February 3, 2011: Dudamel conducts the LA Phil at Palace of Arts

February 3, 2011: Classes at school have tended to be going better since I made the changes I told you about several blog entries ago: writing about students' misbehavior in their ellenorzo's has shown the students I mean business and they have been more attentive. (I even started writing good comments about students if they were exceptional.)  I also think that adding variety with weekly dictations has held the interest of the students. They always complain whenever I say that we're doing another dictation but boy, do I see them listening intently on what I say when I give them. I also see improvement in their listening skills every week. For the intermediates, I've been reading them a story on Greek mythology for them to summarize and before each week's reading I ask them to summarize what happened in the previous week's story. They seem to be interested in the story so far. As for the topics I've been having them report on, I've found that many really don't prepare for what they're going to say as I would like to have them do, so I went over outlining what they're going to say with them. I asked them after that if they promised to prepare for the topics at home before coming to class. They said "Yes", but just to make sure, I took pictures of them raising their hands and some even crossed their hearts promising that they would prepare at home. Here are the pictures of them doing that. (The one boy under the desk in the third picture told me that he thought if I didn't get him in the picture he wouldn't have to abide by his pledge but I told him that his hand was visible so he'd still have to prepare at home!)

I also met with the 13D students to give them my comments about having given them their oral exam on Monday. They seemed appreciative on what I told them -- that many of them seemed like deer frozen in headlights. I coached them on how to prepare for their "real" final oral exam (The one on Monday was just a mock exam to get them in shape.) 


Then, in the evening I went to hear the Los Angeles Philharmonic conducted by Maestro Gustavo Dudamel perform Mahler's 9th Symphony. I still can't fathom how a composer could create anything so complex -- the first and third movements are filled with musical phrases that overlap each other like threads in a piece of cloth, with each instrument not only playing its own melody, but each instrument playing it with its own attitude. The trumpets taunted the other instruments while the trombones were sassy and the strings soothing. And, for the first time in hearing this work, I could actually hear each instrument play its own melody rather than hear all the instruments compete for the attention. It was amazing to hear and the audience was perfectly behaved. There wasn't one cell phone that went off and everyone was very quiet throughout the entire performance. Each of the four movements of the symphony had its own personality with the first and third being the most complex. The second was like hearing a music box perform in its precision. The third movement was conducted at breakneck speed and I was in awe of how Dudamel could contrast sections of the music by bringing the orchestra almost to a whisper and follow that with ear deafening sound. Everything was so lush, and the soloists played every note on perfect pitch and with perfect timbre. In particular, the French horn player played wonderful solos and what impressed me most was how softly the melody became -- it's almost impossible to play such a complex solo pianissimo but he proved me wrong. The fourth movement was so lush I almost couldn't control myself. Dudamel made each phrase swell and the climax of the movement was overwhelming. Most impressive was the end of the work. Most symphonies end with flashy flourishes but this symphony ends where one can just barely hear any notes being played at all. I was really afraid that the audience would spoil the demeanor by applauding too soon after the conclusion but Dudamel made it clear that everyone should be quiet for at least two minutes after the work ended -- no easy accomplishment. To summarize, this was the Mahler Symphony 9 that I will use in the future as a standard for any other time I hear it. What an evening!


The following picture was taken before the LA Phil began the concert and the videos were taken afterward. It took the audience less than half a minute to break into the "iron clap". In the first video you can start to hear it form. The second video was taken after Dudamel came back on stage for this final bow, this one eliciting cheers. I kid you not -- he had to come back on stage at least twelve times and the audience would still be applauding him back on the stage if the lights hadn't gone on. What a reception he had! And to think that this is my orchestra at home.

Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Philharmonic perform Mahler's 9th at Palace of Arts

Post Concert Note: Ruth told me that after the concert in Budapest, Dudamel announced that he has extended his contract with the LA Phil through 2018. I'd like to think that the reception that he received here is part of his reason for doing so (but I'm sure that most of the decision was based on the superb abilities of the orchestra members). Eat your hearts out, New York and Chicago! (explanation: when it was announced that Dudamel would be the new conductor replacing Esa Peka Salonen several years ago, I heard that New York and Chicago were very envious because they also wanted him.)