Concert Series
Joaquín Sorolla and his Vision of Spain

The Musical World of the Artist

The Hispanic Society Museum & Library commemorates the great Spanish artist Joaquín Sorolla (1863-1923) with a series of three concerts titled Joaquín Sorolla and his Vision de España—A Centennial Series:  The Musical World of the Artist.  The series presents a wide variety of different genres of music from his era as well as compositions which share inspiration with the painter´s greatest masterpieces.  There series include two New York premieres:  a recently recovered solo violin piece, Preludio by Pablo de Sarasate and Embrujo by Enrique Escudé-Cofiner for piano.

With many ties to the collection of the Hispanic Society Museum & Library this series highlights a time period in the cultural history of Spain in which intellectuals, painters, journalists, dance hall singers, flamenco dancers and bullfighters freely mingled, influenced and inspired each other.  Sorolla’s friendships with great authors of the era, including Miguel de Unamuno, Antonio Machado and Emilia Pardo Bazán, inspired portraits of these and numerous other writers.  Sorolla also maintained close ties to Spain’s leading cultural movements and intellectuals of the era.

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and New York State Council on the Arts.

VIRTUAL PREMIERE |  YOU TUBE CHANNEL | JUNE 30, 2023 AT 5:00


Solo Piano and Spanish Classical Dance in the Time of Joaquín Sorolla
Douglas Riva, Piano
Anna de la Paz, Spanish Classical Dancer

This concert highlights music related to one of Sorolla’s greatest masterpieces in the Hispanic Society collection, Visión de España (Vision of Spain). The program includes music inspired by the regions of Spain depicted in this monumental masterpiece with works by Isaac Albéniz, Julian Bautista, Enrique Granados, Joaquín Turina, and Pau Casals as well as the New York Premiere of Enrique Escudé-Cofiner’s Embrujo. You can watch the concert via YouTube using this link.

Córdoba, from Cantos de España (Songs of Spain) by Isaac Albéniz  (1860-1909)   
Anna de la Paz, Dance
Douglas Riva, Piano

Colores (Colors) by Julián Bautista (1909-1961)
Azul (Blue)
Douglas Riva, Piano

Romances sense paraules, I.A-5 (Romances Without Words) by Pau Casals (1876-1973)
Tempo di mazurka
Agitato ed espressivo

Douglas Riva, Piano

Embrujo (Enchantment), from Estampas gitanas (Gypsy Scenes) (New York Premiere) by Enrique Escudé-Cofiner (1923-1996)
Douglas Riva, Piano

Intermezzo from the opera, Goyescas, DLR II:6  by Enrique Granados (1867-1916)
Douglas Riva, Piano
Anna de la Paz, Dance

Por las calles de Sevilla (On the Streets of Seville) by Joaquín Turina
Reflejos en la torre (Reflections on the Tower)
Ante la Virgen de la Merced (In the Presence of Our Lady of Mercy)
La calle de las sierpes (On Sierpes Street)

Douglas Riva, Piano
Anna de la Paz, Dance

 


Chamber Music and Readings By Writers Painted by Joaquín Sorolla
Eva León, Violin
Wolfram Koessel, Cello
Olga Vinokur, Piano
Kevin Gordon, Narrator

This concert of the 2023 concert series focuses on portraits of some of the great authors painted by Sorolla:  Miguel de Unamuno, Antonio Machado and Emilia Pardo Bazán as well as the founder of the Hispanic Society, Archer Huntington and will include readings in English translation of poems and extracts from novels by these authors.  This chamber music program also includes compositions by Pau Casals, Tomás Bretón, Pablo de Sarasate and Enrique Granados.  A special highlight will be the New York Premiere of the recently recovered Preludio for solo violin by Pablo de Sarasate.

Sorolla: Rio Támesis (Sorolla:  Thames River)            Archer Huntington (1870-1955)                    
Kevin Gordon

Preludio for Solo Violin (New York Premiere)                          Pablo de Sarasate  (1844-1908)
Eva León

Full d’àlbum (A Page From an Album)                                                               Pau Casals (1876-1973)
Wolfram Koessel
Olga Vinokur