Kate Soper with Gustavo Dudamel and the NY Philharmonic, 5/23/25

In her monodrama Orpheus Orchestra Opus Onus, which received its world premiere at these performances, the hyper-intelligent singer/composer Kate Soper asks a basic question: “What is the point of music?” Alternately speaking and singing directly to the audience as the legendary bard Orpheus, Soper offered what was essentially a 35 minute field guide to the orchestra, which she (as Orpheus) deemed “the most godlike achievement of mortals.”

"Is there anything like that first strike of the bow? A hundred players moving as one! All that splendor, all that might...every instrument evolved to form a gleaming, heaving fortress of sound!"

Opus Onus ran the gamut of emotions: funny, wistful, didactic, self-deprecating. At its core was Soper's heartfelt plea that we shouldn't expect too much of music, even if it is something more than just "entertainment."

"It doesn't love. It doesn't save. It's not for anything, except to be in the presence of something sublime that has nothing to do with the wreck of our lives."

There was a lot to digest in Opus Onus, which would certainly benefit from a second hearing - or a recording. (Dudamel is signed to Deutsche Grammophon, so expect more recordings in the Phil's future.) But, even in just this one performance, one could grasp Soper's sui generis talent as both musician and intellectual, if not all of the heady thoughts she tried to convey. The concert concluded with Philip Glass' Symphony No. 11 (2017), the first of Glass' 14 symphonies ever to be performed by the Philharmonic. (Glass is currently at work on No. 15, which will pull him even with Dmitri Shostakovich.) Glass' symphonies haven't garnered the same notice as his stage works or film music, but this symphony in particular seeks to have transcended the near-single-handed advocacy of conductor Dennis Russell Davies, with performances in Chicago and elsewhere. Written on the occasion of Glass' 80th birthday, the 40 minute work unfolds over three movements, moving steadily from low growl to bright sunshine, filled with Glass' signature repetitions and arpeggios. 

Glass revised the final movement shortly before the premiere to give it more drama and "flamboyance", in Davies' words. Anchored by a battery of percussion, the movement steadily builds to an ecstatic, almost deafening conclusion, after which the crowd erupted in applause: even though Philip wasn't present, this was quite a validation for a composer whose concert music the Philharmonic assiduously avoided until 2017. (Glass was there for the first performance on Thursday.)

Despite the unusually early hour of 11am, last Friday's (5/30) concert was packed to the gills. No surprise, given the program was one of Dudamel's signature pieces: Mahler 7, which he recorded more than a decade ago with the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela. This felt like a summit of epic proportions: Mahler's own orchestra performing with perhaps today's greatest interpreter of his music. Game on.

Conducting the entire 80 minute program from memory, Dudamel took a quick tempo throughout, leading with energy and verve. The Philharmonic responded in kind: aside from a bit of brass wobble, forgivable given the quick turnaround from the previous evening's concert, this was a tour de force from the Philharmonic players. The strings, which Dudamel split with the double basses back left, were fluid and pure; the winds tender and true, the percussion rumbling through the floor of Geffen Hall. One of the highlights came towards the end of the first movement, when the horn section elevated their instruments and flawlessly blasted their fanfare, soon joined by the trumpets and low brass.

Three dark movements followed: two mysterious Nachtmusics ("Night Music") and a strange, disturbing Scherzo that sounded like a totentanz. Those gave way to the familiar Rondo-Finale: a bright, major key romp that the Philharmonic literally ate for lunch (it was about that time.) The music felt vibrant, alive, on the edge of teetering out of control before Dudamel reined things in. Simply put, this was hands down the best Mahler 7 I've ever heard, and one of the most thrilling experiences I've ever had in Geffen Hall. 

The ovation that followed was loud and raucous, to which Dudamel responded by acknowledging the various orchestra players without once taking a solo bow. Which speaks volumes to his approach to collaboration, as if to say: This isn't about me. How refreshing.

This week, Dudamel and the Phil are making their rounds of the five boroughs in their annual free Concerts in the Parks. I'll be going to see them tonight in my own backyard of Prospect Park, but from the clips I've seen of their performances over the past two nights, the music - Tchaikovsky 4, Stravinsky's Firebird, plus new works written and performed by a trio of Latin luminaries - has been electric. I'd expect nothing less of Dudamel, who's conducted countless outdoor performances at the Hollywood Bowl, Coachella, and the Super Bowl, among other venues. (He'll be leading the Berlin Phil's annual Waldbühne concerts later this month before taking them on tour to Japan.)

The NY Philharmonic is a collection of seasoned pros, some of whom have been playing with this ensemble for thirty or forty years, while others have been brought in at the top of their game. In this in-between time without a music director - and perhaps for a few years before that - they've had no trouble holding down the fort.

But, I think it's safe to say that the Phil hasn't always lived up to their heritage, or their fullest potential. For that, you need a leader, someone who's been around the block and has a vision for what they want to achieve.  Someone for whom the orchestra wants to play well. And, when that orchestra is the NY Philharmonic, and the conductor is Gustavo Dudamel, the possibilities feel endless. With new management, a new hall, and now a new music director who is both young and seasoned, it's going to be a fun ride. And, we're just getting started. More pics from 5/23 here; 5/30 here.