Thomas Adès leads expanded 'America: A Prophecy' at New York Philharmonic

Thomas Adès conducted the New York Philharmonic in an expanded version of his work "America: A Prophecy" at David Geffen Hall on Thursday, presenting a revised score that adds a coda and received a local premiere.

The program also included Kaija Saariaho’s "Oltra Mar," Charles Ives’s Orchestral Set No. 2 and Einojuhani Rautavaara’s First Piano Concerto with Yuja Wang. The review called Wang’s account the most spectacular performance of the night, praising her muscular, assured fingerwork and a thunderous opening solo while noting that the orchestra’s size sometimes drowned her out.

The New York Times critic Joshua Barone wrote that Adès’s conducting favored grandeur that at times flattened texture and buried nuance, especially in the Saariaho, though it suited the denser Ives performances. Barone said the new ending to "America: A Prophecy" lends the piece more heft and consolation, taking a cosmic view as singers comment on the world’s "eternal turning."

The program repeats through Saturday at David Geffen Hall in Manhattan. The review observed that Adès’s expanded piece is one of many perspectives on America likely to emerge during the commemorative year ahead.

Key Topics

Culture, Thomas Adès, New York Philharmonic, David Geffen Hall, America: A Prophecy, Yuja Wang