Viva España
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The festival opens under the blazing colours of Spain, to the bewitching rhythm of dance. Alongside the emblematic figures of Granados, Albéniz and de Falla — who drew from popular tradition to forge an unprecedented musical language — this concert also honours Padre Soler, a great Baroque figure, and Gaspar Cassadó, a virtuoso cellist and composer of landmark works for his instrument.
The twelve Danzas españolas (1888–1890) are among Granados's most celebrated compositions. Each piece evokes a different facet of Spanish popular life and dance. "Oriental" unfolds with a languid, melancholic melody tinged with Moorish influence. "Andaluza" captures the fiery energy of Andalusian flamenco with its driving rhythms. "Arabesca" closes this selection with an elegant boléro, weaving ornamental arabesques over a swaying triple metre.
Iberia (1905–1909) is Albéniz's crowning masterpiece, a suite of twelve piano pieces of extraordinary virtuosity and colour. "Evocación" opens the cycle with a delicate, impressionistic reverie that conjures the perfumed air of Andalusia. "El puerto" is a dazzling evocation of the port town of Santa María, driven by bulerías rhythms and vivid melodic invention.
Composed in 1919 for Arthur Rubinstein, the Fantasia Baetica is de Falla's most ambitious piano work. Its title refers to the Roman name for Andalusia (Baetica). The piece channels the raw energy of cante jondo (deep song) through a modernist harmonic language, creating a visceral portrait of Andalusian musical tradition. It demands tremendous virtuosity and ranges from violent outbursts to moments of hushed intensity.
The Fandango by Padre Antonio Soler is one of the most celebrated keyboard works of the Spanish Baroque. Written around 1775, this exhilarating piece captures the hypnotic spirit of the popular fandango dance through insistent rhythmic patterns, dazzling runs, and an accelerating intensity that builds to a thrilling climax. It bridges the Baroque tradition of Scarlatti with the emerging Spanish national style.
Written in 1926, the Suite for solo cello is Cassadó's most personal work for his own instrument. A student of Casals, Cassadó draws on Catalan folk traditions — notably the sardana, the national dance of Catalonia — while exploring the full expressive and technical range of the cello. The Preludio-fantasia opens with dramatic declamation, the Sardana evokes communal dance, and the finale builds energy through an intermezzo to a virtuosic conclusion.
Composed in 1914, the Siete canciones populares españolas are de Falla's most beloved vocal work. Each song draws on a different regional Spanish folk tradition — from the Moorish-inflected "El paño moruno" to the passionate Asturian "Asturiana" and the playful Aragonese "Jota." De Falla transforms these melodies with sophisticated yet transparent piano accompaniments that honour their popular origins while elevating them to the concert stage.
