Out West Arts: Performance at the end of the world

Miah Persson

As a Wagner break this weekend, I stopped by Disney Hall for Salonen and the LA Philharmonic's show on Sunday, which included Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms and Mozart's C-minor Mass. These choral works were a nice complement to one another and a palette-cleanser from the Ring at the mid-way point. As Mark Swed pointed out in his review of the Thursday performance, the LA Phil under Salonen have made Stravinsky a real specialty and this was certainly reflected in this bracing performance. Salonen's commitment to modern music and 20th century repetoir pays off again and again.

In this year of ubiquitous Mozart, it is very easy to succumb to overexposure. However, the C-minor Mass here had one very big bonus in the soprano Miah Persson. I agree with Swed on this point as well - she is quite a find for the uninitiated. She has a growing career in Europe, mostly in Mozart roles, but we in California will have another excellent opportunity to hear her in San Francisco next summer as Sophie to Joyce DiDonato's Octavian and Solie Isokoski's Marschallin in their Der Rosenkavalier revival under Runnicle's guidance.

It's always nice to have something to look forward to.

Labels: LA Philharmonic 06/07