FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 5 AND 6, 2010, AT 8 PM
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2010, AT 2 PM 

Eminent veteran conductor Herbert Blomstedt returns to Los Angeles to lead the Los Angeles Philharmonic in three concerts of music by Beethoven and Haydn at Walt Disney Concert Hall, Friday and Saturday, February 5 and 6, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, February 7, at 2 p.m.

The first of the two works on the program for all three concerts is Haydn’s Symphony No. 101 in D major, “The Clock,” first performed on March 3, 1794, in London, to a rapturous response. The Morning Chronicle enthused: “As usual the most delicious part of the entertainment was a new grand Overture by HAYDN; the inexhaustible, the wonderful, the sublime HAYDN! The first two movements were encored; and the character that pervaded the whole composition was heartfelt joy.” It is no surprise the symphony received such a positive response as it is highly original music, brilliantly scored and thrillingly virtuosic.

The second work on the program is Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7. Unlike the reception Haydn received for Symphony No. 101, Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony was savagely assailed by virtually all of the critics, including Carl Maria von Weber, who dismissed it as the work of a madman. The symphony was written during one of the darkest and most difficult periods in the composer’s life, emotionally and physically. Ironically, except in its heart-rending second movement, the ebullient, life-affirming A-major Symphony shows no signs of either the private agony or the social chaos that surrounded its composition.

Blomstedt, Conductor Laureate of the San Francisco Symphony, where he served as Music Director from 1985 to 1995, is also an Honorary Conductor of the Gewandhaus Orchestra in Leipzig, the NHK Symphony, the Danish and Swedish Radio Symphonies as well as the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, which he has been conducting since 1982. Blomstedt has received several Honorary Doctorates and is an elected member of the Royal Swedish Music Academy. He has guest conducted the world’s greatest orchestras for over five decades and celebrated his 80th birthday on July 11, 2007.

The Friday, February 5 performance is part of the LA Phil’s 2009/10 Casual Fridays series. The series encourages audiences and orchestra members to attend in comfortable attire. These programs feature free post-concert activities for all ticket-holders to enjoy including a TalkBack discussion with musicians held on stage after the performance and a chance to mingle with members of the orchestra in the Concert Hall Café.

All three concerts are preceded by Upbeat Live pre-performance discussions which are free to ticket-holders, and occur in BP Hall one hour prior to the performances. Composer, conductor and performer, Russell Steinberg, Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Youth Orchestra and UCLA faculty member, hosts. Herbert Blomstedt also participates.

For full artist biographies, please visit:  http://www.laphil.com.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, under the vibrant leadership of Gustavo Dudamel, presents the finest in orchestral and chamber music, recitals, new music, jazz, world music and holiday concerts at two of the most remarkable locations anywhere to experience music – Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Hollywood Bowl. In addition to a 30-week winter subscription season at Walt Disney Concert Hall, the LA Phil presents a 12-week summer festival at the legendary Hollywood Bowl, summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and home of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. In fulfilling its commitment to the community, the Association’s involvement with Los Angeles extends to educational concerts, children's programming and community concerts, ever seeking to provide inspiration and delight to the broadest possible audience.

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2010, AT 8 PM
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2010, AT 8 PM
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2010, AT 2 PM
WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL
111 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC
HERBERT BLOMSTEDT, conductor

HAYDN                   Symphony No. 101, “The Clock”
BEETHOVEN            Symphony No. 7 

The concerts are preceded by Upbeat Live pre-performance discussions which are free to ticket-holders, and occur in BP Hall one hour prior to the performances. Russell Steinberg, composer, conductor and performer, Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Youth Orchestra, and UCLA faculty member, hosts. Herbert Blomstedt also participates.

Tickets ($42 - $160) are on sale now at the Walt Disney Concert Hall Box Office, online at LAPhil.com, or via credit card by phone at 323.850.2000. When available, choral bench seats ($17) will be released for sale to selected Philharmonic, Colburn Celebrity Series, and Baroque Variations performances beginning at noon on the Tuesday of the second week prior to the concert. A limited number of $10 rush tickets for seniors and full time students may be available at the Walt Disney Concert Hall box office two hours prior to the performance. Valid identification is required; one ticket per person; cash only. Groups of 12 or more may be eligible for special discounts for selected concerts and seating areas. For information, please call 323.850.2000.