The Museum hosts the world premiere of the chamber version of 'Atlàntida', by Manuel de Falla, a co-production with the Chamber Choir of Pamplona.

Enigma, depth of meanings and Manuel de Falla 's singular look characterize Atlàntida, a colossal piece, called to be a masterpiece of the music of the 20th century and that the master left unfinished. After a meticulous musical, scenic and documentary work, the Teatro del Museo Universidad de Navarra hosts its chamber version, on March 5, at 7:30 p.m., in co-production with the Chamber Choir of Pamplona and with the help and necessary collaboration of the Manuel de Falla Archive Foundation. Tickets are 18 and 20 euros.

With musical direction by David Gálvez and stage direction by Tomás Muñoz, the project has been supported by INAEM, the Government of Navarra and the City Council of Pamplona. The piece, which opens the new edition of the cycle Cartografías de la Música, offers the public the scenic cantata in a chamber version, based on the so-called Lucerne version (1976) by Ernesto Halffter, but with parts added from the original score by Falla, which give it a greater theatrical sense. For example, the death scene of the Pleiades is respected. 

In his presentation, David Gálvez, conductor of the Chamber Choir of Pamplona, explains that, until now, the work had been presented as "a choral symphony of great sound masses. But I always thought that it was an eminently chamber work in its elements, that if it was distilled correctly they would come to the surface and that it could work very well in a small format". The meeting was also attended by Tomás Muñoz; Elena García de Paredes, manager of the Manuel de Falla Archive Foundation, and Teresa Lasheras, director of Performing Arts and Music of the Museum.

The musical director also pointed out that "there were many elements in the original score that indicated that Falla advocated something smaller". Thus, in his proposal he proposes "not a reduction, but a faithful and rigorous translation of the existing materials for piano four hands and percussion". The choir will consist of 32 people. The intense work has allowed them "to bring to light many elements that, undoubtedly, are lost in the sonorous maelstrom of the choral symphonic work, although they must still be there, of course", said Gálvez. "Our version streamlines the work, allows for a dynamic scene and is much simpler".

In this line, Muñoz has agreed to point out the "major challenge" that has meant to address this emblematic work, for which they have conducted an investigation to see the work from Falla's point of view and "see where this unfinished Atlàntida could have gone". In this line, he has indicated the importance of taking into account the context. "It is a very difficult work to understand without understanding what Falla was like and his historical circumstances. We have tried to see it through his eyes, since he probably already dreamed it before composing it". Thus, he explained that, since he was a child, the composer was interested in the myth of Atlantis and the New World, with which he links it. The deep religiosity and morality of the maestro, together with the disenchantment caused in his life by the historical events that took place in Spain in the 30s, especially the Civil War, meant that what at the beginning could have been conceived as a hymn to the Hispanidad, at the end of those 20 years in which he worked on it, ended up showing a personal vision and a certain vital discouragement.

As for the scenic proposal, Muñoz explains that he has worked to "strip away many of Halffter's additions, to also talk about his compositional difficulties" and also "see it as Falla saw it, with a series of transparencies, and it has been very important to start from the idea of the image, in this case projected, which has guided us".

For her part, Elena García de Paredes stressed that this chamber version makes "a great contribution to Atlàntida, one of Falla's most personal creations, and this is a very essential version". In this sense, he recalled that in this work the composer "wanted to put all his music, faith and creativity, of Falla as a child and as an adult. It is as if he opened a curtain, entered another dimension and wanted to pick it up". He also values that this work has been a "real documentary adventure in manuscripts and letters, in which many things and points of inspiration can be found".

For the director of Performing Arts and Music of the MUN, "this musical and scenic work contributes to shed light on this major work in the oeuvre of Manuel de Falla, as it was his most personal work". He also valued that it is "a work of current creation that takes as a starting point a very important heritage element of Spanish music. And how to do it is one of the Museum's lines of research". Finally, "it is very unusual to enjoy scenic cantatas, a hybrid format that also connects with the artistic lines of the MUN".

To learn more about this piece, on March 3, at 7 p.m., it will be the protagonist of the session of the cycle How to do things with..., a meeting open to the public with the participation of David Gálvez, Tomás Muñoz and Elena García de Paredes, and will be conducted by Nieves Acedo, director of Programs of the MUN. Free admission with prior withdrawal of invitation until full capacity is reached.