L’Atlàntida de Falla

A concert featuring works by Claude Debussy and the scenic cantata Atlántida by Manuel de Falla, completed by Ernesto Halffter, performed by the Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de España under the direction of Kent Nagano.

The programme opens with La cathédrale engloutie, one of Claude Debussy's piano preludes from his first book, in the orchestration José Luis Turina made from the original version. It is a slow-moving piece with suggestive harmonies that evoke a submerged building. This is followed by La mer, by the same French composer, an orchestral fresco built on the colour, light and continuous movement of water.

The second half is devoted to Atlántida, an unfinished scenic cantata by Manuel de Falla that Ernesto Halffter completed from the poem by Jacint Verdaguer. The score combines chorus and soloists: Núria Rial sings the role of Queen Isabel, Maite Beaumont that of Piren and José Antonio López that of the Corifeo. Through these voices, the work expresses a mythical and spiritual ideal.

Kent Nagano conducts the Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de España, with the participation of the vocal ensemble Barcelona Ars Nova. The concert forms part of the events marking the anniversary of Manuel de Falla. The Pau Casals hall hosts concerts and shows in Barcelona.