By
The
Andalusian composer Manuel de Falla was inspired by Gypsy music when he wrote
his ballet “El Amor Brujo” (“The Bewitched Love”), although today the flamenco
vocal line is usually rendered by a classically-trained mezzo-soprano. Pablo
Heras-Casado,
principal conductor of the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, also from Spain’s
Andalusian region, prefers hewing to the composer’s original vision, and so, in
a concert on Thursday at Carnegie Hall, he paired the gritty voice of theflamenco singer Marina
Heredia with the polished,
smoothly-sensual sound of the orchestra.
Ms. Heredia sang passionately, but she often struggled
to project over the ensemble. This format might be more successful in a smaller
hall or with better amplification for the soloist, or even presented using de
Falla’s 1915 chamber version instead of the later arrangement for full
orchestra.
Pablo Heras-Casado conducting the
Orchestra of St. Luke’s in an evening of Spanish music, including the works of
Manuel de Falla, at Carnegie Hall. Tina Fineberg for The New York Times
De Falla’s piece concluded
an alluring program of Spanish music. His ballet, which was written for the
Gypsy singer and dancer Pastora Imperio, vividly depicts the story of a young
woman who is haunted by the jealous ghost of her former lover. Until his
specter is finally vanquished, it inconveniently appears every time she tries
to kiss her new admirer.
Mr. Heras-Casado is a
balletic presence who conducts without a baton and sculpts the air with
graceful gestures. His movements seemed inspired by the rhythmic propulsion of
de Falla’s brilliantly evocative music, rendered with searing energy in a
performance that illustrated the contrasting moods and characterful nuances.
The lineup also included de
Falla’s colorful “Noches en los Jardines de España” (“Nights in the Gardens of
Spain”), which evokes Chopin and Debussy while maintaining a strong Spanish
flavor. The pianist Javier Perianes was the admirable soloist
and performed with flair throughout, especially in the flamenco-tinged
concluding section “En los Jardines de la Sierra de Córdoba” (“In the Gardens
of the Sierra de Córdoba”).
Sandwiched between the de Falla works were two
lesser-known pieces by Spanish composers. Eduardo Toldrá’s sunny, easygoing
“Vistas al Mar” (“Sea Views”), originally composed for string quartet and later
expanded for string orchestra, opened the program,
enhanced by lush playing from the strings.
The strings also performed
beautifully in “Oración del Torero” (“The Bullfighter’s Prayer”), initially
scored for lute quartet by Joaquín Turina, who was influenced by French music
and Andalusian traditions. This work evokes both the festive scene of a
bullfight and the anxious contemplation of the bullfighter, elegantly rendered
here with gently shimmering strings.
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