The New York Philharmonic Performs Christopher Rouse’s Odna Zhizn, 2/10-2/16

Music Director Alan Gilbert will conduct the New York Philharmonic in the World Premiere of Christopher Rouse's "Odna Zhizn" - a New York Philharmonic Commission- and two works by Mozart: the Sinfonia concertante for Winds, featuring Philharmonic musicians, and the Symphony No. 41, Jupiter. Performances will be Wednesday, February 10, 2010, at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, February 11, at 7:30 p.m., Friday, February 12, at 8:00 p.m., and Tuesday, February 16, at 7:30 p.m. Appearing in solo roles in the Sinfonia concertante will be Principal Oboe Liang Wang, Acting Principal Clarinet Mark Nuccio in his Philharmonic subscription solo debut, Principal Bassoon Judith LeClair, and Principal Horn Philip Myers.

Mr. Gilbert, who has indicated a special interest in working with the Philharmonic musicians on music by Mozart, noted that, "Using soloists from the Orchestra is going to be a recurring feature of programs that I do with the New York Philharmonic - first of all because there are so many great players who deserve to be heard as soloists, and second, because it's a wonderful way for the audience to get to know a different aspect of their personalities. The Mozart Sinfonia concertante is a great piece. It's a real showpiece for the wind soloists, and it's a great way to present the musicians in that special context."

 

Mr. Rouse explains the title of his new work: "In Russian, ‘odna zhizn' means ‘a life,'" he says. "This 15-minute work has been composed in homage to a person of Russian ancestry who is very dear to me. Her life has not been an easy one, and the struggles she has faced are reflected in the sometimes peripatetic nature of the music."

The concert on February 12 will be followed by the second of the New York Philharmonic's Musical Suppers - four post-concert repasts featuring menus created by renowned chefs and hosted by food critic Mimi Sheraton. Jean-Georges Vongerichten will design the menu for this evening. Remaining Musical Suppers will take place on April 16 (Lidia Bastianich) and June 4 (Daniel Boulud). Tickets are $150 per person in addition to a concert ticket; the suppers will take place at Arpeggio Food & Wine in Avery Fisher Hall. For information, call (212) 875-5656 or visit nyphil.org.

Composer Victoria Bond will introduce the program one hour before each performance. Tickets are $5 in addition to the concert ticket. Attendance is limited to 90 people. For more information visit nyphil.org or call (212) 875-5656.

You may also check out the New York Philharmonic Podcast, produced by Mark Travis. Mark has been a producer for the WFMT Radio Network since 1999 as well as the producer of the 52-week-per-year nationally syndicated radio series, "The New York Philharmonic This Week." These award-winning previews of upcoming programs - through musical selections as well as interviews with guest artists, conductors, and Orchestra musicians - are available at nyphil.org/podcast or from iTunes.

This concert will be broadcast the week of February 22, 2010, on "The New York Philharmonic This Week," a radio concert series syndicated nationally to more than 295 stations by the WFMT Radio Network. The 52-week series, hosted by the Emmy Award-winning actor Alec Baldwin, is generously underwritten by The Kaplen Foundation, the Audrey Love Charitable Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Philharmonic's corporate partner, MetLife Foundation. The broadcast will be available on the Philharmonic's Website, nyphil.org. The program is broadcast locally in the New York metropolitan area on 105.9 FM WQXR on Thursdays at 9:00 p.m.

Single tickets for these performances are $31 to $112. Tickets for Pre-Concert Talks are $5. Tickets for Open Rehearsals are $16. Tickets for the Musical Supper are $150; concert ticket and dinner jacket required. All tickets may be purchased online at nyphil.org or by calling (212) 875-5656, 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday.

Tickets may also be purchased at the Avery Fisher Hall Box Office or the Alice Tully Hall Box Office at Lincoln Center, Broadway at 65th Street. The Box Office opens at 10:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday, and at noon on Sunday. On performance evenings, the Box Office closes one-half hour
after performance time; other evenings it closes at 6:00 p.m. A limited number of $12 tickets for select concerts may be available through the Internet for students within 10 days of the performance, or in person the day of. Valid identification is required. To determine ticket availability, call the Philharmonic's Customer Relations Department at (212) 875-5656.