Subtitled POSTCARDS FROM SPAIN, this concert was bursting with Iberian energy. Conductor Jaime Martín held together the hundred-strong orchestra, including harps, timpani and castanets, through the technically complex and emotionally charged compositions.
The opening was Alborada del gracioso, composed by Maurice Ravel. It is the fourth movement of his piano suite Mirrors and is known for its lively dance music and vibrant orchestration. The piece, which translates to The Jester, embraces elements of a Galician folk tune.
Manuel De Falla’s Nights in the Gardens of Spain followed. This Andalusian-inspired work brings out the Arabic past of this region. In the years leading up to World War I Falla was living in Paris where he began this work as a set of nocturnes for solo piano. He later turned the nocturnes into a piece for piano and orchestra. The pianist was 17-year-old Ukrainian-Russian Eva Gevorgyan. Simply outstanding. The audience demanded Eva return for an encore. She wore a red flower in the hair, adding the Spanish touch. As cymbals clashed and horns asserted, at times it seemed the orchestra overpowered the piano.
Falla’s The Three-Cornered Hat, Suites 1 and 2, gave the harp and the double-reeds a chance to shine. The bassoon and oboe solos were a delight. Three-cornered hats were popular in the eighteenth century. Three sides of the brim were turned up or cocked. These two Falla Suites were ‘cocky’ as the castanets clicked and the harp glissaded .
The pièce de resistance was Ravel’s Bolero. Principal percussionist Rebecca Lagos on the snare drum was the key to the rhythm and crescendo – whisper-soft to loud.
The snare’s sharp staccato lifted the audience to its feet. Just magic.
It is always a pleasure to go to the pre-concerts talks. Genevieve Lang always gives us just enough technical and historic information to get us primed for the concert without giving too much away.
RAVEL AND FALLA is playing until July 13, 2025.
