Gustavo Dudamel

Stravinsky’s thrilling and visceral vision of Pagan Russian ritual and sacrifice set off a rhythmic revolution and has become something of a signature piece for the LA Phil, offering a rite of passage for music directors to leave their own musical fingerprints on the transfixing ballet score. Dudamel’s rendition has been praised by the Los Angeles Times for unleashing the “uncontrollable disastrous forces in us” balanced with “the musical mastery” needed to control that superhuman musical intensity. Dudamel pairs The Rite of Spring with The Firebird suite, another of Stravinsky’s ballets, filled with romance and magic that concludes with melodic majesty. Opening the program is the U.S. premiere of LA Phil Creative Chair John Adams’ Frenzy. Inspired by the feeling of processing the modern world and its incessant digital drip of news, Frenzy is rhythmically driven in its own right—unwinding an aura of agita through a hall of mirrors into “a tense nocturnal chase, with a touch of film noir glamor” (Daily Telegraph). Concerts in the Thursday 2 subscription series are generously supported by The Otis Booth Foundation.