The sights, sounds and scents of Spain have long presented an irresistible charm to musicians, and indeed, such a unique body of the orchestral literature is of Spanish extraction. In this week’s Chicago Symphony concerts, Charles Dutoit led the ensemble in two major scores of Manuel de Falla complemented by a pair of shorter pieces from neighboring France.
It has often been remarked that much of the finest Spanish music comes from France, and in listening to Ravel’s Alborada del gracioso one would have little room for argument in this mesmerizing evocation of a raucous Iberian daybreak. Pizzicato strings and harp glissandi captured the rapid machine gunfire of repeated notes, though perhaps not as effectively as in the original for solo piano. Keith Buncke’s languorous bassoon solo was a highlight, but revelry won the day in the work’s fiery close.
Falla’s Nights in the Gardens of Spain is a piece of sensuous color, and its prominent piano part was commanded by Javier Perianes. The opening “In the Generalife” depicts a particularly exotic and mystical garden, the repeated notes in the piano emulating the flamenco guitar. “Distant Dance” began with buzzing strings before the winds were given the melodic material, and Mary Sauer’s celesta made for an especially striking texture. “In the Gardens of the Sierra de Córdoba” followed attacca, with some highly coloristic playing from Perianes in the piano’s upper register. Substantial as the piano writing may be, it is treated symphonically, fully integrated into the fabric of the work. Perianes clearly had an intuitive feel for the repertoire of his home country, and after a warm ovation he returned with a solo transcription of the “Ritual Fire Dance” from the same composer’s El amor brujo – certainly an impressive way to cap off a successful CSO debut.
Dukas’ The Sorcerer’s Apprentice was the lone piece on the program without an obvious Spanish connection, but this too is another composer with a highly accomplished command of orchestral color as Goethe’s ballad Der Zauberlehrling is vividly brought to life. The principal wind players all shone, and worthy of mention was guest oboist Mary Lynch of the Seattle Symphony. Even the contrabassoon was used to great effect, an instrument heard infrequently and much less with any prominence. When the work’s all too familiar main theme was first presented in the bassoons, it elicited some laughter from the audience – indeed, thanks to Disney’s Fantasia, it’s difficult for modern audiences to hear this without a mental image of Mickey Mouse.