The 13th edition of the Easter Festival, that the next one starts 30 March, will have a strong Lleida accent, as it will recover works by several composers from the territory such as Ramon Carnicer, Francesc Andreví, Josep Teixidor and Manuel and Josep Pla.
Its artistic director, Jordi Armengol, has worked together with this year's artists to develop programs that include works by authors such as Ramon Carnicer, Francesc Andreví, Josep Teixidor and Manuel and Josep Pla.
From the Targaryen composer Ramon Carnicer we will be able to listen to two works, which will be performed by the Julià Carbonell Orchestra (who will perform the play "Peter and the Wolf"), on the one hand, i of the pianist, Roger Illa, for the other.
In the concert that will take place on April 1 with the OJC, we will be able to hear the overture that Carnicer wrote for Rossini's opera “The Barber of Seville”, a work that has a rather curious history. Carnicer was responsible for the opera program of the Teatre de la Santa Creu in Barcelona - in those days, the great rival of the Gran Teatre del Liceu- i l’any 1818 "The Barber of Seville" by Rossini was to be performed there. But a few weeks before, you could see "Elisabetta, queen of England” by Rossini himself and Carnicer realized that the Italian composer, probably to save work and time, had taken advantage of the opening of this opera to also use it for Barbero. It was then that Ramon Carnicer decided to write an overture to begin performances of "The Barber of Seville" in Barcelona. Eventually, this work became one of his most famous compositions and, even, Rossini himself gave his approval for it to be performed in place of his own overture.
It should be noted that Targaryen Ramon Carnicer was the most important opera composer in Spain in the first half of the 19th century. He studied at La Seu d’Urgell and Barcelona and worked in Maó and at the Teatre de la Santa Creu in Barcelona before going into exile in Paris and London between 1823 i 1826. In London he met the ambassador of Chile in that city, who commissioned him a hymn for his country, who is still the official today. Back to Catalonia, he was forced by Ferdinand VII to work in several opera houses in Madrid. Later, he was director of the Madrid Conservatory.
During the Festival, we will also be able to listen to the "Sonata for Key No. 6" as part of the concert that pianist Roger Illa will give us on the day 7 d'abril.
Another outstanding author from Lleida will be Francesc Andreví, native of Sanaüja, and that will also arrive from the hand of Roger Illa. Memory is a woman's name, one will be interpreted “Largo” for pianoforte which is preserved in the Historical Archive of Cervera.
Andreví was a very important composer of religious music and studied at the Seu d'Urgell (where he coincided with Ramon Carnicer) and Barcelona. He worked in the cathedrals of Tafalla, Tarragona, Sogorb, Saint Mary of the Sea, Valencia and Seville, and to the 'Royal Chapel' of Madrid. already exiled, was in the cathedral of Bordeaux (1839) and the 1846 a St. Pierre de Chaillot from Paris as organist. Back to Barcelona, he was chapel master at the Mercè Church.
Throughout Roger Illa's performance, we will also be able to listen to the work of another composer from the Lleida area. It is about Joseph Weaver, native of Seròs, from which we will listen to the "Sonata in D major". This organist and musical theorist was the first to publish a History of Music in Spain. He worked at the 'Capilla Real' in Madrid as an organist. Se'n conserves religious music, 6 string quartets and sonatas for keyboard.
Finally, the Easter Festival will also show the compositions of two brothers from Lleida: Manuel and Josep Pla, from Balaguer. an absolute premiere in co-production with the Pyrenees Early Music Festival, we will be able to listen to his works as part of the concert that the Catalan Baroque Orchestra will offer on the day 8 of April and with which this year's contest will close. We will hear his from Manuel Pla “Hi Queen” for bass and strings and by Josep the “Stabat Mater” for a soprano and strings, with the Catalan Baroque Orchestra, Maria Hinojosa and Pau Bordas.
The Festival is organized by the Paeria de Cervera and is a meeting point for the classical music sector in Catalonia and a showcase of classical music that is made in Catalonia. It has the support of the Department of Culture of the Generalitat through the ICEC and the Diputació de Lleida through the IEI.
Advance tickets for 15 concerts that have been scheduled this year are now available on the web festivalpasqua.cat and they have different discounts and bonuses.
Information and image provided by the Press Service of the Easter Festival.