Alan Gilbert conducted the orchestra in

• Ravel: Alborada del gracios (1904-05/orch. 1918)
• Bernstein: Symphonic Dances from West Side Story (1961)
• Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23

This year’s NY Philharmonic Artist-in-residence, Yefim Bronfman was soloist in the Tchaikovsky. This was a great program! Gilbert is a programming genius.

The second concert in the pre-season series provided a complete screening of the film 2001: A Space Odyssey  with live performances of the music from the sound track. The sound track of the film comprises selections from the following:

• Ligeti: Atmospheres for Large Orchestra (1961)
• R. Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra for Large Orchestra, Op. 30
• J. Strauss II: On the Beautiful Blue Danube, Op. 314
• Ligeti: Kyrie, from Requiem (1964)
• Ligeti: Lux aeterna
• Khachaturian: Adagio from Gayane (1942)
• Ligeti: Aventures (1966)

While the film is kinda slow in places, it was thrilling to hear the above scores played live by the Philharmonic and accompanied by the chorus, Musica Sacra.

Earlier in the afternoon I attended the lecture hosted by Alec Baldwin at the World Science festival, The Art of the Score: The Mind, Music and Moving Image.

The New York Philharmonic pre-season kicked off with a two-concert series focused on the music of film – Art of the Score: Film Week at the Philharmonic. The first concert, titled Hitchcock!, offered clips from several Hitchcock films accompanied by the New York Philharmonic under the direction of Constantine Kitsopoulos. The evening was hosted by Philharmonic board member Alec Baldwin.

• Selections from To Catch a Thief (1955) – Murray
• Selections from Vertigo (1958) – Herrmann
• Selections from Strangers on a Train (1951) – Thomkin
• Marche funebre d’une marionette (1872) – Gounod
• Selections from Dial M for Murder (1954) – Thomkin
• Selections from North by Northwest (1959) – Hermann