Some people are really, really talented. And every once in a while we get a genius.
Gustavo Dudamel is in the latter category. Dudamel, who is only 28 years old, last week began his tenure as Conductor and Music Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. Lucky Los Angeles.
Here he is conducting the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of his native Venezuela in a performance of Mexican composer Arturo Márquez's Danzón No. 2. I first heard this piece just a few weeks ago, and it is one of the happiest compositions I've heard in years.
If it doesn't grab you by the two-and-a-half-minute mark, you're hopeless. And wow, what a finish.
Enjoy.
Impressed? You ain't seen nothin' yet. Check out the same orchestra's handling of Leonard Bernstein's Symphonic Dances from West Side Story.
And if that's still not enough, check out their encores.
You're welcome.
Addendum: Here's a good illustration of the difference the conductor can make in a piece. Just listen for a minute or so to this. The players are professional, they're playing all the right notes, and they're playing them at the right time. But something's different (and it isn't just the production values of the video, though that doesn't help). For this conductor, the piece is a chore. For Dudamel, it's a joy.
3 comments:
That is some fantastic stuff. I may or may not have just downloaded a bunch of it off iTunes. Thanks for the tip!
Semp,
The man (child) is amazing. Looking forward to going to LA to hear the "new symphony."
B.P.: I'm glad you liked it. With posts like this, you never know if anybody will actually take the time to listen to the music. The first time I heard the Marquez piece I was sitting in the living room with a book, and it came on the radio. There are just so many interesting passages in it I had to put the book down. I'd love to see it choreographed.
Reamus: I am SO jealous of you. I read that the Chicago Symphony tried to get him, but he had been doing stuff in LA since 1995, and was most comfortable there.
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