On December 30th, 2010, the New York Philharmonic, under the direction of Alan Gilbert, presented what proved to be an utterly delightful program, revised due to the recent snowstorm, substituting a few familiar classics for some modern works originally scheduled.

The concert opened with a thrilling rendition of the exciting Polonaise from Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin, played here with a superb control of orchestral dynamics.

A luminous account of the lovely Valse Triste by Jean Sibelius followed -- in recent memory surpassed for me in intensity only by the performance of the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen under Paavo Järvi, at last summer's Mostly Mozart Festival. The ravishing selections from Tchaikovsky's gorgeous score to The Nutcracker ballet which concluded the first half of the program were irresistible and typified the ability of this outstanding ensemble to enliven even the most commonly played of works.

After intermission, four excellent Philharmonic players took the stage to act as soloists accompanied by a considerably scaled down version of the orchestra in a riveting, crystalline version of Antonio Vivaldi's magnificent Concerto in B minor for Four Violins from the great L'estro armonico collection.

A measured, lovely reading followed of Claude Debussy's early, revolutionary masterwork, the often-played but still stunning Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, memorably performed here, even if not the strongest version heard in New York in the past year or two.

The concert closed with an astonishing account of Ravel's arresting Boléro -- the most compelling performance of this unusual work I have yet encountered, with Gilbert and the ensemble displaying, again, a masterful command of orchestral dynamics, concluding one of the most enjoyable evenings of music this season.

New York Philharmonic
December 30, 2010
Avery Fisher Hall
10 Lincoln Center Plaza
New York, NY 10023
212-875-5656