Gustavo Dudamel honors his Venezuelan and American identities, presiding over two poetry-inspired choral symphonic works in his final Walt Disney Concert Hall program as Music & Artistic Director. At times hushed and mysterious and at others pulsating and ecstatic, Harmonium was a breakthrough for John Adams’ compositional voice. Borrowing texts from Emily Dickinson and John Donne, Adams explores time, harmony, and rhythm, unraveling gentle meditations into an awe-inspiring swirl of sound.
In the second half, Dudamel guides Cantata Criolla, another breakthrough work that is not just definitive of composer Antonio Estévez’ voice but an emerging national Venezuelan style. The cantata follows Florentino, a troubadour on the Venezuelan plains who challenges the devil to a battle of wit and song. Estévez’s cross-cutting rhythms and musical textures follow the contest from ominous peril to triumph. Driven by his belief that music can build bridges between cultures, Dudamel selected the cantata as one of the first pieces he wanted to bring to Los Angeles in his inaugural season as Music Director, and it fittingly sets the stage for Gustavo’s finale concert of the 2025/26 season.
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