From Carmen Amaya to Estrella Morente CANCELLED

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Photo courtesy of Liceu Opera Barcelona

This program of the musical "postcards" from across the Iberian peninsula is brought to us by the charismatic conductor Josep Pons, known for his staunch defense of composers’ musical intentions and his unique flair for creating a hallmark sound.

Each piece evokes a memorable instance in which a composer chose to insert flamenco musical references into their work. The inclusion of the dances from Don Quixote by Robert Gerhard, the Catalan composer from Valls, reflects the Liceu's desire to help commemorate the 50th anniversary of his death. Gerhard, despite the international influence he exerted, is still largely unknown to local and regional audiences.

The performance also pays tribute to another distinguished Catalan musician: Joan Guinjoan, born in Riudoms, who died in 2019. He worked in a variety of idioms, achieving a characteristic synthesis of varied musical cultures.

And towering above the composers is the figure of the great flamenco bailaora, Carmen Amaya. Born in the Somorrostro of Barcelona over a century ago, she revolutionized the art of flamenco and brought Spanish music to an international audience with a style she learned on the streets as a child.

Two works by Manuel de Falla round off the program, with his unmistakable focus on dance. One is El sombrero de tres picos, commissioned by Sergei Diaghilev and his Ballets Russes to be staged in London in 1919. The other is the 1916 version of El amor brujo, a ballet-pantomime first performed by Pastora Imperio which tells the tale of the gypsy Candelas — who is haunted by a ghost — while her lover Carmelo struggles to escape from a terrible curse.

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