Atlàntida - PAMPLONA CHAMBER CHOIR

5 MAR / 7:30 P.M.

Premiere of the chamber music version

Manuel de Falla, Ernesto Halffter
Pamplona Chamber Choir
Musical direction David Gálvez Pintado
Stage direction Tomás Muñoz
Production Chamber Choir of Pamplona and MUN

100 minutes
Catalan with Spanish surtitles
18€ y 20€

Additional discounts with youth card. 20% discount + 5€ discount vouchers

This chamber version of Atlàntida goes in search of the essence and understanding of the scenic cantata. The mythical work of Manuel de Falla, of epic dimensions, that the master did not finish. A project produced by the Chamber Choir of Pamplona and the Museo Universidad de Navarra with the collaboration of the Manuel de Falla Archive Foundation and the support of other entities.

"It's the work I've put the most enthusiasm into. I wish I was healthy enough to finish it. It will be quite complex and in it I have respected the text of Jacinto Verdaguer's poem not only because of the deep admiration that the Catalan poet deserves, but also because the ATLANTIDA existed within me since my childhood years. In Cadiz, my native city, the Atlantic was offered to me through the columns of Hercules and my imagination flew towards the most beautiful garden of the Hesperides." Manuel de Falla

Atlàntida was to be a masterpiece, not only of Manuel de Falla but also of the history of 20th century music. Its Prologue, a prodigy of musical plasticity, marks the path of what it was destined to be, to the point that Ernest Ansermet defined it as "the most beautiful chaining of chords in all contemporary music". However, Manuel de Falla never finished the work and thus begins the myth that feeds its enigma.

Where is Falla's Atlantis? We will never know, but we can approach it by diving into the essence of the work and of Falla. Atlàntida is an essential work in the purest sense of the word, it contains as many readings and meanings as notes and years of creation: the twenty that Falla dedicated to it, the following ones of Ernesto Halffter and those that still remain.

THE CHAMBER VERSION

The Chamber Choir of Pamplona, conducted by David Gálvez Pintado, offers the public the scenic cantata in chamber version, based on the so-called Lucerne version (1976) by Ernesto Halffter but with parts added from the original score by Falla that give it a greater theatrical sense, for example, the scene of the death of the Pleiades is respected. Falla over the years was stripping the orchestration of the work, in this version and following that path, the orchestral bombast is alleviated, especially in the parts that Halffter had to finish. In this way, the work of human proportions becomes intelligible.

ARTISTIC FILE

SYNOPSIS

Prologue: the coryphaeus, a wise spirit of the sea, rescues a child from a shipwreck and shows him the vision of the submerged Atlantis. The child is Columbus and that vision will propel him to discover the New World. The choir sings a hymn to the Hispanic World.

Part One: Hercules, a hero arriving from distant lands, meets in Hispania the queen Pirene who entrusts him with the mission of going to Gades to recover the scepter snatched by Geryon. Before, Hercules founds Barcelona. Already in Gades, Hercules is convinced by Geryon to go to Atlantis, a kingdom more in keeping with his greatness, of which the chorus sings of its riches.

Part Two: In the heart of Atlantis, the garden of the Hesperides is inhabited by the Pleiades and guarded by a dragon. Hercules breaks into the garden, kills the dragon and steals its oranges. The Pleiades die of sadness because they sense the end of Atlantis. Hercules returns to Gades, plants the orange tree in Spanish lands and opens the strait through which the sea invades Atlantis. The sinking is announced by messenger voices and the divine voice condemns Atlantis for its arrogance.

Part Three: Columbus, a prophetic traveler, meets Queen Isabella in Spain, who dreams of a New World emerging beyond the sea as a new Atlantis. Columbus embarks to fulfill his mission and the caravels sail the sea on their way to the New World. The sailors pray the Salve and keep vigil in The supreme night, which precedes the Discovery, a night that is not that of Columbus but the supreme spiritual asceticism of Falla.

CHAMBER CHOIR OF PAMPLONA

The Agrupación Coral de Cámara de Pamplona was founded by Maestro Luis Morondo in 1946 with the purpose of studying, working and cultivating the music of the XV, XVI and XVII centuries, although over the years it has expanded its repertoire to the whole genre of vocal music.

During its 70 years of history, it has participated in the most important International Festivals in the world.

DAVID GÁLVEZ PINTADO

He was born in Valencia where he studied Solfeggio, Piano, Choir Conducting and Composition. He graduated in Choir Conducting, Orchestra Conducting and Composition in Budapest. Throughout his career he has worked and continues to work with prestigious performers, colleagues and ensembles and is a renowned choirmaster. As a composer he has extensive experience, mainly in the field of choral music and his works have been performed in the best concert halls. He is currently the Artistic and Musical Director of the prestigious Pamplona Chamber Choir. He is also the chief musical director of the Joven Orquesta y Coro de Centroamérica (JOCCA) since its foundation in 2008.

TOMÁS MUÑOZ

Born in Pamplona, he received his first artistic training in the studio of his father, a painter and collector. He graduated in Fine Arts and in Geography and History, and later obtained a doctorate in Fine Arts at the Complutense University of Madrid. He studied scenography with Carlos Citrinovsky and opera direction and staging with Simón Suárez. As a set designer and lighting designer he has worked on more than forty theater, dance, zarzuela and opera productions. He is a professor at the School of Design, Engineering and Architecture of the European University of Madrid. He has taught in various master's degrees in the performing arts and lectured on the subjects of light and scenography.

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LEARN MORE

Scenic notes of the Museum 

The Museum's artistic residency program 

Handheld program