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The Youths’ Magic Sounds New York
Carnegie Hall, Isaac Stern Auditorium, Perelman Stage
08/02/2024 - & July 29, August 6 (Highland Park), 8 (Lenox), 2024
John Adams: Short Ride in a Fast Machine
Antonio Estévez: Mediodía en el llano
Alberto Ginastera: Four Dances from Estancia, Op. 8
Dimitri Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 in D Minor, Op. 47
National Children’s Symphony of Venezuela, Gustavo Dudamel (Conductor)
National Children’s Symphony of Venezuela (© Nohely Oliveros)
“At some point in your life, if you live in Venezuela, you come across or own a cuatro (a small version of a guitar). Either at school, either at camp, either at a friend’s house, at a birthday or Christmas or bar mitzvah, you end up with a cuatro. It’s like a must.”
Devendra Banhart
“Dear God: How dare You saddle such a vibrant, amiable innovative people, and their electrifying young orchestra, with a government that has all the resonance of a French horn stuffed with jaguar dung?”
Anonymous Parishioner
Seven blocks north of Carnegie Hall is the 42-piece Festival Orchestra. Tonight the National Children’s Symphony of Venezuela, could well win the prize as Fiesta Orchestra. Three times the size of the Festival Orchestra, led by one of the world’s greatest conductors, with four works from the three Americas and Russia, and with rhythms that could tear down Isaac Stern Auditorium, these young players were, in a word, fabulous.
And another WOW Wreath for Carnegie Hall’s World Orchestra Week.
How did these young Central American players reach such heights? Well, what Costa Rica did with conservation education, Venezuela has had a half‑century of revolutionary music education system, called El Sistema. This has produced Gustavo Dudamel, composer Antonio Estévez, and–in 1995–the creation of tonight’s 121‑piece orchestra, the members aged 10 to 17.
It would be simple to number its international triumphs (including conductors Dudamel and Simon Rattle). Simpler to praise their size (why use one pair of clashing cymbals for Shostakovich’s Fifth when you can use a pair of clashing cymbals?).
More difficult to describe their coordination, their faultless notation, and the velocity brought forth from Maestro Dudamel.
Several years ago, Daniel Barenboim brought his Israeli/Arab orchestra, and to make them play (quite well, I remember), he exaggerated every gesture, he beat time like a kindergarten teacher. None of this was needed with Mr. Dudamel, His gestures were the same as with his L.A. Phil, with a response of utmost alacrity.
And electricity. Beginning with John Adams’ short nightmarish Short Ride in a Fast Machine. As they’re equipped with a 10‑member percussion consort, I have no idea who played the “sadistic” (Adams’ word) wood block. But that set off four minutes not only of energy, but abrupt harmonic changes, abrupt rhythms and the most surprising orchestral colors.
G. Dudamel (© Danny Clinch/L.A. Phil)
The following work by Venezuelan composer Antonio Estévez was perhaps a letdown composition-wise, but before the orchestral tutti, gave the first chairs chances for a few measures’ soli.
Back to the energy. Three nights ago, the Festival Orchestra played Ginastera’s Orchestral Variations, which, before the final movement was hardly Argentinian at all. Tonight, Ginastera’s quartet of dances from his ballet Estancia was echt‑Argentinian with three riotous timpani-pounding brass-blaring movements ending with the whole orchestra shaking back and forth.
And yes, the one melancholy section had a luscious flute solo (David Mendoza was one of the eight (!!) flutists).
I wish there was no intermission. The audience, both enthusiastic and respectful, wanted a l‑o‑o‑ng entr’acte for shmoozing, this followed by speeches before awarding Gustavo Dudamel the well‑deserved 14th Glenn Gould Foundation Prize.
After this, though, Mr. Dudamel took to the dais and turned the Moderato opening of Shostakovich’s Fifth into a Whirling Dervish Prestissimo. Frankly, I’d never heard it so fast. Even quicker than his mere Presto for the finale Allegro non troppo. One supposes that the composer would light up three or four of his cigarettes and duck into his dacha, but, the orchestra, the audience and Mr. Dudamel enjoyed it.
This was a powerful Fifth, and in the Largo, the strings played with an unexpectedly velvet tone.
I imagined the Venezuela Orchestra would play an encore, but I wanted to go with the drums pounding and the orchestra offering a triumphant finish to a wonderful evening.
CODA: In the intermission, it occurred to me that Gustavo Dudamel–like Paderewski in Poland–might want to become President of Venezuela. That was quickly laughed off. The conductor has already conducted Thomas Adès’ Inferno. One hell is enough for any man!
Harry Rolnick
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