Hi guys,

Two weeks ago, I had the great opportunity of attending, as a listener student, five Conducting Masterclasses in which the teacher was the well-reknown conductor Maestro Jorma Panula, from Finland. I also met with the students, who were very friendly and were enjoying very much the course as well as me...

This was the I International Conductors Masterclass at El Escorial, close to Madrid and one of the most wonderful cities of Spain due to his historic relevance and his famous monastery, who was, from the end of the XVI century until the begining of the XXth century, a royal residence. The classes were very interesting and exciting. They consisted of a 30 minutes conducting session for every student during the morning. Maestro Panula's corrections came in the afternoon after watching the video of the previous session. The orchestra was the Camerata "Antonio Soler", a string orchestra... I even had the opportunity to conduct a little bit during the course.

The participants had to work, obviously, on string orchestra works like Grieg's "Holberg Suite", Bartók's "Divertimento", or Tchaïkovsky's "Serenade". In the final concert, the different students had improved a lot. Also, Maestro Panula gave the diplomas to all the students, including me...

After this week, I moved to Forum MusiKae in Pozuelo to attend another course. I had the great chance to receive a number of four piano masterclasses with Michael Leuschner, a great teacher. I worked with him Beethoven's "Pathétique" Sonata in C minor, and Bach's Partita nºII also in C minor and his advices were very helpful indeed...

Before I take a little vacation in order to settle things for the next year, and to have the rest I think I deserve, I leave you with two videos. The first one is from my friend Till Schwabenbauer, whom I met during the conductors course (I found it at his webpage)...

The second one is a good version of the Partita I'm playing and preparing for September... I found it complete!!!

Have a pleasant time,
MANU

Hola amigos,

El otro día asistí a la presentación de un libro muy especial: "Feliz Navidad con... Joaquín Rodrigo", que corrió de la mano de Cecilia Rodrigo (hija del Maestro), de Cecilia León (nieta del maestro y presidenta de la Fundación Victoria y Joaquín Rodrigo) y de Georgina García Mauriño (la autora del cuento y creadora de las páginas web Cuentameunaopera.com y Mirlomusic.com). La presentación estuvo acompañada también por unos "villancicos" de Joaquín Rodrigo incluidos en el cuento, interpretados por Sonia de Munck (soprano) y Aurelio Viribay (piano)...

El acto fue un éxito rotundo y es que las ilustraciones de libro que se proyectaron acompañaban perfectamente la excelente interpretación de los músicos...

El cuento ya está disponible en la tienda online de Mirlomusic.com...

Hi guys,

I went the other day to the presentation of a very special book: "Merry Christmas with... Joaquín Rodrigo". The book was presented by Cecilia Rodrigo (the daughter of the Maestro), Cecilia León (grand-daughter of the Maestro and president of the Victoria and Joaquín Rodrigo Foundation) and Georgina García-Mauriño (author of the tale and founder of the web-sites Tellmeanopera.com and Mirlomusic.com). The presentation was all the time illustrated by some of Rodrigo's "christmas carols" included in the book, played by Sonia de Munck (soprano)and Aurelio Viribay (piano)...

The event was an enourmous success because some of the illustrations (from the book) were shown to the audience and they matched exactly with Rodrigo's music...

The book can already be purchased in Mirlomusic's online shop...

Hasta luego / See you later
Manu

Hi friends!
It's been a wonderful summer in France and in Ezcaray! Also, this course beginning has been a little difficult at school and in the Conservatory. I must say that I'm excited to begin classes at the conservatory, as all the subjects seem very interesting: Piano, Chamber Music, History of Music, Composition, Accompaniement & Alexander Technique! WOW!

I leave you now with Prokofiev's Classical Symphony, a favourite in my spare time!

Goodbye,
MANU

Hi friends,
I've just been to the opening of the new Auditorium Joaquin Rodrigo in Madrid (in Tetuán's Cultural Center). It was last Thursday. First, I visited the exhibition with photographs and all kind of documents about Rodrigo's life.
Hola amigos,
El pasado jueves fui a la inauguración del nuevo Auditorio Joaquín Rodrigo en el Centro Cultural (Eduardo Úrculo)del barrio de Tetuán en Madrid. Primero visité la exposición que recorría la vida del Maestro Rodrigo con fotografías y toda suerte de documentos.

