SPANISH ORCHESTRA PERFORMS AT SBS
SPANISH MUSIC NOW AND THEN

Imagine a gallery where Pablo Picasso's Guernica hangs side by side with Diego Velasquez's The Maids of Honor. The contrast between the two artistic styles would be striking. The Stony Brook School's students and faculty experienced a similar juxtaposition of styles on Tuesday, October 14, when the Galician Chamber Orchestra performed a concert entitled "Old World, New World" in Carson Auditorium. Hailing from the province of Galicia in northern Spain, the orchestra, under the direction of Rogelio Groba Otero, tours world-wide and performs musical works from a variety of eras, including 21st century works by contemporary Spanish composers, such as Rogelio Groba Groba, the concertmaster's father. In 2007 Groba wrote Concerto en Arcos, the first piece in the Carson concert program, to celebrate Galician folk music and culture. Though its discordant segments may have unsettled some listeners, its driving rhythmic force and dynamic interplay between orchestra and piano arrested the attention of the audience. The featured piano soloist, José Ramón Méndez, named by Hoja del Lunes de Madrid as "the Spanish pianist of his generation" and currently professor of piano at New York University, dazzled us with his brilliant virtuosity. The rapid, pulsing third movement of Concerto en Arcos left us breathless.

What a huge jump backwards in time to go from the 21st century to the 18th century! We made this transition as we heard the second piece on the program, Boccherini's Symphony No. 6 in d minor, with its pure melodies and classic elegance. Boccherini, a contemporary of Mozart, was born in Italy but lived most of his life in Spain. For this reason his music reflects Spanish influences as well as the typical rococo embellishments of the period. During the performance of Boccherini's Symphony No. 6, we witnessed exquisite playing by this 18-member string orchestra, which produced a sound so beautiful and rich that one would think they were a much larger group. These impressive musicians, led by first violinist Rogelio Groba Otero, performed flawlessly without a conductor. Our students, especially those involved in our chamber music program with Mrs. Lisa Kim, appreciated the extremely high level of performance this group brought to the School. After the concert, everyone walked away from Carson marveling at the power and beauty of music played exceptionally well. -SBS Faculty Member Beth Gustafson

Email this page to a Friend