THE PYROTECHNICS AFTER THE FOURTH OF JULY
As if the blazing heat wave last week wasn’t enough of an indication that summer is upon us, the Los Angeles Philharmonic is opening the first week of its classical season at the Hollywood Bowl. It’s still tough to beat the communal experience of sitting under the stars being serenaded by one of the world’s greatest orchestras as you sip wine and chat with neighbors. And if you’ve never been to the Bowl for an LA Phil event, than this week is sure to get you hooked.
The profundity and development of French conductor Lionel Bringuier (who also plays piano and cello but not this week) is amazing given he celebrates his 29th birthday this September. He will be leading the Phil with different programs: Tuesday, pianist Yuja Wang shows off her fierce fingerwork with Prokofiev’s technically demanding Second Piano Concerto (she actually she made her Hollywood Bowl debut with Resident Conductor Bringuier in August of 2011). The program also includes Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances, Debussy’s La mer and Ravel’s Boléro. And if like me you can never get your fill of pyrotechnics (along with the piano, of course), the concert concludes with a spectacular fireworks display.
Thursday’s concert features Bringuier and the LA Phil with cellist Narek Hakhnazaryan in his LA Phil and Hollywood Bowl debuts. The all-Russian program of romance and tragedy opens with a suite of selections from Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet. The concert continues after intermission with Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations featuring Hakhnazaryan, and closes with Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Fantasy-Overture.
photos courtesy of LA Phil
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Lionel Bringuier, conductor
The Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N Highland Ave.
Tuesday, July 7, 2015 at 8:00
Yuja Wang, piano
Thursday, July 9, 2015 at 8:00
Narek Hakhnazaryan, cello
for tickets, call 323.850.2000 or visit www.hollywoodbowl.com
