Hi guys,

I've been having a bit of trouble during the last few weeks preparing my auditions that I couldn't write before. I've also discovered new music that I hadn't listen before, remembered old music and learnt new techniques about conducting. Bernstein plays an important role in all of these aspects, and that's why I've decided that he should be present in all of the videos that illustrate this post...

BERLIOZ

A few weeks ago, our Music History teacher gave us an assignment about an aspect of Romanticism, the artistic and cultural movement that developed in the beginning of the XIX Century. While researching, I came across Berlioz's "Symphonie Fantastique", which I hadn't listen before. I was impressed by the power of the music and also by the use of new instruments like bells in the fifth movement and the use of the "col legno" in the violins at the end of the symphony. The version I listened to was conducted by Bernstein, with whom I leave you conducting the fifth movement of this incredible and marvelous symphony.

BRAHMS AND CONDUCTING

I assisted last week to a very interesting two-day course about conducting. I searched the web for videos about conducting and... yes! I came up with Bernstein again!!! In this case, he explains how the conducting experience, the role of the conductor and his relation with the orchestra. In the next video we will see Bernstein talking about Brahms' First Symphony in C Major...

GERSHWIN

As I am preparing Gershwin's three Preludes, I couldn't forget "Rhapsody in Blue", Gerhwin's masterpiece for Piano and Orchestra, used in many films, like Disney's "Fantasia 2000", and the only version I had was one in which the conductor and pianist was (oh no! not him again!) Leonard Bernstein. I found a live version by Bernstein in the web, and I couldn't not put it in this post. Here you have: "Rhapsody in Blue", played and directed by Bernstein!

WEST SIDE STORY

And in a whole Bernstein post, how could we forget "West Side Story"!!! I knew that Bernstein had arranged some of the songs of the famous musical for orchestra: the "West Side Story" symphonic dances. But what I didn't know was that he had actually conducted them live with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra... And here you have it ladies and gentlemen!!!

I hope you've liked it... See you soon (I hope),
MANU

Hi friends,
Sorry to keep you waiting, but I've been a whole week-end in Barcelona just relaxing and letting my mind go away from the internet and, most importantly, work...

But, during my visit to Barcelona, I had the oportunity to see my good friend and first Piano teacher Luis de Arquer. I went to the smallest theatre in the world, "La Casa dels Musics", owned by him, where he played his usual Saturday afternoon concert. The programme included Beethoven's Pathétique, Chopin's Scherzo nº4 and some of his compositions, like the new "Toccata" or his "Música para un Viaje" (Music for a Trip). At the end of the concert, he improvised a little piece with three notes the audience gave: G sharp, E and C. So here I leave you with Luis's "Toccata"...

Also, my friends Tomás and Max, along with their family, invited me to the "Auditori Nacional", where the Orchestra of the Liceu Theatre held a concert with some of Wagner's most important symphonic compositions: the Sigfried's Funeral March, the end of the Ring Trilogy, Isolde's Death, the Meistersinger von Nuremberg's overture... I leave you now with my favourite: the end of the Ring Trilogy...

Also, yesterday, I had my Chamber Music Audition, in which my companion Pablo (bassoon) and I played Saint-Saëns' Bassoon Sonata Op. 168. Here you have another student's version, played at the Reina Sofía's Superior Conservatory, also in Madrid...

I hope you have enjoyed it!
See you,
Manu

Hi guys,

After a month filled with concerts at the Auditorio Nacional (Madrid) on March 9th and at the Conservatory during the days 13 and 20 of March, I'm back...
And after the concerts, come new pieces to work on. I've been assigned to play Mendelssohn's Rondó Capriccioso in E minor (Op. 14) for this third term. I'm very excited about this assignement and I've already started working on the piece who was handed to me only yesterday afternoon. I leave you now with this excelent version by György Cziffra...

Meanwhile, my Conservatory's Orchestra is on a tour in Extremadura, the South-West region of Spain, playing Wagner "Die Meistersinger von Nüremberg"'s Overture, with whom I leave in this fantastic version by Georg Solti and the Vienna Philharmonic...

