2014 Program Notes, Book 7 41
Friday, July 25 and Saturday, July 26, 2014
ESPAÑA
, RHAPSODY FOR ORCHESTRA (1883)
Emmanuel Chabrier (1841-1894)
Chabrier’s
España
is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, two
clarinets,fourbassoons,fourhorns,fourtrumpets,threetrombones,
tuba, timpani, percussion, two harps and strings. The performance
time is 8minutes. TheGrant Park Orchestra first performed
España
on July 3, 1935, with Eric De Lamarter conducting.
“Every night finds us at the
bailos flamencos
[sic],
surrounded by
toreros
in black felt hats, jackets nipped
in at the waist and tight trousers. And all around, the gypsy women singing their
malagueñas
or dancing the
tango
, and the
manzanilla
circulating from hand to hand.
Flashing eyes, flowers in their lovely hair, shawls knotted at the waist, feet tapping
out an endless variety of rhythms, arms and hands quivering, undulating bodies in
ceaseless motion, dazzling smiles — and all the while cries of ‘Olé! Olé!’” Thus ran
an excited report from Emmanuel Chabrier to some Parisian friends concerning his
trip to Spain in 1882. The French composer and his wife had arrived in that country in
July, and they were then making an extensive six-month tour through the Peninsula.
Chabrier transcribed Spain’s indigenous music at every stop, carefully noting down
jotas
,
tangos
,
habaneras
,
sevillanas
and
malagueña,
and worked their spirit, style
and motives into his
España
as soon as he arrived home in December. He noted
that the chief characteristic of
España
is the way it juxtaposes the fierce strains of the
jota
with the sensuous, dreamy undulations of the
malagueña
, both sections based
on songs he collected in Spain. To these motives he added a melody of his own
invention, first intoned by the trombones in the work’s middle section.
PIANO CONCERTO NO. 2, “TENERIFE” (2008)
Michel Camilo (born in 1954)
Camilo’s Piano Concerto No. 2 is scored for piccolo, two flutes,
two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, three
trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, piano
and strings. This is the work’s first performance by the Grant
Park Orchestra.
Michel Camilo wrote, “The Piano Concerto No. 2 is
dedicated to Tenerife (Canary Islands), a special place where
I have had so many unforgettable moments on each of my visits. My intention was
to compose about its great majesty, reflect on the warmth of its people, and portray
the vibrant light so full of contrasting texture and color I have always perceived here.
The first movement was inspired by a visit to
El Teide,
a volcano in Tenerife. This
movement is divided into two sections, both introduced by a
Maestoso
arising
from a low
sotto voce
melody in the cellos and contrabasses, ascending through an
orchestral canon before reaching the angular rhythms of the
Allegro Deciso
section.
The second section of the opening movement starts from the deep intensity of the
initial
Maestoso,
but this time the vision of the volcano is thoroughly explored by the
piano contributing arpeggios and virtuoso octave passages. The final
Vivo
arrives
with its playful character and gradually grows in strength towards the
accelerando
climax. The movement ends with a quiet epilogue of three suspended reminiscences.
“The
Largo
contrasts a translucent
sostenuto cantabile
with nuances and
harmonic references to jazz, as well as the solitude of a piano and cello duet with the
intense passion unleashed by an orchestral
tutti
.
“The third movement (
Allegro Alla Danza
), influenced by both Spanish and
