L.A. - California

Kees Vlak has created a homage to beautiful California and above all to Los Angeles and Hollywood with the sounding picture sheet "L.A.-California". Although this part of America cannot refer to the centuries-old tradition of large European cultural regions, its special significance is due to the typical American way of life, beautiful landscapes and the glittering film world with its own special flair.

Kees Vlak wanders, as it were, with the guide in his hand through "The City of Angels" Los Angeles. He is inspired by the many images that influence him to create a rhapsodic composition in which he translates the impressions into sounds. Six loosely arranged scenes capture the typical Californian style that has been shaping California for generations:

L.A.-California begins with a view over the impressive city on the west coast of the USA. A morning walk along Santa Monica Bay offers a beautiful view of the ocean. Next we visit the Crystal Cathedral, an impressive glass building with the ground plan of a star. The bells ring from the tower. We let the huge building have a devotional effect on us. After a short detour into the reality of Disneyland's dream world, we continue directly to another dream factory: Hollywood's film studios. Hectic, illusion and glamour determine the picture here. The end of our day in L.A. is the visit of a grandiose concert in a grandiose scenery: The Hollywood Bowl is the largest natural amphitheatre in the world and has room for more than 18,000 listeners. The biggest music events take place here. And with that we say goodbye to "L.A.-California".

The main theme of the short overture determines the thematic material in the entire composition. Dancing episodes are combined with quiet sound parts in which individual instrumental soloists, but also the entire orchestra, can develop beautiful, indulgent enamel. The work is set harmoniously and varied; broad melodies stand next to the lively dance rhythms known from the 1940s and 1950s.