¡Bienvenido Gustavo!
Dudamel’s Arrival Marks a Celebratory Milestone in Los Angeles
The 28-year old maestro and his orchestra, which was joined by a 200-person community choir that included members of the Los Angeles Master Chorale, left nearly 18,000 fans on their feet in a thunderous ovation that featured five curtain calls and a 15 minute standing ovation!
Inclusion By A Mélange of Music Styles
The five hour all-inclusive program brought a wonderful mélange of jazz, gospel, pop, blues, folk and classical music styles to the attention of fans as they continued to arrive at the infamous Hollywood Bowl. During the first half of the program,host Quincy Jones introduced his latest discovery, pianist Alfredo Rodríguez, who performed “Crossing the Border,” the first song he wrote upon arriving in the United States from Cuba.
Rodriquez was followed by Andraé Crouch, who was introduced by Ozomatli. Accompanied by the New Christ Memorial Church Gospel Choir, Crouch sang “Right Now,” “Living This Kind Of Life,” “Jesus Is the Answer,” and “Let the Church Say Amen.”
Red Hot Chili Peppers’ bassist Flea was joined by Keith Barry and the Silverlake Conservatory Ensemble. They performed “Higher Ground,” “Visions,” and “I Wish.” After a humorous introduction by Jack Black, the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s newly appointed Creative Chair for Jazz, Herbie Hancock, joined the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts Jazz Band in a performance that included “One Finger Snap” and “Maiden Voyage.”
Andy Garcia, an avid advocate of Afro-Cuban music, introduced David Hidalgo of East L.A.’s famed Los Lobos and legendary blues pioneer Taj Mahal, who performed with Los Cenzontles, a group dedicated to the performance and education of Mexican roots music. Their set included “Hermosisimo Lucero,” and “La Luna,” performed by Los Cenzontles only, and “Suenos,” “Cascabel,” “Good Morning Aztlan,” and “Best of Me,” performed with Taj Mahal and Hidalgo.
During intermission, a video welcoming Gustavo was shown on the Hollywood Bowl’s jumbo-tron screens. The second half of the program featured a performance of an arrangement of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” by the YOLA Expo Center Youth Orchestra, led by Dudamel in his first public appearance with the ensemble.
The Main Event: Dudamel’s Leadership Equals New Possibilities
"Music can unite and empower, and there was only one work that came to mind when considering what to program for this concert - the Ninth, and last, Symphony of Beethoven. It is a work that has special meaning for me, and it is used throughout the world as the ultimate celebration of joy and humanity, " states Dudamel.
Acclaimed worldwide as one of, if not THE most exciting conducting virtuoso, the maestro's brilliant interpretation of the Ninth was met with tears of joy, reverent silence and thunderous ovations during its four movements.
Beethoven’s monumental masterpiece received the special gifts of Dudamel in an all-inclusive embrace of dynamic energy. From the eruption in the first movement to the vivacious scherzo, to the peaceful Adagio, to the choral finale, Dudamel’s conducting was an exciting extension of his inner brilliance and his call to unite in universal love.
“I am proud to be an American. We are a continent together, no North, no South, no Central America,” stated Dudamel following the thunderous ovation upon the conclusion of the symphony. The evening came to a brilliant end with a “surprise” encore of the last five minutes of the Ninth with multi-colored fireworks that sparked Bienvenido Gustavo against the midnight blue sky.
Source: Dudamel, G. (2009, October 3). Performance Magazine , p. 6.
Gustavo Dudamel
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