“The New York Philharmonic will open its 175th anniversary season on Wednesday a little differently than its forebears in 1842: For the first time it will stream the concert on Facebook Live,” writes Michael Cooper in Monday’s (9/19) New York Times. “The program … will feature Gershwin’s Concerto in F for piano and orchestra, John Corigliano’s ‘STOMP’ and Dvorák’s Symphony No. 9, ‘From the New World.’ It will mark the beginning of a season-long celebration of that symphony that the orchestra is calling the ‘New World Initiative.’ … The symphony, which Dvorák wrote in New York, was given its premiere by the Philharmonic in 1893. As part of this season’s exploration, the orchestra is asking ensembles to play it, or selections from it, or reinterpretations of it…. More than 70 groups have joined so far.… The Philharmonic is also developing a curriculum exploring the work, including its African-American and Native American musical influences, and will present it to city music teachers in November. [Music Director] Alan Gilbert … said in a statement that the project reflected his aspiration for the Philharmonic ‘to be … an orchestra that is New York’s orchestra in a very meaningful way.’ ”
Posted September 20, 2016
