Alberto Bachmann, in his classic An encyclopedia of the violin (1925), argues that the success of the Spanish Symphony, op. 21by Édouard Lalo, lies in the fact that “it offers a demonstration of virtuosity while remaining profoundly musical”. This Genevan pedagogue adds precise observations on the version he heard of this work for violin and orchestra, composed in 1874, by its dedicatee, the legendary Pablo de Sarasate: “No other violinist has managed to play it with such prodigious art, combining grace, clear brilliance and disconcerting vitality on such a remarkable level.”
It is particularly revealing to relate Bachmann’s observations to the impressive performance given by the young violinist María Dueñas (Granada, 22 years old) last Friday the 14th at the Zaragoza Auditorium. A show included in an international tour with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe (COE) under the direction of Antonio Pappano, which began on the 11th in Valencia and will culminate on the 22nd in the Austrian town of Eisenstadt, after passing through Madrid, Seville, Ferrara and Berlin.
Dueñas imposed his character from the first solo of not too cheerful. He did not fail to beautifully accentuate the triplets that run through the entire movement, giving them an unmistakable Spanish flavour. However, his impeccable displays of virtuosity did not obscure the tenderness of the second theme, where he insisted on Sweethe takes the dynamics to extremes and colors his sentences with exquisiteness bearings. At the beginning of the next movement, jokingit evoked the refined slide on the second string that, according to Bachmann, Sarasate used to perform, and it glossed over the rest with a mixture of fantasy and lightness typical of the followed aria that permeates the piece.
He dazzled again in the interlude central. His naturalness in singing this evocation of the habanera before the opera Carmen – and certainly also inspired by The layout by Sebastián Iradier – was simply prodigious. Impeccable in the multiple cascades of notes and bow strokes, he endowed his musical discourse with subtle dynamic nuances admirably projected with the Nicolò Gagliano violin playing, lent by the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben. In the fourth movement, standingfascinated once again by his imagination in phrasing and coloring the sound, but also by his composure in tackling the short and demanding cadence.
However, this unforgettable interpretation of the Spanish Symphony The peak of vitality that the rondo END. It was another dazzling display of virtuosity, with passages of extraordinary clarity and admirable precision, but never failing to enhance the musicality of the work. We see it in the calmest passage, where Lalo evokes a passionate malagueña and Dueñas expands his expressive palette until he reaches a pianissimo almost whispered in the ear of every spectator.
The immense applause from the audience led to two pieces of advice. The first was an elegant deference to the orchestra’s excellent strings, with an arrangement of The number of ocellsthe traditional Catalan Christmas carol made popular by Pau Casals as a symbol of peace, although on this occasion with solo violin to which was added a small final solo by Pau Codina from Barcelona, first cellist of the COE. The second was the sad waltz (1913) by the Hungarian virtuoso Franz von Vecsey, performed without piano accompaniment. A final example of Dueñas’s rhapsodic style, with his unmistakable way of wriggling with tempo and dynamics, which he so captivated in his most recent recording for Deutsche Grammophon, where he musically magnifies Paganini’s diabolical caprices
An important part of the success of the first half of the concert, which focused on María Dueñas and the Spanish Symphonyit was based on the excellent accompaniment of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, conducted by Antonio Pappano. A luxury orchestra and an exceptional conductor who was able to enhance the character and multiple musical inflections of Lalo’s work. Pappano himself alluded to this excellence in a video recorded in Bologna during the preparation of this tour, in which he evoked the survival of the spirit of Claudio Abbado in this orchestra founded in 1981, as well as the imprint of Nikolaus Harnoncourt.
The second part of the program was limited to eight Slavic Dances Op. 46composed by Antonín Dvořák in 1878 and orchestrated by him after the publishing success of the original version for piano four hands. Common jobs as suggestions, but infrequent as the sole core of a program. In any case the interpretation was impeccable within a coherent approach, unified by the evocation of Spanish and Czech dances.
Pappano successfully managed the tackles of furious initial, alternated melancholy and liveliness in the stupid who followed him, and found lightness in the polka. The pastoral and warm character of the sousedská it was convincing, there was no lack of a touch of effectiveness in the frenzy skočná in A major, and the rustic elegance of the following one was underlined sousedská. On the seventh dance, another skočná but in C minor it lacked theatricality, and the cycle concluded with an impetuous and well-articulated rhythm furious.
Confirmation of the monotony of this program entirely dedicated to the Slavic dances of the first Dvořák came with the suggestion, introduced by Pappano himself, who addressed the audience in Spanish to thank them for the warm welcome and added: “we have another dance and perhaps it will be the most beautiful of all”. Then the beauty mazurka in E minor, second of Slavic dances op. 72composed between 1886 and 1887 by a more symphonically mature Dvořák. It would undoubtedly have been a more attractive cycle due to its more elaborate orchestration and greater musical richness. In any case, this piece offered as a suggestion was the best of the second part, thanks to the melancholic inflections of the strings and the naturalistic turns in the wood, where Clara Andrada, solo flutist of the ensemble, stood out.
