New CD with symphonic works by Jesus Torres

Posted by Leticia Martin on March 18, 2009  |  Leave a comment

This is the first monographic CD of orchestral works by the composer Jesús Torres (Zaragoza, 1965), one of the leading composers of his generation, who in the words of Jose Luis Téllez “attracts attention for both the maturity and the perfection of his writing and the speed and self-assurance with which the musician from Aragon has managed to define a personal style almost right from the beginning”.

The first work, “Sinfonía”, which was commissioned by the Orquesta de RTVE and its conductor Adrian Leaper to mark the 40th anniversary of the ensemble, is one of the composer’s most ambitious pieces to date. The writing of a symphonic work is a great challenge which the composer dealt with very successfully.

The other two works, on a smaller scale, were also the result of commissions. “Movimiento” was commissioned as the final piece in the 2004 Cadaquès Orchestra Conducting Competition. The recording was conducted by the Italian Gianandrea Noseda.

“Partita” was commissioned by the Joven Orquesta Nacional de España (JONDE) in 1998, when Jesus Torres was the in-house composer with this ensemble. Although it was written for only fifteen instruments it is a synthesis of orchestral composition.

The ARS Musica Festival in Brussels gives the music of Hector Parra a warm reception

Posted by Leticia Martin on March 18, 2009  |  Leave a comment

The 20th ARS Musica Festival in Brussels has confirmed its position as one of the most important in the ambit of contemporary music. From 10 March to 10 April some of the best-known names on the contemporary scene will pass through the Belgian capital.

The composer Hèctor Parra, confirming his international projection, has been present at the festival with two concerts and a talk. The Arditti Quartet premiered his work “Leaves of reality” on 12 March and the Brussels Philarmonic conducted by Michel Tabachnik  performed one of his latest works for  orchestra, “Lumières Abyssales-Chroma”.

Further information at: www.arsmusica.be

The Pyrenean Symphony by Guridi included in this season’s Orquesta de RTVE programming

Posted by Leticia Martin on March 18, 2009  |  Leave a comment

On 19 and 20 March, the Pyrenean Symphony by Jesús Guridi (1886-1961) was presented in Madrid as part of this season’s ORTVE programming at its home in the Teatro Monumental in Madrid. The conductor was Pablo Gonzalez.

In this work Guridi evokes “the spirit of the mountains and the dangers existing there”. It is a very colourful work with descriptive traits. Its modal and rhythmic character clearly expresses the composer’s inspiration in Basque popular music, translated in this work into the characteristic symphonic language of the 20th century.

The writer Gerardo Diego summed up his impressions of the work in a review where he concluded as follows: “And Spanish music can now lay claim to a symphony that may be compared without hesitation with the illustrious Alpine, Cevennian and Carpathian heights and pinnacles of the musical landscape.”

“Obertura Festiva” by Manuel Castillo

Posted by Leticia Martin on March 18, 2009  |  Leave a comment

Obertura Festiva, by Manuel Castillo (1927-2005), is being published with the support of the Centro de Documentación Musical de Andalusia of the Andalusian government,

This work for orchestra was composed in 1996 and was dedicated to the Fundación Jacinto e Inocencio Guerrero as a token of appreciation for the prize awarded to the composer by this foundation.

The work does not conform to a pre-established  formal scheme, but rather it is constructed on the basis of the sum of different materials that include touches of Andalusian tonalities.

Mexico-Spain Contemporary Music Festival

Posted by Leticia Martin on February 12, 2009  |  2 Comments

After a 25-year hiatus, Mexico and Spain once again co-organize a festival of contemporary music, this February 17 to 28, to present the leading exponents of the genre from both countries, along with poetry recitals and master classes in composition.

The new Spanish-Mexican Festival of Contemporary Music will revive artistic exchange and end a quarter of a century of isolation and lack of awareness of the work of musicians from either nation, says the director of the event, Marcela Rodriguez. “Now,” she adds, “we are going to reactivate the exchange and presentation of the latest from genre, with works of high quality in terms of composition and execution. They are fresh and define the vision and influences of each of the participants.”

She recalled that the original festival was organized by the Mexican Alicia Urrueta and the Spaniard Carlos Cruz de Castro. “It was called the Spanish-Mexican Festival and was held from 1973 to 1983. After that, contact between the composers from the two countries was broken off.”

She explained that the programme consists of concerts of chamber and electronic music. “There will be five world premieres and 17 pieces will be played for the first time in Mexico.”

In total, she said, there will be six concerts with pieces by Mexicans Lara Ana and Gabriela Ortiz, among others, and the Spaniards José Manuel López, Carlos Cruz de Castro, José Luis Castillo, Javier Arias, Jesús Rueda, Santiago Lanchares, Ramón Humet and Mercedes Zavala. She also highlighted the performances by the ensembles Onix and Catrina String Quartet, plus the piano soloists Carlos Apellániz and Alberto Rosado.

