Coachella Festival: Like Dudamel with classic, the fans inspire
It is not everyday that a conductor appears at one of the world’s largest music festivals: the star conductor Gustavo Dudamel presented a mixture of various genres in California Coachella. The Venezuelan, who has headed the renowned Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra for 17 years, has been committed to combining classical and pop for as many years. « This place is a culture in itself, » the conductor behind the scenes of his premiere at the Coachella Festival, which gathered numerous stars from Lady Gaga to Green Day this year, told the French news agency AFP.
On the first festival weekend, he delivered an impressive show at sunset, in which he mixed classical music, including Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, with film music like that of « Star Wars ». He also invited a whole series of guests on the stage, including country star Maren Morris and the young Icelandic jazz pop singer Laufey.
« In my opinion, it is the task of art to convey identity, » he said. « The identity of a new generation that starves according to beauty. » Gustavo Dudamel, who has been criticized or admired for his connection of classical music with contemporary hits and film music over the years, considers the connection of various genres to be « the most natural thing. »
There are different styles of music, but music is one.
Gustavo Dudamel
Chief conductor La Philharmonics
As a child, « my father had a salsa band and I grew up to listen to her and go to the orchestra, and it was always very natural to like music-no matter which one, » emphasizes the 44-year-old conductor. « There are different styles of music, but music is one. »
From Tchaikovski to Mambo: Dudamel and the Simón Bolívar Orchestra
Dilaby of classical music?
For Johanna Rees, « Vice President, Presentation » by Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, this mixture is an « introduction » in classical music for a younger audience. « If you offer young people, these new spectators, the opportunity to hear an orchestra, come back to discover other things and orchestras on your own. »
Many visitors to Coachella will « have seen an orchestra for the first time, » said Gustavo Dudamel, who will repeat his appearance on Saturday, April 19 – on the second weekend of the festival. « It is really impressive how everyone can get together and make music without there being a certain genre, » says Johanna Rees.
The performance will be shown live on YouTube.
Some classic insiders criticize this mixture of the genres because, in her opinion, it wateres down classical art. « It’s about listening to music differently. It’s not about worsening it, » replies Rees. « It’s just about offering another version of it. »
And for Gustavo Dudamel, this merger is all the more important in a world that is torn from the turbulence of current politics. « We need these rooms of the Katharsis to concentrate on the power of music as a vehicle of humanity. »
Source: AFP, transl.: DCO
