Orchestra of the Teatro Real at Lincoln Center

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Published on Friday, 20 October 2023 14:55

Written by Jack Angstreich

Photo by Chris Lee

At Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall, on the night of Monday, October 16th, I had the exceptional pleasure to attend a magnificent concert presented by the outstanding musicians of Madrid’s Orchestra of the Teatro Real under the brilliant direction of Juanjo Mena.

The evening began dazzlingly with a stunning account of Alberto Ginastera’s fabulous Panambi Suite. The opening movement—titled “Moonlight on the Paranã”—is shimmering and evocative while the ensuing “Invocation of the Powerful Spirits” is propulsive and dramatic. The third movement, “Lament of the Maidens,” is lyrical and reminiscent of Igor Stravinsky’s The Firebird while the rhythms of the finalerecall those of his The Rite of Spring.

The admirable soloist, Pablo Ferrández, prizewinner at the International Tchaikovsky Competition, then joined the artists for an extraordinary performance of Antonín Dvořák’s exquisite Cello Concerto. The initial Allegro is melodious, Romantic and song-like but with turbulent passages; the slow movement that follows, marked Adagio ma non troppo, is comparably expressive but meditative and more somber in mood while the Allegro moderato finale is more celebratory—but not without emotional intensity—and ends triumphantly. Abundant applause drew forth a wonderful encore from the cellist: "El cant dels ocells" a traditional Catalan song famously played by Pablo Casals.

The second half of the event was also astonishing, starting with a marvelous realization of the 1915 version of Manuel de Falla’s glorious ballet score, El amor brujo, featuring the flamenco dancer and singer, Esperanza Fernández from Seville. The program proper concluded fantastically with a superb rendition of Maurice Ravel’s incredible Daphnis et Chloé, Suites No. 1 and 2 which, although an epitome of so-called musical “Impressionism,” is arguably also neo-Romantic in inspiration. The first Suite begins with the mysterious “Nocturne” and after the “Interlude” closes with the thrilling “Danse guerrière”; the second Suite opens with the enchanting and ethereal “Lever de jour” and following the “Pantomime” finishes with the exciting and amazingly dynamic “Danse générale.” A standing ovation was rewarded with two delightful encores: first, the gorgeous “Intermezzo” from the opera Goyescas by Enrique Granados and, second, the charming Prelude to the zarzuela, El bateo, by Federico Chueca.