Big band buffs were treated to multiple tapas and samples of scintillating Spanish serenades and dancing delights over the weekend, with top performers from around the world joining Bahrain’s own Philharmonic Orchestra for an unforgettable performance.
The ‘Sound of Spain’ show was a resounding success at the Bahrain National Theatre, with conductor Maestro Dr Mubarak Najem taking the audience on a musical journey.
The GDN attended the rehearsal and spoke with Dr Najem, who excitedly talked about the ‘beautiful Spanish music from all different art forms, including dancing, singing, classical, performing, flamenco and more’ that the ensemble had prepared.
Established in 2022, the Bahrain Philharmonic Orchestra, with more than 100 talented musicians and choir members, may be relatively young, but each member is a vaunted musician in their own right.
And this was evident, as they supported visiting performers on a voyage through Spain’s emotive landscapes, from sweeping melodies to passionate dances, offering up multiple bite-sized samples of the European country’s rich musical heritage.
The visiting musicians included Madrid-based operatic tenor José Manuel Montero, award-winning Cartagena-based flamenco guitarist Carlos Piñana, Austrian Vienna-based classical and flamenco guitarist Rainer María Nero and renowned Murcia-based percussionist Miguel Ángel Orengo.
On the dancing front, acclaimed Barcelona-born flamenco and Spanish dance artist Ariana Lopez was joined on stage by Madrid-based flamenco dancer Marina Gonzalez and award-winning choreographer from Cartagena Almudena Roca.
The final performance on Friday evening featured a range of improvised and rehearsed performances, starting with Capriccio Espagnol, Opus 34 based on Spanish folk melodies, composed by the Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov in 1887.
The 16-minute opening act comprised of five movements – starting with a festive and exciting piece celebrating the rising of the sun and concluding with an energetic performance from the Asturias region of northern Spain.
Nero’s classical guitar was the stand-out solo guitar performance during the second piece – Concierto de Aranjuez by Spanish composer Joaquín Rodrigo.
To keep up the energy, Lopez, Gonzalez and Roca enchanted the audience with their ritual fire dance set to El Amor Brujo, a ballet by Manuel de Falla.
Montero’s deep tenor left listeners spellbound with his renditions of Hey and Granada, before an on-the-spot improvised Flamenco performance saw Piñana, Nero and Orengo, joined by soloist Laly García as well as the illustrious Bahrain Flamenco Band.
Featuring a mixture of folk and classical Spanish music and dance performances, the evening was the perfect sampler for anyone intrigued by the country’s music.
The sheer level of experience on stage at any given time alone was astounding, with the energy infused into the crowd especially by the improvised Flamenco an added cherry on top.
- Naman Arora
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