NOSPR / Tomasiewicz / Lenaerts / The short life of betrayed Salud - NOSPR

La vida breve, composed by Mauel de Falla for a competition organised by the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid, tells the story of Salud, betrayed by her lover, and finishes – as it is often the case with operas – with a tragedy. Although the work is not frequently performed today, the Interlude and dance preceding Act 2, seemingly predicting the dramatic events of the finale, have enjoyed unceasing popularity. Joaquín Rodrigo sketches an entirely different Spanish picture: “I strived to achieve a thing of utmost difficulty – make the entire work light, clear and joyous, with the harp sounding like the care-free soul of a child.” The Concierto serenata raises the bar for the soloist very high, as it was created for the famous harpist Nicanor Zabaleta. Ottorino Respighi transports us into yet another dimension: the orientalising world of The Queen of Sheba and King Solomon. This is a great treat for every melomaniac. The ballet premiered at La Scala in 1932, being a spectacular success, but it was only performed eleven times, due its sheer length and scale – there were about 1000 performers participating...

Agnieszka Nowok-Zych

Approximate time of concert: 60 min