When Manuel de Falla (1876-1946) moved from Spain to Paris in 1907 to broaden his musical horizons and experience the avant-garde, he found a city full of music that was inspired by music from his homeland . He came into contact with composers such as Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Paul Dukas and Igor Stravinsky. During his Parisian years De Falla gained new insights on how to write music that evokes the atmosphere of a place, but at the same time he managed to convey a deeper message in a universal language.

The musical style of Joaquín Rodrigo (1901-1999) was far from the great trends in the European musical developments of the 20th century; it is rather a reflection of Spanish classical and folk music, which often use old melodies as a theme. Following the example of his musical Spanish predecessors, Isaac Albéniz, Manuel De Falla, Enrique Granados and Joaquín Turina, Rodrigo also traveled to Paris to enrol at the conservatory with Paul Dukas. In the French capital he became friends with Maurice Ravel, Darius Milhaud and Arthur Honegger, and met as well his future wife.

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) was born in the French Pyrenees, just a dozen kilometers from the Spanish border; a geographical border that he often crossed in his music. Although he spent most of his life in Paris, the atmosphere of Ravel's music reflects a profound influence of the Spanish musical heritage, which he already received as a child through the folk songs that his Basque mother sang for him. Many of his compositions are accurate musical representations of Spain, a country he so rarely visited, but still seemed to know so well.

programme

Joaquín RODRIGO | Dos miniaturas andaluzas

Joaquín RODRIGO | Concierto de Aranjuez | Cedric Honings, guitar

Maurice RAVEL | Pavane pour une infante défunte

Manuel DE FALLA | El Amor Brujo

Tickets via Cultuurcentrum Hasselt