Designed as a tribute to the Cantabrian conductor and pianist, the programme visits the places that underpinned Argenta’s career: German and French music, Spanish music and, of course, zarzuela. Conditioned by technical and organisational needs, the programme has been designed for 5 musicians, a soloist and a conductor and strikes a balance between arrangements and original works. It thus maintains a formal unity that is fully justified.
The concert begins with a performance of one of Robert Schumann’s children’s pieces, which Argenta performed in Oviedo at a concert during which he found out that his son had died in Madrid. Beethoven and his 7th symphony introduce us to the world of German music, which he adored and performed rigorously and creatively. The intermediate piece from La Leyenda del Beso – a work with which many are very familiar – is nonetheless unknown to many young people, even those from a musical background, who are unaware of Spanish lyrical art par excellence: zarzuela. Its contagious beauty undoubtedly marks one of the most intense moments of Spanish music.
The programme continues with a full performance of the concerto for clavicembalo and five instruments, an ascetic and profound work by Manuel de Falla, the Spanish composer whose pieces were most frequently performed by Argenta. This piece, which Arganta recorded with the Spanish national orchestra (ONE) and soloist Robert-Veyron-Lacroix, continues to be one of the most important works by the most universal Spanish composer of all time. The following two pieces give priority to the piano: the first Chopin’s Nocturne no. 1, Op. 9, for which he received the honorary prize of the Real Conservatorio de Música in Madrid, steering him on the path to becoming a concert pianist; and the second, as an internationally renowned conductor, Ravel’s Concerto in G Major, which Argenta first performed during the 1950-51 season with the ONE. It should not be forgotten that Ataúlfo Argenta was appointed professor of piano, celesta and timbres of the ONE before becoming its conductor a few years later.
The concert continues with two pieces from the maestro’s usual repertoire, the delightful Waltz from La Corte del Faraón by Vicente Lleó of Torrent, Valencia, and the traditional and joyful Prelude from La Verbena de la Paloma by Madrid composer Tomás Bretón. The concert ends with one of the parts of Johan Sebastian Back’s Cantata 140, which was played on the day of his funeral by the ONE and other orchestras in Europe..
PROGRAMME
Grup Instrumental de València
José Mª Sáez-Ferríz, flute; Vicent Llimerá, oboe
José Cerveró, clarinet
Mª Carmen Antequera, violin; David Apellániz, violoncello; Carlos Apellániz, harpsichord/piano
Joan Cerveró, conductor
Robert Schumann
(Zwickau, Germany, 1810 – Bonn, Germany, 1856)
No. 1 "Von fremden Ländern und Menschen" from Kinderszenen ("Scenes from Childhood") Op. 15 (1838)
for piano
Ludwig van Beethoven (Germany, Bonn, 1770 – Vienna, Austria, 1827)
Arrangement by Johann Nepomuk Hummel
Allegretto from the 7th Symphony Op. 92 (1811)
For flute, violin, violoncello and piano
Reveriano Soutullo (Ponteareas, Pontevedra, 1880 – Vigo, Pontevedra, 1932)
La leyenda del beso (1924)
Intermedio
Juan Vert (Carcaixent, Valencia, 1890 –Madrid, 1931)
Manuel de Falla (Cadiz, Spain, 1876 – Alta Gracia, Argentina, 1946)
Concerto per clavicembalo (o pianoforte), flauto, oboe, clarinetto, violino e violoncello (1923/26)
Allegro
Lento (Giubiloso ed energico) Vivace (Flessibile, Scherzando)
Frédéric Chopin (Zelazowa Wola, Poland, 1810 – Paris, France, 1849)
Nocturne, Op. 9 No. 1 (1830) for piano
Vicente Lleó (Torrent, Valencia, 1870 – Madrid, 1922)
Waltz from the zarzuela La Corte del Faraón (1910)
Maurice Ravel (Ciboure, France, 1875 – Paris, France, 1937)
Adagio assai from the Concerto pour piano et orchestre en sol majeur (1929/31)
Tomás Bretón (Salamanca, 1850 – Madrid, 1923)
La verbena de la Paloma (1894)
Prelude
Johann Sebastian Bach (Eisenach, Germany, 1685 – Leipzig, Germany, 1750)
Coral Zion hört die Wächter singen from Cantata no. 140 Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme BWV 645 (1731)
The concert begins with a performance of one of Robert Schumann’s children’s pieces, which Argenta performed in Oviedo at a concert during which he found out that his son had died in Madrid. Beethoven and his 7th symphony introduce us to the world of German music, which he adored and performed rigorously and creatively. The intermediate piece from La Leyenda del Beso – a work with which many are very familiar – is nonetheless unknown to many young people, even those from a musical background, who are unaware of Spanish lyrical art par excellence: zarzuela. Its contagious beauty undoubtedly marks one of the most intense moments of Spanish music.
