Conductor David Gomez Ramirez will lead Viet Nam National Opera and Ballet at Ha Noi Opera House (Photo bach-cantatas.com) The first part of the show will have artistsperforming opera arias and music pieces; and the second part will be a balletby Meritorious dancer Phan Van Luong, Viet An and other dancers from the VNOB.
Conductor David Gomez Ramirez will lead both theorchestra and piano soloist Jesus Ma Gosmez Rodriguez to play pieces bycontemporary Spanish composers Vicente Ortiz Gimeno and Joan Eric Canet Todoli.
This is the first time that the orchestra willplay Gimeno’s Overture for Symphony Orchestra, while it will be a worldpremiere for Todoli’s Piano Concerto No. 1.
Ramirez is one of Spain’s most promising youngconductors and composers. He received the Giraldillo de Oro prize in 2010, thehighest award in Spain given by the Cultural Arts and Sciences Association. Hehas served as a resident conductor in Seville and Coutances Orchestre in Franceand has guest conducted around Spain and Western Europe. He performed in Vietnamin 2015 and 2016.
Ramirez returns to Hanoi this time with pianistRodriguez. The 1965-born musician has won numerous prizes at internationalpiano competitions in France and Spain and has taught at Spanish, French andJapanese universities. While he has done concert tours through Europe, the USand Japan, this is the first time he will be performing in Vietnam.
“We want to introduce Spanish music, includingclassical and contemporary musicians, to Vietnamese audiences,” said VNOBdirector Pham Anh Phuong, also the performance’s artistic director.
Sopranos To Loan and Vanh Khuyen, baritone ManhDung and mezzo soprano Phuong Dong will sing arias by Spanish composer VicenteMartín y Soler, Italian composer Gioachino Antonio Rossini and Mozart.
The chorus will perform two pieces by Bizet andVerdi. Mezzo soprano Thu Quynh, baritone Huy Duc and the chorus will performthe Carmen opera’s famous aria L’amour est un oiseaurebelle (The Habanera).
After the interval, audiences will see theballet, The Rite of Spring, written by Russian composer Igor Stravinsky in1913. It depicts a pagan spring ritual, where a group of elders observe a dancein preparation for the death of a girl whom they are offering as sacrifice tothe god of spring for his benevolence.
It will be staged by choreographer Pham Minh,who has been a soloist in France’s Ballet du Capitole for 10 years. “Minh hasmodified the work to suit the body shape, rhythm and customs of Vietnamesepeople,” Phuong said. “The physical movements as well as the story behind thispiece are characterised in Vietnamese style. A mysterious tale combined withStravinsky’s beautiful compositions will make for a fascinating ballet.”
The performance will begin at 8pm. - VNA
VNA
