Susanna Mälkki returns to perform with the New York Phil in a dynamic program of sensational 20th and 21st-century works this month.
The concerts will begin with Charles Ives’ Unanswered Question, a short and adventurous work sketched out by the composer in 1906 and fully developed in the 1930s. The centerpiece of the three evenings is the New York premiere of Felipe Lara’s Double Concerto which saw its world premiere in Helsinki in 2021 under the baton of Mälkki. Written to showcase the talents of flutist Claire Chase and jazz bassist and singer esperanza spalding, the composition features extended techniques incorporating jazz, classical and contemporary elements. “The ultimate goal of this Double Concerto is”, says Felipe Lara, “to (re)interpret the orchestral double concerto genre in the form of a performer-specific work exploring aspects of oral, improvisational, written and electroacoustic musical traditions”. Concluding the program is the 1947 version of Igor Stravinsky’s Petrushka, a provocative and daring ballet that tells the story of a love triangle between puppets at a Shrovetide Fair in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Performances are on March 29, 30, and 31 at the newly renovated David Geffen Hall.
Photo: Marica Rosengard