{"id":162,"date":"2015-04-26T00:00:08","date_gmt":"2015-04-26T04:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.courtneylewis.com\/blog\/?p=162"},"modified":"2015-04-25T10:58:17","modified_gmt":"2015-04-25T14:58:17","slug":"a-postcard-from-europe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.courtneylewis.com\/blog\/2015\/04\/a-postcard-from-europe\/","title":{"rendered":"A postcard from Europe"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"A<\/a>
Amsterdam.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I\u2019m writing from Amsterdam, the third stop on the New York Philharmonic\u2019s EUROPE\/SPRING 2015 tour. So far we\u2019ve visited Dublin and completed a residency at the Barbican in London. <\/strong>This week we\u2019re playing in one of Europe\u2019s most highly esteemed and acoustically perfect venues, Amsterdam\u2019s Concertgebouw, a 2000-seat shoebox-shaped hall with a warm and generous sound that might remind you of somewhere closer to home\u2026<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The breathtaking interior or Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The London residency began with the Philharmonic\u2019s music director, Alan Gilbert, addressing the Royal Philharmonic Society. His incisive\u00a0speech<\/a>\u00a0outlined a vision of what an orchestra can and should be in the 21st\u00a0century. Faithful readers will note many\u00a0parallels with my own ambitions for the Jacksonville Symphony<\/a>, especially concerning our role in the community, the meaningful presentation of new music and the need for collaboration with other arts organizations.<\/p>\n

Alan also discussed the transformative effect several musical projects have had on the staff and musicians of the Philharmonic. The most recent of these is a staged production of Stravinsky\u2019s ballet\u00a0P\u00e9trouchka<\/em>, an enormous spectacle involving puppets, dancers and live video projections. On top of playing, the production requires the orchestral musicians to take part in divers and irreverent ways. At one moment the cameras zoom in on the percussion section surreptitiously slamming shots of vodka, while the tuba player furtively peers into a peep show booth. In a breath-taking display of chutzpah, the Philharmonic brought the whole production to London on Sunday night, to dazzling effect.<\/p>\n

\"London,<\/a>
London, April 19, 2015, 4:10PM: The Shrovetide Fair is brought to life by New York Philharmonic musicians \u2014 including Associate Principal Viola and juggler extraordinaire Rebecca Young and Acting Concertmaster Sheryl Staples (left) \u2014 plus Giants Are Small puppeteers. Photo by Chris Lee.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A few weeks ago I was in Jacksonville for principal bassoon auditions (we have hired a fantastic musician who you can hear in May). With over 140 candidates, it had been a long few\u00a0days of listening, and I wandered over to the downtown Thai restaurant Indochine for dinner. On my way back I couldn\u2019t help but notice the huge number of people milling around, so I walked into Hemming Plaza. It took me a minute to remember that this was the opening night of\u00a0OneSpark<\/a>, so consumed was my mind by the memory of hearing the opening bassoon solo of Tchaikovsky 6 over and over again.<\/p>\n

As any of you who were in Hemming Plaza that night know, the energy was extraordinary. The diversity and innovation on display were testament to the very special renaissance that Jacksonville is beginning to enjoy. Just as the Philharmonic channelled the unique restlessness of New York City into their production of\u00a0P\u00e9trouchka<\/em>, we are launching the Jacksonville Symphony into the wider community and exploring new ways of presenting concerts to reflect and drive the energy of our extraordinary city.<\/p>\n

\"Opening<\/a>
Opening night of OneSpark 2015 with Abel Harding and Ryan Ali.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Last month I wrote about these plans<\/a>. Right now I\u2019m looking forward to returning to Jacksonville to close this season. The program on May 14 and 15 is the first I\u2019ve conducted that really reflects a new direction. We start with\u00a0Haydn\u2019s 92nd\u00a0Symphony<\/a>, the Oxford. This is one of Haydn’s greatest, full of the witty profundity that is so surprising and moving but often undervalued in the master\u2019s music. Then on to Thomas Ad\u00e8s\u2019s miraculous\u00a0Three Studies from Couperin<\/em><\/a>, composed in 2006, in which the composer rewrites three harpsichord pieces for a modern chamber orchestra. The effect is of hearing\u00a0the elegant world of the French Baroque through a modern-day crystal ball. Ad\u00e8s is one of the most important composers of our time and we\u2019ll be playing a lot more of his music, so I\u2019d encourage you to come and enjoy this miniature masterpiece.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
New York, March 2015: Conductor\/composer Thomas Ad\u00e8s, Assistant Conductor Courtney Lewis, and baritone Mark Stone have a light-hearted moment before taking the stage for the dress rehearsal of Ad\u00e8s\u2019s \u201cTotentanz.\u201d Photo by New York Philharmonic staff.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Finally we end with\u00a0Bart\u00f3k\u2019s Concerto for Orchestra<\/a>, one of the greatest works of the twentieth century, and a wonderful vehicle to demonstrate the virtuosity of our orchestra.<\/p>\n

This program is what I want the Jacksonville Symphony to be all about: the classics, familiar or perhaps unknown (the orchestra has never performed Haydn 92), new music that I know you will love, and established masterpieces to move and delight. It\u2019s with this repertoire, our new concert programs and an increased engagement with our community that we will build the orchestra of the 21st\u00a0century in Jacksonville. See you at Jacoby Hall!<\/p>\n