Dear public,
One more course, Iberian Sinfonietta offers a stable program at the Peace Palace in Fuengirola , a marvel, in which through these appointments in the odd-numbered months of the course we will delve into classical repertoires, often unknown or that we "recover" but that have all the quality and not the requirement that they should. These classical repertoires will coexist with premieres by current composers, proving the commitment of this project to current classical music and to the world of active composers. They are always, as you know, very particular and emotional moments, because together, the audience and the composer enjoy for the first time the gift that is every composition.
On this occasion, and with the recent death of the Queen of England, related to the Spanish Royal family, as you know, we understood that it was a perfect moment to remember the great composers of that country. These are days of a lot of information about England and we believe that the context is an opportunity for a look at British music and composers at this time. Furthermore, and in the sense of what was stated above, the Concert, this first concert that we will offer on Saturday the 17th at 7:00 p.m. at the Peace Palace , will begin with a Premiere, but of it, Dimensions and the father of the creature , Sergio Pastor González , we will talk in the next entry of this blog. Today, we focus on the British part of our proposal.
The four composers scheduled for the Concert next Saturday, September 17, are the four most important contemporary composers. Before, there were many more, especially in the Renaissance and Baroque, where England shone with its own light in the musical world. We will begin with Edward Elgar , and a beautiful Adagio for strings that he eloquently titled “Sighs.” It is a short work, dedicated to his close friend and violinist Billy Reed, one of the people who played at the funeral of Elgar's wife. Both shared doubts and musical conversations, and an example of their mutual admiration is this short and delicate piece that immerses us in the British part of the Concerto, the string orchestra and the harp, creating such a special atmosphere.
It will be followed by a work by Gustav Holst , St. Paul's Suite , a set of four cheerful dances in which the spirit of interwar England is perfectly perceived. It is a piece that Holst dedicates to the school he directs, and in which the atmosphere of a music school, liveliness and animosity is transmitted.
The Concerto Grosso by Ralph Vaughan Williams , on the other hand, has a marked popular air, far from academic, it recreates popular music of which Vaughan Williams was in love. It is a work divided into five movements and in which the arrangement of the string orchestra is very particular and striking, with an “advanced” soloist and a “beginner” musician who was given the opportunity to intervene in the piece. A delight of work.
The Concert will end with Simple Symphony by Benjamin Britten . One of the most important British musical figures of the last century. He was born just a few years before Queen Elizabeth and has always enjoyed musical success and prestige due to its quality and also due to his didactic interest in bringing music to the youngest and new audiences. On this occasion, the "Simple Symphony", which was presented in 1934, is created through melodies that Benjamín collected around 1925-1926, the year in which the Queen was born, so we understand that it is a nice way to arrive at the end of our concert, recreating England in the 20s (but the 20s from 100 years ago!).
Not to miss it...
Jorge Rodríguez Morata
Pedagogical content coordinator