In Wednesday’s (4/15) Irish Times, Meadhbh McHugh interviews Alan Gilbert on the eve of the New York Philharmonic’s April 16 performance at Dublin’s National Concert Hall. At the Philharmonic, Gilbert “is credited with bringing a youthful, ambitious design to the ensemble. Highlights include a collaboration with director Doug Fitch on semi-staged productions, including what the New York Times called ‘a groundbreaking performance’ of Ligeti’s opera Le Grand Macabre and another of Stravinsky’s Petrushka [which] will be repeated on tour at London’s Barbican Centre following its Dublin performance. ‘That is so new, nothing you would have seen 10 years ago at the New York Philharmonic,’ says Gilbert. He is also known for championing new music, most notably by inaugurating the NY Phil Biennial, a festival based on the biennials of the contemporary-art world…. In Dublin tomorrow, one of the pieces on the bill, Nyx, will be an Irish premiere for a contemporary composer, Esa-Pekka Salonen…. Part of [his] job, he says, is to convey the desired feeling to the players…. ‘The best experience for me is for the music to speak for itself.’ ” The Philharmonic’s European tour takes it to Ireland, England, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, France, and Germany.
Posted April 15, 2015
Photo of Alan Gilbert and the New York Philharmonic by Chris Lee
