The sounds of Latin folk music, rhythms and dance will keep the Visalia Fox Theatre hopping when the Tulare County Symphony performs “Celebración” at 7:30pm on Saturday, October 3.
The most well-known piece is Manuel de Falla’s “Three-Cornered Hat,” a ballet featuring a variety of Spanish dance music. De Falla is considered to be among the most important Spanish composers of the first half of the 20th Century. He belongs to a generation of composers who no longer imitated Western European music in the style of Beethoven and Brahms but used their countries’ folk music and traditions as their inspiration.
The ballet’s first performance took place in London in 1919 with stage design, costumes and curtain by another great Spanish artist, Pablo Picasso. It was an immediate success.
The piece includes Spanish folk songs sung by guest soloist Caitlin McKechney. She has been described as “coolly sexy [with an] alluring mezzo soprano timbre, incisive verbal diction, expressive eyes and catlike movements.”
“I love singing folk-inspired concert music,” she said, “because it combines my two loves of popular music and classical.”
Also on the program is music by Alberto Ginastera and José Moncayo.
Ginastera is considered to be among the best known Argentinian composers. His “Estancia Dances” are four dances from his original one-act ballet. Estancia means “cattle ranch.” The concluding movement, inspired by the flamboyant malambo dance of the Argentine gauchos, has become one of Ginastera’s most popular works.
Moncayo’s “Huapango” was premiered in Mexico City in 1941 and was very popular. The work soon became the unofficial second national anthem of Mexico.
Tickets are $30 to $39.50 at the symphony office, 208 W. Main Street, Suite D, Visalia, downstairs in Montgomery Square. Student prices are $10. Tickets are also available at 732-8600 or go to www.tularecountysymphony.com.
The concert begins at 7:30pm, but the audience is invited to attend the pre-concert preview by music director Bruce Kiesling at 5:45pm.