Review: PROM 8 – IMPRESSIONS OF SPAIN, Royal Albert Hall

William Shakespeare famously wrote extensively about places which he had never visited, so why shouldn’t composers do the same? Of the four pieces performed in this Spain-themed Prom, only one of the composers was Spanish - the rest were French, and at least one of them (namely Claude Debussy) had to rely on accounts of Spain from native dancers, artists, and musicians, as he had never set foot in the country. This French presence, however, did not impinge on the overall Spanish flavour of the evening.

These compositions came about because of a Parisian predilection for all things Spanish towards the end of the 19th century, however it feels apt that this Prom came about in the week that the Tour de France reaches its denouement - a race that, this year, began in Basque country, before wending its way into France and on towards Paris for its glamorous finale.

Taking charge of musical duties for this event was Proms regular - and Barbican Associate Orchestra - the BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted on this occasion by Josep Pons. This particular orchestra has already featured on the First Night, and will be called upon at various other points in the season, including for Mahler’s Third Symphony and on the Last Night of the Proms.

The night began with “Interlude” and “Dance” from Manuel De Falla’s tragic opera, La vida breve. It seemed only right to start the evening with a Spaniard’s musical interpretation of his own country, with this short excerpt feeling almost like an overture of sorts; it runs the gauntlet from lush, flowing strings to an animated, castanet-infused dance, immediately transporting you to Granada.

Appropriately enough, the soloist for the next piece (Lalo’s Symphonie espagnole) hails from Granada; María Dueñas is a current BBC New Generation Artist, and this appearance marked her debut at the Proms. Though named as a symphony, Lalo managed to combine the traits of a concerto in this piece, composed with Spanish violinist Pablo de Sarasate in mind. Dueñas gave a passionate performance of this often exceptionally fast piece, repairing her misbehaving bow as she went along - when she wasn’t completely immersed in the rest of the orchestra’s playing, that is.

Following this, she returned for an encore which took us on an excursion into France (via Italy), with Gabriel Fauré’s Après un rêve - one of his Trois mélodies, originally written for solo voice and piano. Although a slight deviation from the main theme of the evening, this haunting, reflective piece was exactly what was required to ease us into the break after the drama of the first two pieces.

Debussy’s three-movement composition Images - Ibéria was the penultimate piece of the night, beginning in triumphant fashion with “Along the Streets and Pathways”, castanets and plucked strings setting the scene and ensuring the listener is immediately whisked away to the Spain of his imagination. As this movement develops, it seamlessly shifts into the second: “The Perfumes of the Night”. The final movement, “The Morning of a Festive Day” begins pensively, before building up to something more convivial - and ending in the same joyful fashion in which it began.

The evening was all building towards an iconic and hugely popular piece of classical music: Ravel’s Boléro. In this moment, the French and Spanish influences are fused - Ravel’s mother herself was Spanish (and of Basque heritage), and he wrote many pieces with Spanish themes over the course of his career. Boléro came about as a commission for dancer Ida Rubinstein, but wouldn’t have come into being if Ravel’s initial plan to orchestrate a piece by Albéniz hadn’t fallen foul of copyright law - it’s almost unthinkable.

It certainly makes all the difference to hear a piece like this performed live. In hearing a recording, you can appreciate the skill involved as the conductor slowly builds the orchestra up, with different sections taking on the famous melody one-by-one; when you’re in the room, however, the tension is palpable as the steady drum beat (taken on by Alex Neal) continues for 15 minutes, patiently waiting as everyone else joins in. This is a tightrope of a piece for all involved, with its thundering climax as dramatic as a high-wire spectacular.

This evening in musical Spain was a real treat, and the exactly the kind of event that makes the Proms so special. A tangible theme, a supremely talented soloist, and a remarkable orchestra came together to make something greater than the sum of its parts. Muchas gracias!

The Proms are at the Royal Albert Hall until 9 September

Photo credit: Tam Lan Truong

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