Gustav Mahler described his Fifth Symphony as a “cursed work” that “no-one understands”. While the extreme variety of expression actually overwhelmed the audience at the time, the symphony enjoys the highest popularity today, especially thanks to ist gossamer-like Adagietto movement. Gustavo Dudamel, music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, also conducts Leonard Bernstein’s cheeky occasional piece, Divertimento, which – here in Europe at least – is far too rarely heard. PROGRAM Mahler: Symphony No. 5; Bernstein: Divertimento for Orchestra
BPO: Dudamel conducts Dvorak & Adams
City Noir, John Adams’s work for orchestra, is a conglomeration of sophisticated solos, that pays homage to film noir with its title but also with its sinister and sensual sound language. Gustavo Dudamel leads the Berliner Philharmoniker “with lots of humour and real swing through the brilliantly instrumented urban jungle.” (Berliner Morgenpost). In an exciting juxtaposition, the Venezuelan conductor also performs Dvorák’s 9th symphony. Premiered in New York, the colourful work with the nickname “From the New World” brilliantly fuses American impressions and symphonic music. While the Largo can “hardly be imagined in a more noble way”, the Scherzo bursts with great energy, making the endless expanses of the Midwest “almost physically tangible in the swirling stream of sounds” (Tagesspiegel). PROGRAM Dvorak: Symphony No.9; Adams: City Noir
BPO: Dudamel conducts Bernstein Symphony No. 1
In 1944, at the age of just 25, Leonard Bernstein conducted the first performance of his First Symphony, a work based on the Old Testament lamentations of the Prophet Jeremiah and which demonstrates astonishing musical and intellectual maturity. PROGRAM Bernstein: Symphony No. 1 “Jeremiah”
BPO: Rattle conducts John Adams: The Gospel According to the Other Mary
Sir Simon Rattle, the Berliner Philharmoniker and the Rundfunkchor Berlin give an impeccable performance of the powerful biblical oratorio “The Gospel According to the Other Mary” by John Adams, one of the most renowned contemporary composers. The sophisticated score with a libretto by acclaimed theatre director Peter Sellars comes to life thanks to the Berliner Philharmoniker, whose intimate knowledge of Adams’s music stems from the composer himself: He attended the orchestra’s rehearsals. In the role of the Evangelist, the “flawless” (Bachtrack) Bubeck, Cummings and Medley lead through the narrative. A stunning highlight is Lazarus’s aria, sung by tenor Peter Hoare – “grand!” (Berliner Zeitung). But at the heart of the piece are Mary Magdalene and her sister Martha during the last days before Jesus’s death, impressively performed by mezzo-sopranos Kelley O’Connor and Tamara Mumford.