Gustavo says goodbye with with four-night Hollywood Bowl extravaganza
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Set us as preferred On Sunday, Oct.3, 2009, at 2 p.m., an atmospheric electricity pervaded the Hollywood Bowl when Johnny Polanco came on stage.
The salsa star led what has now come to be held as a legendary day-long concert, which included Cuban and mariachi musicians, a large gospel choir, Flea, Herbie Hancock and Taj Mahal.None were the main attraction.The Bowl, like the moon that warm fall day, was full and free.
All 18,000 tickets had been given to anyone willing to brave long lines.From east to west, north to south, L.A.
was garlanded with banners that read “¡Bienvenido Gustavo!”This was Gustavo Dudamel’s first concert as music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.It was capped by a supremely confident and irrepressibly jubilant 28-year-old Dudamel leading a performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony that turned its “Ode to Joy” finale into a resolutely joyous heralding of a new epoch of promise for L.A.For the last year, “Gracias Gustavo” garlands have adorned the city, thanking Dudamel for doing just that during his 17 seasons heading the L.A.
Phil.Over the weekend, a supremely happy-seeming Dudamel, before heading to the New York Philharmonic in a couple weeks, milked the thanks in a back-to-the-Bowl, four-night blowout.
It began Thursday with a Beethoven Ninth of extraordinary assurance.Throughout the weekend, Dudamel embraced the worlds of Hollywood, Latin music in many guises and old-fashioned rock.
The marathon ended Sunday with Dudamel literally enthroned by, and serenaded by, Chris Martin of the band Coldplay.Throughout his 17 L.A.Phil seasons, Dudamel has tirelessly acted on his mantras that we are all one people, that there is only one music and that music education is a human right.
With that mantra in mind, he created YOLA (Youth Orchestra Los Angeles), a free teaching program initi...