Elemental: New York Phil begins season with multi-composer commission

Joshua Bell and Jaap van Zweden

Jaap van Zweden conducts the New York Philharmonic

By David Wolfson, 30 September 2023

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“Bell somehow managed to be both affable and ferociously intense on this journey”

Reviewed at Lincoln Center: Wu Tsai Theater, David Geffen Hall, New York City on 29 September 2023

Kevin Puts, Edgar Meyer, Jake Heggie, Jennifer Higdon, Jessie Montgomery, The Elements

Copland, Symphony no. 3

New York Philharmonic

Jaap van Zweden, Conductor

Joshua Bell, Violin

A vocally perplexing economics assignment from David Lang

No’a L. bat Miri, 19th March

The New York Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel deliver the world premiere of Lang's The wealth of nations, inspired by Adam Smith's famous treatise.

***11

Weinberg rarity overshadows John Williams at the New York Philharmonic

Cameron Kelsall, 1st March

John Williams put butts in seats with the New York debut of his Piano Concerto, but the NY Phil's first performances of Mieczysław Weinberg’s Symphony no. 5 stole the show.

****1

Contours in motion: Kavakos and Rouvali at the New York Philharmonic

Edward Sava-Segal, 20th February

Bartók and Rachmaninov are shaped through rhythmic precision and structural concentration in the New York Philharmonic's latest subscription concert.

****1

Lyricism and drama from Dueñas, Honeck and the New York Philharmonic

Susan Stempleski, 29th January

The Spanish violinist delivers a radiant rendition of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto after which Honeck interprets his own distillation of music from Strauss’ Elektra.

****1

Thomas Adès and Yuja Wang offer contemporary works at the NY Phil

Sam Jacobson, 23rd January

Yuja Wang returns to the New York Philharmonic with Rautavaara’s dazzling First Piano Concerto in a probing program curated and conducted by Thomas Adès.

****1

Tradition and modernity: Bronfman and Zhang shine in New York

Susan Stempleski, 15th January

Xian Zhang returns to the Philharmonic to lead a program pairing two 19th-century Romantic works with a 21st-century tone poem.

****1

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David Wolfson

David Wolfson holds a PhD in composition from Rutgers University, and has taught at Rutgers University, Montclair State University and Hunter College. He is enjoying an eclectic career, having composed opera, musical theatre, touring children’s musicals, and incidental music for plays; choral music, band music, orchestral music, chamber music, art songs, and music for solo piano; comedy songs, cabaret songs and one memorable score for an amusement park big-headed-costumed-character show. You can find more information here.

Elemental: New York Phil begins season with multi-composer Joshua Bell commission