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Bidaia, on RNE’s La Hora Azul

Bidaia, on RNE’s La Hora Azul

Bidaia: the journey of Federico Jusid and Iñaki Alberdi

It is not so much the goal we pursue that matters, but enjoying the way to reach it. This is part of the message that the Greek poet Constantine Cavafis intended to convey in his poem Ithaca and the composer Federico Jusid has based himself on it to create Bidaia, journey in Basque, a concert piece for accordion and symphonic orchestra for the accordionist Iñaki Alberdi. The two have been on La Hora Azul to talk about this transition and about this work which, after its premiere in 2022 in Buenos Aires, is now collected on a CD with a recording made with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Navarra, conducted by Jusid himself. In this podcast you will find everything they told us.

Listen to the complete programme

 

Review of Amicitia in Scherzo, by Ismael G. Cabral

Review of Amicitia in Scherzo, by Ismael G. Cabral

In recent decades, Luis de Pablo (b. 1930) has faced the challenge of being recognised, more unwillingly than willingly, as a classical composer. It is not that his music has renounced anything, but it has generously embraced the concertante form and other tailored suits of tradition. The only thing he has resisted is the symphony, but that garb imposes too much respect on a contemporary; Carter, Berio or Bernaola tried it on. And De Pablo could have done it too. But he has done other things, like this Amicitia, a concerto for accordion which is one of the most inspired in his catalogue (perhaps along with the subtle and resonant Concerto for harp or the almost poetic one he wrote for cello). read more…

Fusion, the focus of the Navarra Contemporary Music Festival

Fusion, the focus of the Navarra Contemporary Music Festival

Noticias de Navarra, August, 28th

The NAK, Festival de Música Contemporánea de Navarra, returns once again this year as an essential event for all lovers of avant-garde music. It does so, moreover, with fusion as the backbone of its programme, which will take place in September and will present a total of 35 premieres, 19 of them absolute premieres, with more than 50 national and international guest artists. “Art is a tool for social transformation, and our intention is none other than to make the world a better place,” Yolanda Campos, the festival’s artistic director, said on Monday.
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The record of the friendship between Iñaki Alberdi and Luis De Pablo

The record of the friendship between Iñaki Alberdi and Luis De Pablo

El Correo, 23 May 2021

The premiere of the work was on 8 March 2018. That day, the Bilbao composer Luis de Pablo, with a solid career behind him, humbly acknowledged that he had followed the advice of the accordionist Iñaki Alberdi because he had hardly worked with that  instrument before. And Alberdi emphasised that De Pablo, a living symbol of the vanguard who opened the windows to ventilate the rancid atmosphere of Spanish culture under Franco, sounded more lyrical than ever.

Amicitia’ for accordion and orchestra was recorded half a year later with the same Bilbao Symphony that premiered it (albeit with Ernest Martínez Izquierdo at the baton instead of Erik Nielen) and is now the centrepiece of an album in which Alberdi performs only works by De Pablo.

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Teatro Real and Teatro Español premiere the opera Tránsito, by Jesús Torres

Teatro Real and Teatro Español premiere the opera Tránsito, by Jesús Torres

Platea Magazine, 24th May, 2021

The Teatro Real, in co-production with the Teatro Español, will stage the new opera by the Aragonese composer Jesús Torres, Tránsito, with a total of six performances from 29 May to 5 June, at the Matadero de Arganzuela.

With a libretto by the musician himself, based on the work of the same name by Max Aub, it has musical direction by Jordi Francés and stage direction by Eduardo Vasco, as well as the costume designer Lorenzo Caprile. Among the voices that will bring the characters to life are Anna Brull as Tránsito (replacing Lydia Vinyes-Curtis), Isaac Galán as Emilio, María Miró as Cruz, Javier Franco as Alfredo and Pablo García-López as Pedro (replacing José Manuel Sánchez).

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