Sitting in a rehearsal of Delirium Musicum is intense. The company works tirelessly on every detail, sometimes repeating a single phrase of music dozens of times. The process is also democratic—while Étienne Gara leads them, everyone makes suggestions, sets the work agenda, and is welcome to try out new approaches. They’re like marathoners because they don’t sit (well, the cellos and bass players do), and this goes on for days. The result is a highly coordinated and disciplined performance that soars with a sense of total freedom and even wild abandon in moments.
Los Angeles is so fortunate to have them here, shaking things up along with a few other upstart ensembles that are self-led. The Soraya is so fortunate to have had Étienne Gara as our Artist-in-Residence for the past two years, starting with his pandemic-era video travelogue, MusiKaravan, and concluding with the Four Seasons Reimagined doubleheader (Max Richter and Philip Glass).
This is their fourth appearance on our stage since the pandemic – Bach by Beltrami, St. Lawrence String Quartet (made an octet with the addition of Delirium Musicum), and the recent Treelogy. Their concerts on May 10 & 11, 2023 also double as an “album release party,” as Warner Classics has just released “Seasons,” the recording that Delirium Musicum made right here on The Soraya’s stage.
For a taste of Four Seasons Reimagined, above is a video of the ensemble rehearsing. Limited tickets remain for this pair of onstage concerts. Act now!
Gratefully,
