With the fires of a devastating natural disaster still burning, Philippe Jordan and Yefim Bronfman remind us why culture is the city’s spiritual lifeblood.
By John Lavitt
Los Angeles (The Hollywood Times) 01-23-2025
On Sunday afternoon, before the start of the fourth of four shows that started on Thursday and brought classical music back to the city of Los Angeles, Kim Noltemy, the President & Chief Executive Officer of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, took the stage at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. One imagines she did so at each of these performances, marking the return of the LA Phil after the harrowing disasters of the Los Angeles wildfires. With grace and compassion, Noltemy expressed how the LA Phil is taking active measures to support the city: A perfect example is a free concert for firefighters and first responders at The Hollywood Bowl.
After Noltemy’s moving message, Philippe Jordan guest-conducted a powerful two-part concert with the LA Phil. Jordan is well-respected in the classical music community and will assume the role of music director for the Orchestre National de France in September 2027. He led the Los Angeles Philharmonic with passion and energy, delivering a performance that resonated with deep significance. Acknowledging the moment’s importance, it was clear that Jordan was giving something extra to the audience.
In the concert’s first half, Jordan and the LA Phil were joined by the internationally acclaimed pianist Yefim Bronfman. Born in Tashkent, which was then the Soviet Union, this virtuoso immigrated with his family to Israel in 1975 to study at the Rubin Academy of Music at Tel Aviv University. While performing Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Emperor,” the Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-Flat Major, Bronfman displayed a virtuosity typically reserved for only the finest musicians. Magic was created in the Walt Disney Concert Hall, opening the door to another world and time where imagination transformed into fairy tales.
Suddenly, Beethoven’s brilliance transported the audience to the Black Forest at twilight, evoking the mythical tales of the Brothers Grimm. As the wildfires raged on, Bronfman’s masterful performance offered a much-needed respite. At a time when stress and anxiety gripped the entire Southern California region, the concert reminded us why we live in cities and come together to celebrate culture. Indeed, culture provides hope for recovery and healing.
In the concert’s second half, Philippe Jordan conducted the LA Phil in a captivating performance of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6 in B Minor. In stark contrast to the fairy tale transformation of the first half, the second half felt like an unyielding tide of historical defiance. Brilliantly dominated by the brass and winds, Tchaikovsky’s composition resonated as a rallying cry for the Russian people to defend their beloved country from Napoleon’s invasion.
As a brilliant complement to the concert’s first half, the second half felt like a stirring speech that inspired people to fight against devastating odds. It is fascinating that this concert was planned and created long before the natural disaster. In a perfect example of tragic synchronicity, it aligns seamlessly with today’s dark mood.
Beethoven reminded us that imagination and fantasy still hold a value that surpasses hardship, while Tchaikovsky encouraged us to strive for better in the harsh light of this ongoing crisis. Once again, the rejuvenating spirit of the Los Angeles Philharmonic demonstrated why it is the diamond in the cultural crown of Los Angeles.