Pasión; A Concert of Spanish and South American Music
La Oración del torero, for string orchestra, Op. 34 (1925) –
Joaquin Turina (1882–1949)
Zarabanda lejana y villancio (1930) – Joaquin Rodrigo (1901–1999)
Tangodromo 1 for bandoneon and strings (2016) – Juan Pablo Jofre –
(b. 1983)
Adiós Nonino, for bandoneon and strings (1959) – Astor Piazzolla
(1921–1992)
Bachianas Brasilieras No. 9 for string orchestra (1945) – Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887–1959)
Chasqui and Coqueteos from Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout (2001) – Gabriela Lena Frank – (b. 1972)
Estampas Nocturnas (1923) – La Noche; En tiempo del rey sol; Arrulladora; Scherzo de Puck – Manuel Ponce (1882–1948)
JP Jofre, bandoneon
The first piece was sort of a mood piece, that was reflective and sweepingly Romantic, though modern in style, in a pleasant way.
The Zarabanda opened with viola and cello that were then joined by all of the strings. This was also in a relatively gentle mood. It was pretty, but I didn’t get a feeling that a statement was being made—unless that was the statement. The second part of the piece was more like a dance, though still rather subdued. It had nice contrasting sections via volume changes (both louder and fuller) and overall, it reminded me of a folk tune, in its style.
The third piece was much more modern, with driving rhythms that also included a sweeping feeling at times. It had quite an abrupt ending. For those of you wondering, a bandoneon is a cousin to the accordion. Señor Jofre played it well here, as in the next piece, too. The fourth piece began with solo violin, then solo viola. It was subdued but quickly became much louder, fuller, and rhythmic, leading into a bandoneon solo. Señor Jofre made his instrument sound almost like a small theater organ. A bandoneon, cello, and plucked bass trio followed before all of the strings joined in for the finish. In an odd twist, an encore, Universe (by Señor Jofre), was played. It was slightly New-Age-y—not quite Philip Glass but almost. I say odd twist because I’m not used to an encore in the middle of a concert. It made sense, though, since the bandoneon was not used at all in the second half.
The Villa-Lobos also started in a subdued manner and then moved into a Bach-like fugal section that used Latin rhythms. It seemed as though there were separate movements, but they were not quite clearly defined.
The sixth piece was very modern, rhythmically, but had throwbacks to less modern techniques. It was somewhat playful and relatively easy to listen to.
The first movement of the final piece began in the lower strings, quickly joined by all of the others. It reminded me of a sultry night, but only slightly. It had rich, full harmonies and then a certain gentleness. It did go on a bit long, though. The second was a bit more upbeat and playful, with a few swooping phrases. The third movement was gentle and sedate, almost sad—actually more of a sense of sweet yearning. The final movement had a bright tempo and a real sense of fun without going overboard. It was a really pleasant ride.
A note about the bandoneon pieces. Señor Jofre composed the first and arranged the Piazzolla piece. He also composed the encore. Alas, this was the last concert of the season for the Naumburg Orchestral Concerts. I haven’t checked out Central Park lately, but perhaps next season’s concerts will be outdoors at the bandshell. Time will tell.
ConcertMeister
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