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  • LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC INAUGURATES WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL ORGAN
  • Sep. 30, 2004
  • 2004/2005 Programming Features Organ Recital Series Beginning September 30, Gala Opening Night on October 1,
    Orchestral Programs, and Free Grand Avenue Festival Performances By Local Organists

    The long-anticipated debut of one of the focal points of the Walt Disney Concert Hall auditorium -- the 6,134-pipe organ -- launches the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association's 2004/2005 season. After a year of installation, tuning, and voicing, the new instrument is inaugurated in a recital by Frederick Swann on September 30, 2004, and with the orchestra at the Philharmonic's Opening Night Gala, Grands on Grand, led by Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen on October 1.

    Immediately following these programs, Salonen leads the orchestra's subscription season with two weeks of programs that include works that feature the organ. On October 2 and 3, organist Todd Wilson performs Lou Harrison's Organ Concerto, as well as in Saint-Saëns' "Organ" Symphony (No. 3). The concert juxtaposes two of Bach's most famous organ works: Toccata and Fugue in D Minor in its original version for organ and Fugue in G Minor, "Little," as transcribed for orchestra.

    October 7, 8 and 9 bring the world premiere of James MacMillan's A Scotch Bestiary, for organ and orchestra, conducted by Salonen with organ soloist Wayne Marshall (organist-in-residence at Bridgewater Hall in Manchester, England). The piece is co-commissioned by the Philharmonic and the BBC Philharmonic. Rounding out the program are Strauss' Festival Prelude and Also sprach Zarathustra.

    Among the other programs during the year that focus on the organ include subscription performances of Jongen's Symphonie Concertante (April 22, 2005) and Copland's Organ Symphony (May 6, 2005), as well as a holiday program (December 12) featuring Philharmonic brass players with organ.

    New this season is the Organ Recital Series, which, after christening the organ on September 30, continues with five presentations: October 11 with Wayne Marshall (Organist-in-residence, The Bridgewater Hall in Manchester, England); October 31 with Clark Wilson (Prize-winning theatre organist performing with the silent film The Phantom of the Opera); February 20, 2005 with Martin Haselböck (Vienna Court Organist); April 3 with Thomas Murray (University Organist and Professor of Music at Yale University) and finishes on May 8 with Olivier Latry (Titular organist, Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris).
    The Walt Disney Concert Hall organ is also spotlighted when Los Angeles Philharmonic participates in the Grand Avenue Festival, which takes place on October 17 from 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Programming during this day highlights the organ with free 30-minute recitals by Los Angeles-based organists, as well as performances by the Los Angeles Philharmonic in two special family programs. Also featured are additional educational activities and performances for families and children throughout Walt Disney Concert Hall's spaces (BP Hall, Keck Children's Amphitheater), highlighting other types of keyboard instruments.

    Designed by Frank Gehry and Manuel Rosales of Rosales Organ Builders, the Walt Disney Concert Hall organ contains pipes ranging in size from a pencil to a telephone pole, and is voiced with a wide dynamic range from pianississimo to a breathtaking fortissimo. The specially curved wood façade pipes were made by Glatter-Götz Orgelbau of solid, vertical grain Douglas fir and consist of the Violone and Bassoon basses. Behind the facade are three levels of pipes, including metal pipes made of tin and lead alloys and wood pipes made of Norwegian pine.

    Organ events include:

    Thursday, September 30 at 7:30 PM
    Inaugural Organ Recital

    Frederick Swann, organ

    WILLIAM MATHIAS Fanfare (1987)

    JOSEPH RHEINBERGER Introduction and Passacaglia (Sonata, Op. 132,
    No. 8)

    FANNIE CHARLES DILLON Woodland Flute Call

    J. S. BACH Toccata in F, BWV 540

    MENDELSSOHN Sonata in f, Op. 65, No. 1

    FRANCK Pièce héroïque

    GEORGE BAKER Berceuse-Paraphrase

    HEALEY WILLAN Introduction, Passacaglia, and Fugue

    Friday, October 1
    Grands on Grand - Opening Night Gala

    Los Angeles Philharmonic

    Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor

    Emanuel Ax, Yefim Bronfman, Gloria Cheng,
    Hélène Grimaud, Joanne Pearce Martin, Shai Wosner, pianos

    Todd Wilson, organ

    STRAUSS Festival Prelude

    MOZART Concerto for Three Pianos

    LISZT Hexaméron

    SOUSA/GOULD The Stars and Stripes Forever

    Saturday, October 2 at 8 PM
    Sunday, October 3 at 2 PM
    Los Angeles Philharmonic

    Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor

    Todd Wilson, organ

    BACH Toccata & Fugue in D minor

    BACH Fugue in G minor, "Little"

    HARRISON Organ Concerto

    SAINT-SAËNS Symphony No. 3, "Organ"

    Thursday, October 7 at 8 PM

    Friday, October 8 at 8 PM

    Saturday, October 9 at 8 PM

    Los Angeles Philharmonic

    Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor

    Wayne Marshall, organ

    STRAUSS Festival Prelude

    MACMILLAN A Scotch Bestiary (World premiere; LAP & BBC
    Philharmonic co-commission)

    STRAUSS Also sprach Zarathustra

    Monday, October 11 at 7:30 PM
    Organ Recital

    Wayne Marshall, organ

    MARSHALL Intrada

    WIDOR Organ Symphony No. 6 in G minor, Op. 42, No. 2

    J. STRAUSS, JR. arr. MARSHALL Overture to Die Fledermaus

    VERDI, arr. MARSHALL Prelude to Act I of Un ballo in maschera

    VERDI, arr. MARSHALL Coronation Scene from Don Carlo

    MARSHALL Berceuse pour une femme

    BERNSTEIN/MARSHALL Improvisations on themes from West Side Story

    Sunday, October 17, 11 AM - 6 PM
    Grand Avenue Festival


    Free concerts throughout the day by L.A.-based organists and the Los Angeles Philharmonic

    Sunday, October 31 at 7:30 PM
    The Phantom of the Opera Organ Recital

    Clark Wilson, organ

    Sunday, December 12 at 7:30 PM
    Brass and Organ Holiday Program

    Members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic

    Sunday, February 20, 2005 at 7:30 PM
    Organ Recital

    Martin Haselböck, organ


    All-Liszt program:

    Introduction and Fugue "Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis" after Bach's
    Cantata No. 21

    Variations "Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen"

    "Les Morts" - Oraison

    Prelude and Fugue on B-A-C-H

    Fantasie and Fugue on the Chorale "Ad nos, ad salutarem undam" from
    Meyerbeer's Opera The Prophet

    Sunday, April 3, 2005 at 7:30 PM
    Organ Recital

    Thomas Murray, organ

    VIVALDI Concerto Grosso in d

    MENDELSSOHN Overture to Ruy Blas

    SCHUMANN Six Canonic Studies, opus 56

    ELGAR Severn Suite, opus 87

    COOK Fanfare (Psalm 81, vs. 1 - 3)

    SCHUMANN Six Canonic Studies, opus 56

    FRANCK Symphony in D

    Friday, April 22, 2005 at 8 PM

    Saturday, April 23, 2005 at 8 PM

    Sunday, April 24, 2005 at 2 PM

    Los Angeles Philharmonic
    Edo de Waart, conductor

    Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano

    JONGEN Symphonie concertante

    RAVEL Piano Concerto in G

    BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 1

    Friday, May 6, 2005 at 8 PM

    Saturday, May 7, 2005 at 8 PM


    Sunday, May 8, 2005 at 2 PM

    Los Angeles Philharmonic

    Michael Christie, conductor

    Evelyn Glennie, percussion

    COPLAND Organ Symphony

    SIMONS Concerto Fabuleux (U.S. premiere)


    VIVALDI Piccolo Recorder Concerto in C Major, RV 443, transcribed for
    vibraphone

    RESPIGHI Pines of Rome

    Sunday, May 8, 2005 at 7:30 PM
    Organ Recital

    Olivier Latry, organ

    Louis MARCHAND Pièces pour le Te Deum

    Antoine CALVIÈRE Pièce d'orgue

    Louis-Claude DAQUIN Noël, Grand Jeu et duo

    FRANCK 2ème Choral, en Si mineur

    Eugène GIGOUT Scherzo

    Louis VIERNE Final de la 2ème Symphonie

    Jean LANGLAIS Thème et variations

    DURUFLÉ Scherzo

    MESSIAEN Joie et clarté des Corps Glorieux

    Thierry ESCAICH Deux poèmes

    Olivier LATRY Improvisation

    Tickets to all 2004/2005 concerts are on sale now at the Walt Disney Concert Hall box office, online at LAPhil.com, or via credit card phone order at 323.850.2000. When available, choral bench seats ($15), will be released for sale to selected Philharmonic, Colburn Celebrity Recital, 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 all information, please call 323.850.2000.

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  • Contact:

    Rachelle Roe, 213.972.7310; Sabrina Skacan, 213.972.3408; for photos: 213.972.3034