The programme continues with a full performance of the concerto for clavicembalo and five instruments, an ascetic and profound work by Manuel de Falla, the Spanish composer whose pieces were most frequently performed by Argenta. This piece, which Arganta recorded with the Spanish national orchestra (ONE) and soloist Robert-Veyron-Lacroix, continues to be one of the most important works by the most universal Spanish composer of all time. The following two pieces give priority to the piano: the first Chopin’s Nocturne no. 1, Op. 9, for which he received the honorary prize of the Real Conservatorio de Música in Madrid, steering him on the path to becoming a concert pianist; and the second, as an internationally renowned conductor, Ravel’s Concerto in G Major, which Argenta first performed during the 1950-51 season with the ONE. It should not be forgotten that Ataúlfo Argenta was appointed professor of piano, celesta and timbres of the ONE before becoming its conductor a few years later.
The concert continues with two pieces from the maestro’s usual repertoire, the delightful Waltz from La Corte del Faraón by Vicente Lleó of Torrent, Valencia, and the traditional and joyful Prelude from La Verbena de la Paloma by Madrid composer Tomás Bretón. The concert ends with one of the parts of Johan Sebastian Back’s Cantata 140, which was played on the day of his funeral by the ONE and other orchestras in Europe..
PROGRAMME
Grup Instrumental de València
José Mª Sáez-Ferríz, flute; Vicent Llimerá, oboe
José Cerveró, clarinet
Mª Carmen Antequera, violin; David Apellániz, violoncello; Carlos Apellániz, harpsichord/piano
Joan Cerveró, conductor
Robert Schumann
(Zwickau, Germany, 1810 – Bonn, Germany, 1856)
No. 1 "Von fremden Ländern und Menschen" from Kinderszenen ("Scenes from Childhood") Op. 15 (1838)
for piano
Ludwig van Beethoven (Germany, Bonn, 1770 – Vienna, Austria, 1827)
Arrangement by Johann Nepomuk Hummel
Allegretto from the 7th Symphony Op. 92 (1811)
For flute, violin, violoncello and piano
Reveriano Soutullo (Ponteareas, Pontevedra, 1880 – Vigo, Pontevedra, 1932)
La leyenda del beso (1924)
Intermedio
Juan Vert (Carcaixent, Valencia, 1890 –Madrid, 1931)
Manuel de Falla (Cadiz, Spain, 1876 – Alta Gracia, Argentina, 1946)
Concerto per clavicembalo (o pianoforte), flauto, oboe, clarinetto, violino e violoncello (1923/26)
Allegro
Lento (Giubiloso ed energico) Vivace (Flessibile, Scherzando)
Frédéric Chopin (Zelazowa Wola, Poland, 1810 – Paris, France, 1849)
Nocturne, Op. 9 No. 1 (1830) for piano
Vicente Lleó (Torrent, Valencia, 1870 – Madrid, 1922)
Waltz from the zarzuela La Corte del Faraón (1910)
Maurice Ravel (Ciboure, France, 1875 – Paris, France, 1937)
Adagio assai from the Concerto pour piano et orchestre en sol majeur (1929/31)
Tomás Bretón (Salamanca, 1850 – Madrid, 1923)
La verbena de la Paloma (1894)
Prelude
Johann Sebastian Bach (Eisenach, Germany, 1685 – Leipzig, Germany, 1750)
Coral Zion hört die Wächter singen from Cantata no. 140 Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme BWV 645 (1731)