Then we had a wonderful piano concert by Ana Benavides in which she played works by Rodrigo and some of his contemporaries. I loved specially Rodrigo's Zarabanda Lejana and Albéniz's Cataluña. Rodrigo said Albéniz was a "musical Geographer" that he represented for Spanish music its way back to Europe".
Después difrutamos de un magnífico concierto de piano a cargo de Ana Benavides en el que tocó obras de Rodrigo y de algunos de sus contemporáneos. A mí me gustó espcialmente La Zarabanda lejana de Rodrigo y Cataluña de Albéniz. Rodrigo decía de Albéniz que era un "geógrafo musical" y que representaba la vuelta de la música de España a Europa.

Cecilia Rodrigo, the Maestro's daughter presented the music with his father's words because Joaquin Rodrigo was not only a great musician but also a wise man. At the end of the concert, Ana Benavides played the Adagio from the Concierto de Aranjuez. I leave you with this interesting video about this wonderful concert.
Cecilia Rodrigo, la hija del Maestro presentó la música con las palabras de su padre, porque Joaquín Rodrigo no sólo fue un genio de la música sino que también fue un hombre sabio. Al final del concierto, Ana Benavides tocó el Adagio del Concierto de Aranjuez. Os dejo con un interesante video sobre este extraordinario concierto.

Hasta pronto
See you,
Manu

Hi dear friends!
I've been out for a while because of two terrible colds, some exams and two concerts at the Conservatory. Then came Christmas... hope you had a good family time as I did. And right now I am preparing for celebrating the new year coming. As usual my mother will spend part of the afternoon in the kitchen, and as the evening falls we will watch our favourite dvd for this last day of the year, as a start of the celebration. This is Strauss's Die Fledermaus in a version at London Convent Garden conducted by a very young Plácido Domingo, with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and one of my most beloved baritones Hermann Prey.
It has been difficult making a selection, but I've brought you some of my favourtie scenes:
¡Hola amigos!
He estado fuera un tiempo a causa de dos resfriados, algunos exámenes y dos conciertos en el conservatorio. Luego llegó la Navidad... espero que pasaséis un buen rato en familia como yo. Y ahora mismo me preparo para celebrar la llegada del nuevo año. Como cada año mi madre pasará parte de la tarde en la cocina y, cuando la tarde vaya cayendo pondremos nuestro video favorito en este último día del año, como preludio de la celebración. El dvd en cuestión es "El Murciélago" de Strauss en una versión del Convent Garden de Londres: ala batuta un jovencísimo Plácido Domingo, y con Dame Kiri Te Kanawa y uno de mis más queridos barítonos, Hermann Prey.
Hacer la selección de ha sido difícil, pero aquí os dejo algunas de mis escenas favoritas:

1- Mr. Eisenstien has to leave for the prison for a week, but he doesn't seem to were the proper clothes and feel the usual sorrow... does he? -Act I-
1.- El Señor Eisenstein tiene que partir a la prisiòn por una semana, aqune no parece llevar la ropa más adecuada ni sentir la lógica tristeza... ¿no? -Acto I-

2- In Act II everyone meets at a party in the Russian Prince Orlovsky Palace. But noone is who he sais to be: Eisenstein is Marquis Renard, his wife arrives disguised and is introduced as a Hungarian princess, their chambermade Adele dressed in Mrs Eisenstien's is Frau Olga...
2- En el acto II sorprendentemente todos los personajes se encuentran en una fiesta en el palacio del principe ruso Orlovsky, aunque ninguno es quien dice ser: Eisenstein es el Marqués Renard, su mujer llega disfrazada (con un antifaz) y es presentada como una princesa húngara, su doncella Adele, vestida con el mejor traje de su señora, es presentadad como Frau Olga...

3- The opera ends with everyone going to the prison were they all drink champagne and sing, as they invite even the public to join to celebrate...
3- La ópera termina con todos ellos haciendo una visita a la cárcel donde brindan con champagne y cantan invitando al público a celebrar con ellos...

Hope you all like it.
See you next year,
Espero que os haya gustado
Hasta el año que viene,

Manu (& Mirlo)