Sunday (9/26) on the Los Angeles Times blog Culture Monster, Rick Schultz writes, “The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra began its 42nd season Saturday at the Alex Theater without its music director, Jeffrey Kahane. Sidelined by mononucleosis and reportedly told by doctors not to rehearse or perform until he’s fully recovered, Kahane selected a first-rate conductor to step in for him. Julian Kuerti, son of the distinguished pianist Anton Kuerti, is a 33-year-old Canadian who completed his tenure last month as assistant conductor to James Levine at the Boston Symphony. In a program inspired by the theme of enchantment, Kuerti confidently led Kahane’s band in works representing a broad stylistic range, from Haydn to Pierre Jalbert. Moreover, he and the orchestra proved superb collaborators for the evening’s star soloist, violinist Leila Josefowicz. In the concert’s centerpiece, Josefowicz, also Canadian-born, gave an extraordinary performance of Prokofiev’s lyrical and rugged Violin Concerto No. 1. … The program opened with Mendelssohn’s Overture, Scherzo and Nocturne from ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream.’” Also on the program were Jalbert’s Les espaces infinis and Haydn’s Symphony No. 88.
Posted September 28, 2010
