West Coast, Left Coast Festival IIIa
Sunday: UpBeat Up!: Los Angeles Philharmonic (LAPhil :: 27 Nov 2009 – - – 7:00pm
WDCH: BP Hall
UpBeat Live! Is the regularly scheduled pre-concert conversation series.
Tonight the host is composer Veronika Krausas (currently a faculty member in the Composition Department at the Thornton School of Music, University of southern California). Her guest is John Adams and the discussion focuses on the creation of this Festival and the works on tonight’s program. John’s idea is that the West Coast has been for decades the camping ground of Creative Rebels — Lou Harrison being the most West Coast of the West Coasters.
He met Harrison very soon after arriving in California in the early 1970s, when he needed some gongs for a performance he was doing and Lou was the only person who had gongs at that time – so he drove down to Santa Cruz and borrowed them. They were great friends from then on. Betty Freeman commissioned the Piano Concerto (1983 – 1985). He feels “LA Variations” (1996) is Salonen’s breakthrough piece – “he finally found his own voice”.
“City Noir” is Adams’ third piece about California. Maybe some one can do the triptych – hint hint. BP Hall is a large, flat-floor room opening off the lobby, seating 300 – 400 and is always full for these events – get there early or be prepared to stand. Very very fun design, but the sound system is a poor, distortion, too loud, no directional realism, and loudspeakers looking like a major afterthought. Sit close. Lots of noise from the lobby. Works better for the post concert dessert parties.
Teddy D. Boys
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