Requiem Esa-Pekka Salonen Conducts Mozart and Ligeti
Los Angeles Philharmonic, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Jennifer France, Beth Taylor, Laurence Kilsby, Michael Sumuel, Los Angeles Master Chorale
Walt Disney Concert HallSouth Hope Street, Los Angeles 90012
Esa-Pekka Salonen leads the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Master Chorale and soloists Jennifer France, Beth Taylor, Laurence Kilsby and Michael Sumuel in two visions of the Requiem for the LA Phil’s Rituals festival. Mozart’s unfinished Requiem, suspended between fear and hope, comes before Ligeti’s 30-minute Mass of the Dead: a “hysterical, hyperdramatic, and unrestrained” work whose cosmic murmurs appeared in 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The Los Angeles Master Chorale is an independent professional vocal ensemble founded in Los Angeles in 1964, performing repertoire from early music to contemporary work. The Los Angeles Times has called it “the finest-by-far major chorus in America.”
Designed by Frank Gehry, this concert hall is a striking architectural landmark with sweeping stainless steel curves that catch the light outside, while inside, its acoustics are meticulously crafted to deliver rich, clear sound to every seat. The auditorium seats over two thousand people in a space where the audience is fully immersed in the music, surrounded by warm wood paneling and a stage that brings performers close to listeners. The venue hosts ticketed performances by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and other ensembles, offering an evening focused on attentive listening rather than casual socializing. Nearby bars and restaurants in Downtown Los Angeles provide options for pre- or post-show dining, but inside, the experience centers on the music in a refined, elegant setting.