The Guardian: LA Philharmonic/Dudamel/Wang review – crisp and vivid detail


“Adams wrote the single-movement work for Yuja Wang, who was the dashing soloist here, too, her faultless fingers dealing effortlessly with a solo part that hardly gives her a moment’s rest. As the title suggests, it’s a Totentanz of sorts, though that diabolical element seems to get more diluted as the work goes on. The opening section is driven along effectively enough on an uneasy, asymmetrical division of its 9/8 metre, with the orchestra providing punctuation and the occasional snarling aside, but the central slow section quickly melts into directionless lyrical tracery, and even the easy-going finale only remembers that initial vehemence in the rather perfunctory closing pages.”

The Guardian