Beethoven’s ‘Egmont’ Reimagined by Blanchett, Harris and Dudamel

Gustavo Dudamel has long wanted to bring Beethoven’s Egmont to the Los Angeles Philharmonic. With his 17-year tenure as the orchestra’s music and artistic director coming to an end, and before he becomes the New York Philharmonic’s music and artistic director this fall, he has chosen now to mount the piece.

Beethoven’s incidental music for Goethe’s play will be presented Thursday through Sunday with a new text by Jeremy O. Harris and narration by Cate Blanchett, who will appear as Count Egmont. The collaborators trace their connection to an event for the film Tár, when Dudamel did a question-and-answer and Blanchett suggested Harris for the project.

Harris said he responded to Blanchett’s email and set to work, reading the play and the usual text many times before writing what he described as an unfiltered outpouring. Blanchett called Harris’s words urgent and soulful, and said she felt a profound relief that the language matched the power of the music.

United States, Los Angeles, New York

gustavo dudamel, beethoven, egmont, la philharmonic, ny philharmonic, cate blanchett, jeremy harris, tár, goethe, incidental music