A story of love, magic and dance, shrouded in an aura of mystery, will become the core of the concert programme, during which we will celebrate the Valentine Day. Following the requests of our dear audience, the musicians, conducted by Nil Venditti, will perform El amor brujo, a ballet by Manuel de Falla. The repertoire will be enriched by colourful works by Emmanuel Chabrier and Francis Poulenc.

The evening will begin with the sounds of a rhapsody for orchestra by Emmanuel Chabrier. The composer, a member of the legendary Parisian bohème, composed it a few months after returning from the hot Spain, where he spent time in Seville, Malaga and Barcelona. Delighted by Iberian folklore, local cuisine and the enchanting culture of the country, he wanted to create a work that could at least partially reflect his enthusiasm. This is how España came to be – a rhapsody with a charming, light, yet sensuous sound that immediately brings to mind the beauty of Spanish landscapes. It will precede the performance of the famous Piano Concerto in C sharp minor, the last concerto  in Francis Poulenc’s catalog of works. For many years, he enjoyed the reputation of an artist employing an intriguing compositional technique. However, the premiere of the concert with its author at the piano caused consternation among critics – unjustly so from today’s perspective. The composition, consisting of three small movements, delights with the melodic inventiveness of its author and varied inspirations – Poulenc uses a quote from the song Swanee River by Stephen Collins Foster and rhythms inspired by the Brazilian maxixe.

The evening will be crowned by the El amor brujo by Manuel de Falla, whose work combines fiery, Iberian spontaneity with the sensitivity to timbre characteristic of Impressionism. The composer included references to Andalusian folklore and atmospheric gypsy music. Against this background, he tells the story of Candelas – a young gypsy woman challenged by the effects of magic and love.