See you soon,
MANU

Hi friends,
Hola amigos,

I've been these last few weeks attending the rehearsals of my Conservatory's Adolfo Salazar's Orchestra. My colleagues have been preparing Beethoven's Eighth Symphony to be performed on March 9th, at the Auditorio Nacional (Madrid), along with the Intermezzo of La Boda de Luis Alonso, by Gerónimo Giménez.

He estado asistiendo estas últimas semanas a los ensayos de la Orquesta de mi Conservatorio, el Adolfo Salazar, en los que tocaban la Octava Sinfonía de Beethoven para poder tocarla en un concierto el día 9 de marzo en el Auditorio Nacional (Madrid), con el Intermedio de "La boda de Luis Alonso", de Gerónimo Giménez.

Beethoven's Eighth Symphony in F Major was composed for the celebrations which ensued after Vienna's Peace Treaty in 1815. This Symphony premiered along with the Seventh Symphony in A Major (referred to by Wagner as the Apotheosis of Dance) and the Battle of Vitoria (or Wellington's Victory). We can see from the very beginning of this first movement the explosion of happiness, as this piece was composed basically for the diversion of the Vienese people. Here we have an amazing version by Karajan and the Berliner Philharmoniker (our orchestra doesn't sound as good as this one but we're getting closer)...

La Octava Sinfonía de Beethoven en Fa Mayor fue compuesta para las celebraciones que se derivaron del Tratado de Paz de Viena en 1815, justo después de la derrota de Napoleón en Waterloo. Esta Sinfonía fue estrenada en el mismo concierto al aire libre con la Séptima Sinfonía (que fue considerada por Wagner como la "Apoteosis de la Danza") y la "Batalla de Vitoria" (o la "Victoria da Wellington"). Podemos ver ver desde el principio de este primer movimiento la explosión de júbilo, ya que esta pieza fue compuesta basicamente para la diversión del pueblo de Viena. Aquí tenemos una versión impresionante por Karajan y la Filármonica de Berlín (aunque nuestra orquesta no suene tan bien como ésta, nos acercamos bastante)...

Gerónimo Giménez was a Spanish composer whose main contribution to music was the typical Spanish Opera of the XIX Century, the Zarzuela. His best Zarzuela was, without a doubt, "La Boda de Luis Alonso". Here I give you an excelent version by the National Orchestra of Spain, conducted by Enrique García-Asensio and Lucero Tena playing the castanets in an awesome way!!!

Gerónimo Giménez fue un compositor español que se dedicó principalmente a la Zarzuela. La mejor de todas las que compuso fue "La boda de Luis Alonso", de la que que os dejo el Intermedio en esta excelente versión de la Orquesta Nacional de España, dirigida por Enrique García-Asensio y Lucero Tena tocando increíblemente las castañuelas!!!

See you soon,
Hasta la vista,

MANU

Hola amigos,
Ayer tuve la gran suerte de asistir al concierto de la Orquesta de Cadaqués, dirigida por Gianandrea Noseda, en el Auditorio Nacional de Música.

Las obras que se interpretaron en la primera parte del concierto fueron la Sinfonía "Clásica" de Prokofiev, en una interpretación perfecta en todos los aspectos, y el Concierto-Capricho para Arpa de Montsalvatge, interpretado por el francés Xavier de Maistre, en una interpretación que bordó el solista. El éxito del harpista nacido en Toulon fue tal que tuvo que hacer dos bises: el intermedio de "La vida breve" de Falla (que os dejo abajo) y unas variaciones sobre el tema del "Carnaval de Venecia".

Hi friends,
yesterday I had the great chance to go to a concert at the Auditorio Nacional of Madrid in which the Orchestra of Cadaqués played conducted by Gianandrea Noseda.

The works played in the first part of the program were Prokofiev's "Classical Symphony", in a great performance, and Xavier Montsalvatge's "Concerto-Capriccio" for harp, played by the french harpist Xavier de Maistre, in which the great skills of this great musician were so perfect that he had to make two "encores": Falla's dance from "La Vida Breve" (shown just below) and some variations on a theme of "A Carnival in Venice".

Después, el concierto terminó con una más que brillante Sinfonía "Italiana" de Mendelssohn (del que os dejamos el cuarto movimiento). En resumen, fue una gran tarde en la que las emociones fueron un plato fuerte.

Later, the concert ended with Mendelssohn's "Italian" Symphony (we leave you with the fourth movement).

Hasta luego / See you later
MANU