“One predicted consequence of the pandemic has been that the arts would necessarily become more local,” writes Mark Swed in Friday’s (7/23) Los Angeles Times. “In the case of the Hollywood Bowl, we have an L.A. Phil summer [in which] Gustavo Dudamel … conducts an unprecedented five weeks. The other conductors include six former Dudamel Fellows, … five [of whom are] making their Bowl debuts…. First up [last Tuesday] was Tianyi Lu of Shanghai…. She knows what she wants; she knows how to make a listener (and seemingly an orchestra) want what she wants; and she knows how to get it…. She began her program with … the first performance of Ricardo Molla’s ‘Fanfare for a New Beginning.’ … The U.S. premiere of Thea Musgrave’s Trumpet Concerto … was consequential and a delight.… The score was inspired by an exhibition of Victoria Crowe tree paintings Musgrave saw in 2018… Musgrave’s other inspiration is the singing tone of [Alison] Balsom’s trumpet…. The trumpet had various lively dialogues with orchestra soloists…. Lu concluded … with a sprightly ‘Pictures at an Exhibition,’ using the familiar Ravel orchestration…. She [made] every amazing Ravel effect sound clear, clean and carefully etched.”
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