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A Night of New York Greatness
The New York Philharmonic is takin’ it to the parks
Alan Gilbert, New York Philharmonic music director designate conducts Concerts in the Parks (Photo: Chris Lee)
Sometimes it’s hard to remember what makes this city so special. Then certain moments remind you of New York’s greatness: watching someone give their seat on the subway to a person on crutches or catching a rain-obscured view of the Statue of Liberty from Battery Park. When attending one of New York Philharmonic’s summer outdoor concerts in Central, Prospect, and Van Cortland Parks, you are sure to fall for New York all over again by experiencing some of its best sights, sounds and substance.
According to the NYPD, over 61,00 people sat on Central Park’s Great Lawn during a performance last summer. That is enough people watching to sate any avid onlooker. At that concert, conductor Bramwell Tovey took a cell phone survey to choose which piece to end the night with, Purple Haze or Flight of the Bumblebee. Of course, Purple Haze won. The encore will be put to a vote again this year. And in order to be sure an impression is made, the night always finishes off with an impressive fireworks display. It’s advisable to arrive early to find a good spot for a picnic basket and blanket.
Music to be performed this summer includes selections from Mozart, Beethoven, Mahler, and Copland that are sure to please seasoned and fledgling listeners alike. Music Director Designate Alan Gilbert will conduct the four concerts. He officially takes his post this September. Gilbert is a seasoned conductor, coming to the Philharmonic from eight years at the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. He has conducted here in the past, and his appointment is much like a homecoming. He will be the first native New York conductor in the New York Philharmonic’s 167-year history and is also the child of two of the orchestra’s violinists, though his father is retired.
Not only are these concerts an amalgam of New York’s flair, but the New York Philharmonic itself is reason enough to come out. Holding the record for number of performances by any orchestra—over 14,000—the Philharmonic is one of the world’s most prestigious cultural institutions and a valuable aspect of this city’s most precious asset, its culture. Since 1965, the New York Philharmonic has connected to its city through these summer concerts. To experience the show is to be reminded of what it feels like to live in one of the greatest cities on Earth.
July 14: The Great Lawn, Central Park, Manhattan
July 15: Prospect Park, Brooklyn
July 16: Van Cortlandt Park, The Bronx
July 17: The Great Lawn, Central Park, Manhattan
All concerts at 8:00 p.m.