Steve Smith has the quick report on the NY Phil's 2009-2010 season announcement; Russell Platt also checks in. The big news — beyond what the orchestra announced back in October — is a staging of Ligeti's Le Grand Macabre in May 2010. The new-music series (first program on Dec. 16, second on April 16) will include, as promised, some fresh faces: Sean Shepherd, Arthur Kampela, Lei Liang, and Arlene Sierra. Not to be overlooked is the fact that Alec Baldwin has appointed himself "announcer-in-residence." (As we know from Ian Parker's New Yorker profile, Baldwin is a full-on classical-music fan who "adores Mahler"; a Choire Sicha interview further revealed that the actor shops at ArkivMusic.) At the increasingly useful Philharmonic website you can explore the season month by month and watch a charming video about Alan Gilbert.
