The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of its composer-in-residence Joseph Vella, will be presenting a Spanish-themed concert as part of its concert series at the Manoel Theatre on January 14. The programme will not be limited to Spanish works but will also feature the music of composers who have been influenced by the sights and sounds of this beautiful country.
The MPO’s Iberian journey will have several tantalising stops. The rhythms of Andal-usia infuse Manuel de Falla’s orchestral suite from El Amor Brujo, first performed in 1915 as a gitaneria or theatrical “gypsy piece”. Falla will also be represented by the Spanish dance from his opera La Vida Breve.
Spain will be seen through the eyes of foreign composers in Nikolai Rimsky Korsakov’s colourful Capriccio Espagnol, Emanuel Chabrier’s infectious Espana and Maurice Ravel’s elegant and elegiac Pavane for a Dead Infanta. The highlight of the evening will undoubtedly be Joaquin Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez. This celebrated concerto for guitar and orchestra is a musical evocation of the famous gardens at the Royal Palace of Aranjuez.
Written in 1939, it is probably the composer’s best-known work, especially in view of its haunting middle movement which has one of the most recognisable melodies in the classical music repertoire. Over the years the Concierto de Aranjuez has lived on in various performances and guises – including traditional renditions by classical guitarists, a version by flamenco musician Paco de Lucia and a re-nowned jazz reinterpretation in Miles Davis’s Sketches of Spain.
The soloist joining the MPO for its performance of the Concierto is Maltese guitar virtuoso Simon Schembri. Based in France for the past 30 years, Mr Schembri has performed in over 600 concerts, both as a soloist and alongside other distinguished musicians such as the Debussy, Parisii and Arpeggione Quartets, flautist Philippe Bernold, harpist Christine Icart and soprano Alexia Cousin. He is a regular visitor to Malta where his concerts are always enthusiastically received.
Tickets for the concert may be obtained by phone on 2124 6389 or by e-mail: bookings@teatrumanoel.com.mt.