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Beginning a two-week residency, Esa-Pekka Salonen juxtaposed a work of his own with selections from two composers with which he is deeply identified: Sibelius and Steven Stucky.

A twin tribute slices and dices the composer's life and leaves a bad aftertaste.

Framed by passionate performances of Mendelssohn and Brahms, a gorgeous neo-Romantic work by Steven Stucky is unveiled in this installment of the 2015 Summer Festival. 

The opera, directed by Mary Birnbaum, rotates through a cast of characters including Tonic, Dominant, and Subdominant as well as a be-wigged Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven.

At first hearing the idea of the music of Witold Lutosławski as the centerpiece of a Los Angeles Philharmonic “Green Umbrella” concert made a strangely incongruous impression. Music new or difficult is the usual fare of such a program.

The total timing of the music on the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s season premiere was barely an hour long. On the page the line-up looked strange. First half: Ravel’s Pavane pour une infante défunte and the world premiere of a work by local composer Steven Stucky. The second half: Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring.

To paraphrase Richard Strauss’ advice to young conductors: “If you think the brass are playing too soft, ask them to play softer.” Manfred Honeck, music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony, clearly thinks that the brass can never play loudly enough.