Houston Symphony Celebrates the Music of Spain, 4/5-7

On April 5, 6 and 7, the Houston Symphony invites audiences to enjoy an evening of pieces written and performed by some of the world's greatest Spanish musicians. Welcoming world-renowned conductor Carlos Kalmar and award-winning classical guitarist Pablo Sainz-Villegas, the Symphony promises a concert highlighting the work of talented Spanish composers Ginastera, Rodrigo and Falla. The concert will begin with a traditional favorite, Haydn's Symphony No. 37, and will then segue into Ginastera's dynamic Variaciones Concertantes. After intermission, the orchestra and its guests will return to finish the evening with Rodrigo's Fantasia for Guitar and Chamber Orchestra and Falla's Three Dances from El Sombrero de tres picos.

Written in the mid-20th century, Ginastera's Variaciones Concertantes is a cosmopolitan approach to the traditional romantic melodies of Argentine folk music. The piece was written after Ginastera ventured to America from his native Argentina and is a beautiful example of the profound impact his journey had on his compositions.

Following Ginastera's rhythmic energy, the evening will continue as the orchestra invites Sainz-Villegas on stage for Rodrigo's Fantasia for Guitar and Chamber Orchestra. Hailed as the last of the great Spanish nationalist composers, Rodrigo wrote Fantasia para un gentilhombre (Fantasia for a Gentleman) as an elaboration on six short dances that were popular in Spanish culture and folk music at the time. Arguably the composer's most famous work, the piece is filled with intense melodic interaction between the guitar and orchestra, passionately expressive swells of instrumentation and energetic rhythmic structures.

To close the concert, the orchestra will perform playful selections from Falla's popular Spanish ballet, El sombrero de tres picos (The Three-Cornered Hat). The godfather of Argentina's 20th century musical reawakening, Falla is known for his ability to translate often simple folk melodies into complex compositional pieces. His ballet, The Three-Cornered Hat, beautifully blends elements of flamenco music, traditional Andalusian folk melodies and familiar classical themes.