'So beautiful!'
BBC Radio 4 (Woman's Hour)
In the relatively macho world of Latino culture, it is paradoxically refreshing to know that some of Spain and Latin America's greatest composers and writers are in fact women. In this event we invite you to enter the captivating world of Luso-Hispanic art song as conceived by its most outstanding and beguiling women authors. Discover the compelling voices of women poets and musicians spanning three centuries from all corners of the Latin world, including Spain, Cuba, Venezuela, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico, presented by two pre-eminent female Spanish-British artists specialising in this repertoire: soprano Lorena Paz Nieto and pianist Helen Glaisher-Hernández.
Alongside the more established names of composers such as Teresa Carreño, Chiquinha Gonzaga, Gisela Hernández, and some of the pillars of Luso-Hispanic letters like Santa Teresa de Ávila, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz and Gabriela Mistral, the concert also presents the forgotten treasures and forbidden songs of some twenty lesser-known authors, including several British premieres and the celebration of two 2019 centenaries: Hilda Pires dos Reis (1919-2001, Brazil) and María Alvarez Ríos (1919-2010, Cuba). The artists will introduce you to the incredible personalities of all these creative women and the inspiring, and often tragic, biographical stories behind their art.
Difficult to define collectively, the songs in this eclectic programme broach a kaleidoscope of themes, covering everything from love, motherhood and gender politics to less stereotypically 'femenine' subjects such as landscape, philosophy and spirituality, articulated through a multitude of musical languages and influences as diverse as plainchant, folk music, jazz, tango, zarzuela, children's songs, Romanticism, film music and various avant-gardes. The best reason to come along to this event is, however, not to hear some great women composers, but simply to hear some great composers! Prepare yourself for an evening of lyric revelations and essential new musical acquaintances that might just leave you wondering how you ever managed to live without them.?..
Teresa Carreño / Alphonse Marie Louis de Lamartine Feuillet d'album
Gisela Hernández / Angel Gaztelu Miraba la noche el alma
Modesta Bor / Nicolás Guillén Tríptico sobre poesía cubana: 'Canción de cuna para dormir a un negrito'
Chiquinha Gonzaga / Chiquinha Gonzaga Lua branca
Judith Weir / (Anonymous) A Spanish Liederbooklet: 'Seranilla de la zarzuela'
María Rodrigo / Martínez Sierra Ayes: ‘No. 3’
Carlota Garriga / (Anonymous) Cançons populars catalanes: ‘Canço del lladre’
Matilde Salvador / Xavier Casp D’aires de cançó: 'Jo faria'
Irma Urteaga Cánticos para soñar: 'Vocalise'
Catarina Domenici Marielle Presente
Odaline de la Martínez / Federico García Lorca Canciones: ‘Es verdad’
Hilda Pires dos Reis / Hilda Pires dos Reis Modinha
Adriana Verdié / Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz de mujeres y elementos: 'mujer agua (Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz)'
Ernesto Lecuona / Juana de Ibarbourou Cinco canciones con versos de Juana de Ibarbourou: 'Quiero ser hombre'
Carlos Guastavino / Gabriela Mistral Seis canciones de cuna de Gabriela Mistral: 'Encantamiento'
Antonio Estévez / Ana Teresa Hernández Primeros pasitos
Heitor Villa-Lobos / Dora Vasconcellos Floresta do Amazonas: 'Melodia sentimental'
Alberto Ginastera / Silvina Ocampo Las horas de una estancia: 'Alba'
Ariel Ramírez / Félix Luna after Alfonsina Storni Mujeres argentinas: 'Alfonsina y el mar'
Astor Piazzolla / Eladia Blázquez Siempre se vuelve a Buenos Aires
Manuel García Morante / Santa Teresa de Avila Exclamaciones de Santa María de Jesús: ¡Oh, Dios mío y mi sabiduría!
Yvette Souviron / Yvette Souviron Carnavalito: canción del Altiplano
Meri Lao / Meri Lao Una donna senza uomo
Bárbara Llanes / Bárbara Llanes Entre el mar y la ciudad
Ticket includes a complimentary glass of Spanish wine!
Organised by Iberian and Latin American Music Society as part of Echoes Festival 2019 in collaboration with the Instituto Cervantes, with the kind support of Ribera del Duero