Letter from Los Angeles: The LA Phil’s Mahler Grooves Festival Opens with the Mesmerizing “Mahler’s Journey”
The Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Mahler Grooves Festival is currently underway at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, regaling audiences with three different concerts until March 9. The festival’s “groovy” title has its origins in 1970s Los Angeles when a locally based society of Mahler fans designed “Mahler Grooves” bumper stickers to celebrate the cult status of the composer and honor his ability to connect with listeners on so many levels, from intellectual to visceral.
Maestro Gustavo Dudamel and the brilliant orchestra opened the Festival on February 20 with “Mahler’s Journey”, a concert of riveting selections that displayed Mahler’s genius in composing: from the orchestra to the voice… to both together. It began with Blumine, the “exiled” second movement of Mahler’s First Symphony that the composer removed from the symphony after 1894, but that often gets performed on its own. Poetic, pastoral, and serene, Blumine resounded exquisite and luminous, and the flawless synergy between conductor and orchestra created a meditative atmosphere. The Tenth Symphony Adagio that followed was a stunningly played showcase of contrasting moods and musical rollercoasters, from the tender, shimmering melodic incursions by the violas and violins to the grand climactic, electrifyingly dissonant outbursts in full orchestral power.
Simon Keenlyside, Gustavo Dudamel with the LA Philharmonic, and Ekaterina Gubanova
After intermission, it was time for the human voice to inspire and touch the heart, in this case two voices—Simon Keenlyside and Ekaterina Gubanova—alternating selections from Lieder und Gesänge and Des Knaben Wunderhorn.
Simon Keenlyside proved, as always, to be a master storyteller, molding his superb and powerful voice through a vast range of colors and dynamics that brought to the forefront the various imagery and emotions of the Lieder he sang. Scheiden und Meiden flowed in smooth, lively waves with especially moving color variations on “Ade” and “tut weh”. Keenlyside’s impeccable diction and ability to construct compelling narrative arcs within each song excelled throughout, in lovely narration in Ablösung im Sommer, tender expressivity coupled with honeyed yodeling in Hans und Grethe, two distinctive voices in the Verlor’ne Müh’ dialogue effectively portraying both characters—the woman’s voice infused with sweet cajoling and the man’s with grainy harshness—and effortless, hypnotic floating on the phrases of Ich ging mit Lust durch einen grünen Wald. His rendition of Revelge was breathtakingly thrilling and formidable.
Gustavo Dudamel, Simon Keenlyside, and the LA Philharmonic
Ekaterina Gubanova displayed beauty of tone and wonderful diction. Her Rheinlegendchen, although slightly edgy, melted into sweetness toward the end, and she brought that sweetness coupled with nobility of phrasing to Wer hat dies Liedlein erdacht. In Das irdische Leben, Gubanova’s voice was at its most stirring, conveying darkness, anguish and never-ending hunger. In one of her best interpretations of the night, Wo die schönen Trompeten blasen, she created a mysterious aura, in a refined, soft mezza-voce delivery. That gorgeous softness continued in Urlicht in which Gubanova depicted the subdued longing for heaven in beautiful tones.
Overall, Maestro Dudamel and the orchestra were supportive of the singers in instrumental colors and dynamics. The rich orchestration proved overpowering only in a couple of moments but that did not detract in any way from the masterful collaboration between singers, conductor, and instrumentalists.
An inspiring, spellbinding evening of musical and interpretative genius and prowess.
LA Phil’s Mahler Grooves Festival continues through March 9.
Top: The LA Philharmonic at the Walt Disney Concert Hall
Photos by Maria-Cristina Necula