See the program

Hèctor Parra, winner of the Premio Tendències award for up-and-coming creators

Posted by Leticia Martin on February 5, 2009  |  Leave a comment

The composer Hèctor Parra (Barcelona, 1976) has had a good start to 2009, a year that is going to confirm him as one of the most important Spanish composers on the international scene. On 19 January he received the Premio Tendencies for the outstanding, up-and-coming creator of the year in Catalonia, awarded by the Catalan edition of the newspaper El Mundo.

The composer was thrilled to win this prize, in particular because it represents recognition of his work in his home city, something that up till now has been more evident abroad. A good example of the interest this composer is arousing is the programming of his opera Hypermusic Prologue by the Teatre Liceo in Barcelona, undoubtedly his most ambitious work to date. This opera, with a libretto by the American physicist Lisa Randall, was commissioned by the Ensemble Intercontemporain in Paris, and will be premiered in that city before coming to the Barcelona theatre.

Madrid has also just recently been the venue for a concert with works by Hèctor Parra. As part of the programming of Musicadhoy the Ensemble Recherche played his works Abîme- Antigona IV, String Trio and Piano Trio nº1: Wortschatten. These works have been recorded by the same ensemble on a monographic CD produced by the Austrian label Kairos in conjunction with Caja Madrid.

Poética, by Jesus Torres, winner of the “Millenium Chamber Players” prize

Posted by Leticia Martin on February 5, 2009  |  1 Comment

Poética (2007), a work for a trio with piano and clarinet, by Jesús Torres, has won the “Millenium Chamber Players” prize awarded every year by the musicians of the Chicago ensemble.

This year there were over 300 competition entries and the jury, formed by Augusta Read Thomas, Kyung Mee Choi, Bernard Rands and George Flynn, admitted it had had difficulty in choosing a winner when it announced its decision.

As a prize Jesús Torres will receive a commission for a chamber work to be performed by the musicians of the “Millenium Chamber Players”. David Adamcyk and Miguel Villanueva received special mentions from the jury and Clifton Callender, Amos Elkana, Massimo Lauricella, Ned McGowan and Todd Tarantino received honourable mentions.

Poética is a work in five movements based on different texts by German poets: Novalis, Hölderlin, Rilke, Trakl and Celan. It was premiered by the Trío Arbós with the clarinettist José Luis Estellés.

Further information in Victor Rebullida’s blog.

Alejandro Posada conducts Cap de Quers in Valladolid

Posted by Leticia Martin on January 10, 2009  |  Leave a comment

Cap de Quers by David del Puerto, a work commissioned by the Orquesta de Cadaqués and the CDMC for the 9th International Conducting Competition of the said orchestra, was presented in Valladolid on 9 and 10 January. The principal conductor of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León, the Columbian Alejandro Posada, chose this work for this season’s opening performance with the orchestra at the Auditorio Miguel Delibes in Valladolid.

Cap de Quers received its name from David del Puerto as a tribute to the Orquesta de Cadaqués and the conducting competition. It was played by the finalists in the 9th competition and it proved to be a work of great interest for both the musicians and the public, which was completely won over, as is demonstrated by the fact that it has been performed on several occasions since its premiere and will shortly be played at Auditorio Nacional de Madrid.

Cap de Quers

Alter Klang by Benet Casablancas in Holland, Belgium and Sweden

Posted by Leticia Martin on January 9, 2009  |  2 Comments

The Dutch youth orchestra, Nationaal Jeugd Orkest, conducted by Reinbert de Leeuw, has chosen the work Alter Klang by Benet Casablancas for its January concert tour, which takes it to the cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht in Holland and Antwerp in Belgium. This work consolidates Benet Casablancas’ place among the most internationally acclaimed Spanish composers.

Alter Klang (Antique harmonies) refers back to a well-known painting with the same name by Paul Klee. The composer brings a broad spectrum of sustained rhetorical resources and synesthesiae into play, which emerged in the adaptation of the pictorial language to music.

Composed in a sole movement for large orchestra it has received chamber music treatment on various occasions. It is dedicated to Josep Pons, who conducted the premiere at the Auditorio Nacional de Madrid in 2007. This same conductor will perform it in Malmö (Sweden) with the Malmö Symphony Orchestra in April.

Alter Klang

Puss in Boots (El gato con botas) by Xavier Montsalvatge returns to Oviedo

Posted by Leticia Martin on January 5, 2009  |  3 Comments

Puss in Boots by Xavier Montsalvatge returns to the Teatro Philharmonic de Oviedo on the 9 and 10 January in a production realised in 2005 by the Teatro Real de Madrid and co-produced by the Gran Teatro del Liceu, the Asociación Bilbaína de Amigos de la Ópera and the Asociación Asturiana de Amigos de la Ópera. On this occasion it is the version for small orchestra which the composer Albert Guinovart was commissioned to arrange by Tritó Ediciones.

Emilio Sagi’s staging counts on costumes and a set design by Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, which give special colour and impact to the story, winning the hearts of both children and adults. Vicente Alberola is the music director and the main roles will be played by Raquel Lojendio (the Cat), David Menéndez (the Miller), María Luz Martínez (the Princess), Isidro Anaya (the King) and Miguel Angel Zapater (the Ogre).

This score by Xavier Montsalvatge presents the traditional tale by Perrault in the personal style and with the surprising musicality that always characterises this composer’s works.