad seat in the house. We were sitting on the side looking down at the orchestra and Gustavo, which is especially cool because you can see his face while he’s conducting. He is so filled with joy it’s mesmerizing to see him leading the orchestra. Honestly, if you are even a small music lover, if you’re ever in Los Angeles then try to get to a concert. There are fairly cheap seats – $25 or so – behind the orchestra, which is fabulous because you feel as if you are IN the orchestra, looking straight at Gustavo. The sound is excellent there, so for not much money you can get a fabulous musical experience.
Ray and I have been going to the LA Phil performances for the past several years now. We go to all the talks before the performances and both feel as if we’re learning a lot. It is one of those special aspects of living in Los Angeles to get to experience this quality of music. Tonight, the audience jumped up at the end of the symphony for a standing ovation and four encores. There was much whooping and whistling, along with a multitude of “Bravos!” It’s hard not to get caught up in the excitement since this young conductor has made the music so accessible.
So, add Disney Hall and the LA Phil to your list of “must-sees” if and when you head to LA. I promise you will not be sorry. Just make sure you come when Dudamel is conducting. The energy he brings to the performance makes all the difference.
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