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On the Lufthansa leg of my flight back from Germany this month, I caught the marvelous documentary Tocar y Luchar, about the Venezuelan music education system that produced Gustavo Dudamel. In the film, a woman who has heard the kudos says, on her way to see for herself how well the young musicians perform, "if only 1% of this is true, this is really a miracle." The same might be said for Dudamel himself, whose L.A. era officially begins this week. Times critc Mark Swed says in a Sunday piece that the excitement is justified, but also offers some needed perspective.
The 28-year-old conductor from Venezuela is hailed far and wide as the savior of classical music. From the scary slums of Caracas to the hoity-toity Salzburg Festival, Dudamel has achieved rock star status. He is an inspiration to the young, the most effective advocate of music education since Leonard Bernstein. Living the notes he conducts, he sweeps listeners and players alike along with him, always making his concerts rousing events....But we must be cautious with our expectations. Dudamel is not going to walk on water and he is not going to single-handedly save an art form that has no need of life support. Indeed, were classical music so irrelevant to our times and needs, it could never have produced a Dudamel. Thoreau said we should walk four hours a day -- not to get anywhere but because it is good for the soul. That is the real reason to saunter on the beach or hear Dudamel conduct. Let the rest take care of itself....
Dudamel is still 28, and his maturity can only be expected to go so far...He has his tricks that he relies on to create excitement before he is in full command of many pieces.
There's still a set of four tickets to Saturday's sold-out, free Hollywood Bowl debut offered on eBay for $1,200. The best bet for people to see Dudamel for free now is the rehearsals, if he and the other artists allow them to be open.