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Upcoming Concert

Postcards from Spain, a Letter from Ludwig ~ free concert

Saturday, March 10, 2012 ~ 7:00 pm
Vail Theatre of the Arts
10701 E. Mary Ann Cleveland Way, Tucson, AZ		 Sunday, March 11, 2012 ~ 3:00 pm
Crowder Hall at the UA School of Music
1017 N. Olive Rd., Tucson, AZ
 
This free classical concert takes us first to Spain, with music of two of that country's most important composers. The major work in the first half of this concert features COT's pianist, Jose Solórzano. Then, the COT performs Beethoven's Symphony No. 8.

The same concert will be presented in two different venues on consecutive days. It will be our first performance at the Vail Theatre of the Arts.


Nights in the Gardens of Spain ~ Manuel de Falla (1876–1946)  
featuring Jose Solórzano, piano soloist
 
Manuel de Falla was born in the Spanish region of Andalusia and this piece incorporates elements of his region's folk music. The work began as a set of nocturnes for piano in 1909, but pianist Ricardo Viñes suggested he turn it into a piece for piano and orchestra. Falla completed the orchestral work in 1915 and dedicated it to Viñes. The first performance was given on April 9, 1916 in Madrid. Falla referred to Nights in the Gardens of Spain as "symphonic impressions."
 
The work depicts three gardens:
 
Alhambra Gardens En el Generalife (In the Generalife): These first gardens, the Generalife, surround the summer palace of the king's harem at the Alhambra.

Danza lejana (Distant Dance): The second garden is an unidentified distant one in which there is an exotic dance.

En los jardines de la Sierra de Córdoba (In the Gardens of the Sierra de Córdoba): The third gardens are in the Sierra de Córdoba in Spain and feature lively gypsy dancing and singing.		 Alhambra Gardens

These photographs of the Generalife were taken by COT member Thomas Hageman in 2009.
 

Spanish Dance No. 1 from La Vida Breve ~ Manuel de Falla

This dance is from the opera La Vida Breve (A Short Life), which is seldom performed today. The opera was composed in 1905, but wasn't staged until 1913, when it premiered in Nice, France. The dance is part of wedding festivities during which a gypsy girl denounces her lover, now about to marry another. This opera was his first major work.


Intermezzo from "Goyescas" ~ Enrique Granados (1867–1916)

Enrique Granados was a pianist and composer of music in a uniquely Spanish style. Goyescas began first as a piano suite, inspired by the paintings of Francisco Goya. Granados later orchestrated and augmented the work to become an opera. World War I prevented the opera from being presented at the Paris Opera and so the premiere of Goyescas took place on January 28, 1916 at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. It was the first opera to be performed there in Spanish. The short opera was well received, but hasn't become part of standard opera repertoire. The Intermezzo, however, is popular as an orchestral concert piece.


Symphony No. 8 in F Major in F Major, Opus 93 ~ Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827)

Beethoven began writing this cheerful symphony in the summer of 1812, when his personal life was by no means happy. He completed it in just four months. The premiere took place on February 27, 1814 with Beethoven on the podium. He was by then growing increasingly deaf and the orchestra, for the most part, ignored his gestures and followed the principal violinist instead.

The Eighth Symphony consists of four movements:

  1. Allegro vivace e con brio
  2. Allegretto scherzando
  3. Tempo di Menuetto
  4. Allegro vivace
The second movement may be a parody of the recently invented (or, more accurately, improved) metronome by Beethoven's friend, Johann Maelzel. More likely, however, the "ticking" rhythms were inspired by Haydn's Clock Symphony. Tchaikovsky called the last movement, "One of the greatest symphonic masterpieces of Beethoven."