Gustavo Dudamel conducts Olivier Messiaen’s “Turangalila” on Thursday at Walt Disney Concert Hall, featuring soloist Jean-Yves Thibaudet at the piano and Cynthia Millar on the ondes martenot. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
Cynthia Millar behind the ondes martenot during “Turangalila” Thursday at Walt Disney Concert Hall. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
Dudamel’s hair tells the story. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
The L.A. Phil’s ranks swelled to more than 100 performers for Messiaen’s ambitious symphony, which he began to compose in 1946. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
Piano soloist Jean-Yves Thibaudet accompanied the Phil. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
Dudamel is only the third conductor to have programmed “Turangalila” with the L.A. Philharmonic, and Thursday was the work’s Disney premiere. Esa-Pekka Salonen conducted it at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in 1996. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
Gustavo Dudamel throws his body into his work. Left, soloist Cynthia Millar. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
The ondes martenot and its speakers were positioned in front of the orchestra, where Messiaen wanted them. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
