Hi friends,

Yesterday was the Conservatory's last Concert of the year at the Auditorio Nacional. I was at the backstage and I remembered with my friends from the Orchestra and the Brass Band the great times we had had together through the year. The audience had the opportunity to hear the "Andante e Rondó Hungarese" by Carl Maria von Weber, played by the Orchestra and by the bassoon student Patricia as soloist. This marvelous piece is composed by two sections, a slow one and a more vivid and fast one (I think the second part looks like a hunt)...

The Brass Band played the rapid dance "Mambo" from Leonard Bernstein's "West Side Story", a little bit like the version you're giong to see, as the members of the Band were dancing on the stage...

I hope you have enjoyed it and see you soon,
MANU

Hi guys,
We have a very bad news today: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau died last night. He will always be to me the great bariton who sang in Mozart's "Le Nozze di Figaro" as the despot Count of Almaviva in the film version made by Ponelle, along with Kiri Te Kanawa, Maria Ewing, Hermann Prey, Paolo Montarsolo and Mirella Freni. His particular voice and musicality is the first thing that I remembered when my mother told me this morning that he had died. He was the one who moved me when he sang the trial scene in "Le Nozze" and with Kiri and Mirella the trio at the end of the second act. I leave you now with these two favorite scenes. Thank you, Dietrich.

R.I.P Dietrich,
MANU

Hi guys!
Hola amigos!

Last weekend as we were in the countryside we went to a beech tree forest. The day was rainy as you can see in the photograph, but the nature's performance was most powerful. We drove sorrounded by trees dressed in metal colours: golden yellow, copper red and silver grey. We remembered my grandpa who loved this place... And in the car we listened to my favourite Mozart Mass, the one in C minor. I love especially its Kirie, it's really wonderful. Here you have it in a excellent version filmed in Barcelona, at the extraordinary Palau de la Música.
El fin de semana pasado estuvimos en el campo y una mañana nos adentramos en un hayedo. El día estaba lluvioso como podéis ver en la foto, pero el espectáculo de la naturaleza era impresionante. Condujimos entre los árboles vestidos con colores de metal: amarillo dorado, rojo cobrizo y gris plata. recordamos a mi abueloa quien le gustaba tanto este lugar... Y en el coche escuchamos la Misa en Do menor de Mozart, mi favorita. Me gusta especialmente el Kirie, y aquí os lo dejo, en una excelente versión filmada en Barcelona, en el fantástico Palau de la Música.

Back to Madrid, we had some news in Facebook from our admired friend Gianandrea Noseda who was sharing a fantastic video on Beethoven the 3rd, the so called "Heroic", in his webpage . I find this video perfect. As I am fond of History this is one of my favourite master pieces. Watch the video and you'll understand...
De regreso a Madrid, tuvimos noticias por Facebook de nuestro admirado amigo Gianandrea Noseda que compartía en su página web un video fantástico sobre la tercera de Beethoven, la "Heroica". Creo que ese vídeo es perfecto. Como soy un apasionado de la Historia ésta es una de mis obras maestras preferidas. Si prestáis atención al vídeo entenderéis por qué...

I am already waiting for your comments.
See you,
Espero vuestros comentarios.
Hasta pronto,
Manu

Hi dear friends.
This week-end we've been quite busy. Friday evening we had the pleasure to celebrate the anniversary of our favorite bookshop in Madrid, the wonderful and unique Music bookshop "El Argonauta" . Here you have two photogtaphs of the their recently renewed boutique in Calle Fernández de los Ríos, 50 28015-Madrid.

Hola amigos.
Este fin de semana hemos andado bastante ocupados. El viernes tuvimos el placer de celebrar el cumpleaños de nuestra librería favorita en Madrid, la estupenda Librería de Música "El Argonauta", un lugar único. Aquí tenéis dos fotografías de la nueva tienda en la Calle Fernández de los Ríos, 50 28015-Madrid. También os dejamos un enlace a su página web: www.elargonauta.com

Saturday we had the opportunity to atend to a very special recital of Eldar Nebolsin included in a cycle on the relationship between Chopin and the Schumann. He played with incredible sensibility Chopin variatons on Mozart-La ci darem la mano, followed by somme Clara Wieck pieces from "Soirées Musicales" and Finally Schumann-Carnaval. Everything was perfect. But At last he gave us an "encore" played with such carefullness and artistry that he left the public almost like floating. And the last applause came just after a silence that seemed to stop the time. This last piece was Schumann-Des Abends- Op.12 . Here you have it played by one of Manuel's favorite pianists.

El sábado tuvimos la portunidad de asisitir a un recital muy especial de Eldar Nebolsin incluido en un cyclo sobre las relaciones entre Chopin y los Schumann. Tocó con increíble sensiblidad e inteligencia las variaciones de Chopin sobre el tema La ci darem la mano de Mozart, Soirées musicales Op.6 de clara Wieck y Carnaval de Schumann. Todo fue perfecto. pero al final nos regaló un "encore" tocado con tanta intesidad y arte que nos dejó al público como flotando. Y el último aplauso llegó tras un silencio que parecía detener el tiempo. Esta última pieza fue del Op.12 de Schumann "Al atardecer". Aquí os lo dejamos por uno de los pianistas favoritos de Manuel.

But for those who haven't already listened to his playing we leave you here one of his wonderful interpretations. And you can find his recordings in our favorite lable: NAXOS.

Pero para quienes no hayais escuchado a Nebolsin y tengáis curiosidad también os dejamos aquí una de sus magníficas interpretaciones. Y además podéis encontrar sus grabaciones en nuestro sello favorito: NAXOS.

See you soon.
Hasta pronto.

Mirlo & Manu

Hola amigos,
Aquí estoy como prometí la semana pasada para proponeros música clásica para el invierno. Pero esta vez cuando digo clásica me refiero a aquella que se compuso después de la época barroca. Y también entonces el gran compositor Joseph Haydn compuso un oratorio "Las Estaciones" del cual os dejamos el trio con coro final que es precioso. Bueno, a nosotros nos lo parece, a ver si at? tambi?n te gusta:

Y con su buen amigo Wolfgang te proponemos un paseo en trineo, que es lo que toca en este tiempo.

La semana que viene más INVIERNO...