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The Usher Hall
There’s a particular kind of buzz that settles over Usher Hall when Gustavo Dudamel is in town, and last night was no exception. First time we’d been in this venue all festival season, and it did not disappoint as an opening. The main hall and upstairs were absolutely rammed, which is pretty standard when Dudamel’s name is on the bill. Oddly though, the choir seats were looking a bit patchy. Not sure what that was about, but it seemed a strange thing to skimp on for a night like this.
Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony opened proceedings, and that second movement did exactly what it always does. It’s the one everyone recognises even if they can’t place it (yes, that’s the one from The King’s Speech), and the LA Phil gave it the reverence it deserves. Now, I’ll let you in on a little secret about how I experience live orchestral music. I close my eyes. I know, I know, it looks like I’ve nodded off, and if you catch me mid head bounce you’d be forgiven for thinking exactly that. But I promise you, it’s not boredom, it’s hypnosis. The music just carries me somewhere else entirely, and last night was a particularly gentle, floaty trip round the room courtesy of the LA Phil.
Second half belonged to Gabriela Ortiz, and what a shift in gear. I’d never heard her work before and I was not prepared for quite how percussive and powerful it would be. Waves of sound rolled through the hall, and it genuinely took me back to watching Evelyn Glennie perform in London (if you know, you know, that woman is an absolute beast with a marimba). Above all that rhythm and rumble, the choral sections floated high and clear, drifting over the top of the wash of sound. Genuinely lovely stuff, and a brilliant showcase for a composer I’ll now be seeking out.
All in, a properly enjoyable evening from the LA Phil and Dudamel, though I’ll admit I didn’t quite catch the same wave of energy that Bryan did. Still, no complaints from me!