Ludwig vs. Lennon

On this date in 1965, the Philharmonic performed its first concert in Central Park, a fact trumpeted by sponsor Schlitz beer. (Although the Orchestra, unlike the Beatles, did not have to arrive in an armored car.) On the program: a new fanfare by William Shuman, Wagner’s Prelude to Act I of Die Meistersinger (reprised in Central Park this summer)  and Beethoven’s Ninth.

Making Of: Concerts in the Parks

Ever wonder what goes into putting on a Philharmonic-scale outdoor performance in an iconic location like Central Park for thousands of fans? Central Park Conservancy gives you a backstage pass with Music in the Making; a photo documentary that shines some light on all of the preparation and hard work that goes into orchestrating these events.

Talk a walk backstage (and watch out for the wires!).

Oboist in the Park

“Not in my wildest dreams did I think I would play in front of this many people,” Philharmonic Principal Oboe Liang Wang revealed, speaking from the Central Park concert where he and the Orchestra performed for more than 45,000 people.

What else does Liang have to say about the Philharmonic’s beloved Concerts in the Parks? Watch this video created by the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation.

The New York Philharmonic’s 2012 Concerts in the Parks are but a pleasant memory now. Luckily, snapshots from some of the nearly 120,000 music lovers, picnickers, and even Conga line dancers, who turned out for the Orchestra’s performances throughout the five boroughs have been collected on the Philharmonic’s Pinterest page. Revisit the memories (like this great shot of the finale fireworks over Belvedere Castle in Central Park), and be sure to check out our continuing collection of Pinterest boards in the upcoming season.

(photo by sweatengine, via Instagram)

Hey, We See You There

Were you one of the almost 120,000 who came out for the Philharmonic’s free Concerts in the Parks in all five NYC boroughs? Look for yourself in the Virtual Tours, just updated with the final two performances from Central Park and Van Cortlandt Park.

notthebossofme:

At central park to hear the NY philharmonic #nyc #orchestra #central park (Taken with Instagram)

Welcome Aboard!

Five years ago today, before a New York Philharmonic performance in Central Park, the Orchestra had a surprise visitor backstage, Alan Gilbert, who was not conducting that evening. He was there for a very important announcement: the musicians were told that he had been appointed the next Music Director of the Orchestra, to begin in September 2009. Here, he and his wife, cellist Kajsa William-Olsson, are welcomed to the Philharmonic family by Concertmaster Glenn Dicterow, and longtime friend of the conductor-violinist. Thus was launched a musical journey that will continue to reveal new discoveries in the 2012–13 season.

Countless studies have documented the effects of music on the human brain (there is a reason they pump classical music into Penn Station). However, we don’t believe scientists have documented anything like the effect the New York Philharmonic had on these concertgoers in Central Park Friday evening, caught on tape by a friend of The New York Observer.

The Concerts in the Parks party continues tonight in Van Cortlandt Park as Andrey Boreyko leads the New York Philharmonic in Wagner, Tchaikovsky, and Brahms.

(Source: sareunnn)