Alan Gilbert conducts, and Fireworks ensue!

On a beautiful summer’s evening, maestro Alan Gilbert conducted the first of the New York Philharmonic’s concerts in Central Park–It was a blanketed-out performance!

In introducing the program, the maestro substituted a subdued Samuel Barber piece for the advertised opening, ‘Overture to the Thieving Magpie’, in honor of the victims of the Orlando shooting. This was followed by Mozart’s ‘Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra’. The soloist was Antony McGill, clarinetist, who gave a truly masterly performance. And, after the intermission, Concertmaster Frank Huang, violinist, played the solo part of R. Strauss’s ‘Ein Heldenleben’ to a an highly motivated young audience.

Almost as soon as the maestro lowered his baton the fireworks burst forth behind us!.

Click on the pictures for the best detail

The temporary stage at the north end of the ‘Great Lawn’.

 

The hoards rest upon their blankets and feast before the music starts

 

Blanket markers away! As soon as the last member of a party finds the right blanket among the seething mass, the markers (balloons) are released into the sky.

 

Alan Gilbert introduces the program.

 

. . . .he conducts while Antony McGill prepares to join in . . . . .

 

. . . here they are acknowledging the applause of the ecstatic audience.

 

Dusk brings a fairyland backdrop to the Great Lawn . . . . .

 

. . . focused version. . .

 

. . . .psychedelic version . . .

 

The fireworks opened with an atomic explosion . . .

 

. . . continued with a celestial candelabra . . . .

 

. . . . a star burst . . . .

. . . . a sunburst . . . .

. . . and ended with an exploding chrysanthemum. All without the aid of a tripod!

THE END