David Geffen Hall-Lincoln Center/ Thursday May 28th, 2026: Noriko Koide (b. 1982) “Swaddling Silk and Gossamer Rain” (2022), Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) “Cello concerto No.1 in A minor, Op. 33” (1872) and Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) “Selections from Zolushka (Cinderella), Opp. 87 and 107” (1940-44).
Welcome back friends!
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Welcome this week, once again, to the rich, vibrant, and inspiring, emotional world of classical music, performed by the New York Philharmonic.
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And last night, this terrific concert, was beautifully conducted, with great energy, charm and charisma, by the wonderfully alive, Taiwanese conductor, and past Principal conductor of the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra (2019-2024), the sparkling, Elim Chan.
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And interestingly, these 3 composers works have been imagined with much creative freedom, to express the atmospheric mood that they wished to embody, then and there.
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1)”Swaddling Silk and Gassamer Rain” (2022) by Noriko Koide (b. 1982).
Symphonic music here, with Koide, takes an innovative turn.
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A mix of Western classical music, Javanese gamelan (chimes, gongs and metallophones), avant-garde pop (including”rain lips”, “violin pencil string rattling”) allows Koide to express her atmospheric intentions in a very unusual way.
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And in this piece, Koide wished to make us reflect through this mysterious, watery, fog like mood, on the idea of impermanence, of time and memory.
Wow.
Incredibly original and achingly beautiful.
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The audience was riveted to their seats.
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2)”Cello concerto No.1 in A minor, Op.33 (1872) by Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921).
Here in this work, Saint-Saëns’ elegant atmosphere takes a melancholic expression, with deep dark tones and a capacity for dignified and impassioned intent, as Saint-Saëns was in mourning, and probably chose to compose this concerto therefore with a heart wrenching sounding instrument (when needed), the cello, to express his sadness, with elegance and tact.
Wow.
And NY Philharmonic Principal Cello, Carter Brey, chose to perform this piece to say goodbye to his orchestra and audience after 30 years with the orchestra, yesterday evening.
Wow.
Of course, the audience and orchestra feted him accordingly, with great warmth, love, and gratefulness.
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3)”Selections from Zolushka (Cinderella), Opp 87 and 107 (1940-44) by Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953).
For this “Cinderella’ ballet work written in 1940-44) and decades after writing his first ballets (“Ala and Lolly” in 1914 or “The Prodigal Son” in 1929), and just a few years after other iconic works, Prokofiev, had/has fun.
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Prokofiev makes this ballet music not only danceable, but portrays it at times, with great wit and subtlety.
Yet at times, Prokofiev also, as he is composing for a classic fairytale, which needs to clearly portray, for children and adults alike, fearsome characters and magical help, Prokofiev composes with great gusto, fierceness, and always loads of joy.
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And just as one can tell how much Prokofiev loved to write music to celebrate love, whether, between family members (Peter and the Wolf in 1936), or flowering romantic love (Romeo and Juliet in 1938), these 14 little “Cinderella” types of “scenes” featuring a variety of choreographic expressions: pas de deux, adagios, gavottes, waltzes, pavanes, mazurkas, and galops, all, wonderfully depict, and with great panache, various episodes of the fairytale.
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From “Dressing for the ball”, to the limited time Cinderella has to attend the ball “Midnight”, to the final “Amoroso” piece, this “Cinderella” ballet is a pure joy to discover.
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And I especially enjoyed the use of the harp, the harpsichord, and the triangle, to create an atmosphere of magic, throughout the ballet.
Yay and wow.
And I hope that major ballet companies from around the world, find young choreographers to create contemporary and wonderful dance expressions for it, soon. Prokofiev I am sure would love that.
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So, to sum up my feelings, about the “Koide, Saint-Saëns and Prokofiev” concert, admired last night, in great company: what wonderfully exciting, atmospheric, and highly creative, classical pieces, expressing the composers talent, with not only great beauty, but great heart.
Yay!
Bravo!
Just awesome.
Until next time friends.
Soft…
Fluttering…
Sunny…
Joyful…
Happy…
Loving…
Eternal butterflies…