We took a break from hiking and our relentless pursuit to summit the Bay Area’s Nifty Ninety peaks with a getaway to Los Angeles last weekend. The trip was prompted by the news that Gustavo Dudamel would be leaving LA to join the New York Philharmonic which meant that the opportunity to see him conduct would become even harder. I had always wanted to see him when he became the music director of the LA Philharmonic but never found a good time to go (given that we lived in San Francisco).
On our last trip to LA, almost exactly a year ago, we were able to visit the Walt Disney Concert Hall – an amazing structure of stainless steel reminiscent of Gehry’s other architectural masterpiece, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain – but we weren’t able to tour the interior and didn’t have the chance to watch a performance.
Knowing that Dudamel would be leaving (granted not for another two years), I looked for tickets to the LA Philharmonic and we decided to spend a few days down south. The night we went, Dudamel was conducting three pieces by Mozart: Overture to The Magic Flute, Piano Concerto No. 27 in B-flat major and Symphony No. 41 in C major. These were the maestro’s last works for each category of composition.
Our seats were on the side which would allow us to see Dudamel (rather than stare at his back) and the hands of the pianist Mitsuko Uchida.
The performance did not disappoint. Dudamel was so expressive, using not just his hands but his entire face and body. Watching him conduct was riveting and made the experience all the more memorable, not just for the beautiful music, but also the joy of seeing someone filled with such passion for their art.
Before leaving the grounds of the hall, we went to find A Rose for Lilly, a blue and white fountain shaped like a rose, made entirely of Delft porcelain. Frank Gehry created it as a tribute to Lillian Disney.
It was well worth the trip to see Dudamel and the LA Philharmonic perform in Gehry’s iconic Walt Disney Concert Hall. Two giants of their respective crafts.