THE OFJ GATHERS APPLAUSE IN BERLIN
EL DIARIO NTR, Wednesday, April 26th, 2017
The Jalisco orchestra performs in one of the most noteworthy venues as part of “Mexico-Germany Dual Year”. NOTIMEX
The debut of the Orquesta Filarmónica de Jalisco in the Berlin Konzerthaus, one of Germany´s most prominent concert halls, was crowned by an enthusiastic ovation from the packed house.
Time after time, the applause brought Music Director Marco Parisotto back onstage and the orchestra to its feet, in gratitude to an audience that was also on its feet in standing ovation by the end of the evening.
This presentation of the Filarmónica de Jalisco on German soil took place Monday night, under the aegis of “Mexico-Germany Dual Year”.
“We´ve had to wait 100 years since the founding of the Orquesta Filarmónica de Jalisco, so that we could have the best possible conditions for this tour,” the chairman of the orchestra board, Mexican entrepreneur Alejandro Elizalde, told Notimex . “We can´t arrive in Germany, the Mecca of classical music, without preparing an orchestra of the highest quality,” he declared.
The motto of the orchestra board (Patronato) is “Government and society reinforcing the social fabric through classical music”.
He affirmed that in the reality that Mexico is living in the current moment, it is “absolutely relevant and we are truly pleased that the governor of Jalisco, Aristóteles Sandoval, is aware and understands this, so much so that he’s offering his support in order for this tour to take place”.
Berlin was to be the orchestra´s “trial by fire”, which it passed with flying colors. In fact, the first part of the concert was not as expected for the Berlin Konzerthaus audience: The OFJ presented three works from the Mexican classical music repertoire-- Redes, composed in 1936 by Silvestre Revueltas, Danzón Número 2, by Arturo Marquez, and Metal de tréboles, by Javier Álvarez, the latter work commissioned exclusively by the orchestra from this internationally renowned composer, who was present at the performance.
Tambuco, one of today´s most outstanding percussion ensembles worldwide, took charge of the interpretation of the work.
Music director Parisotto, of Canadian origin, pointed out that this tour is the very first in which the Orquesta Filarmónica de Jalisco performs in Germany´s and Austria´s great concert halls, a grand moment for the group.
The OFJ´s repertoire for this tour “was conceived as a way of building a bridge between German classical music and modern Mexican classical music, to demonstrate that in Mexico there is this very large and very important world of orchestras, many concert halls and a very important development of classical music”, said Parisotto. “It´s time that we show the world what we have in Mexico in terms of a classical music culture. It is very important that we represent our national classical composers in this repertoire: we have Silvestre Revueltas, Arturo Márquez, and Javier Álvarez”.
He remarked that Álvarez has been the beneficiary of numerous international awards, “and personally, it gives me great pleasure to introduce him to the European public. We commissioned this work, which was written specifically to feature the ensemble Tambuco as percussion soloists.”
He emphasized that Tambuco is one of the world´s best percussion ensembles, well known in the United States, Europe, Japan…and has been nominated four times for Grammy Awards, in the categories of “Best Classical Album” and “Best Chamber Music Ensemble”. “It was very important for us to invite them, because they are highly representative of what is being done at the highest levels of classical music in Mexico, and because they are internationally recognized.”
On his part, composer Álvarez praised the avant-garde tendency featured in the repertoire chosen by the Filarmónica de Jalisco for its German tour, as it includes Mexican classical music compositions written by contemporary Mexican composers.
At the end of the concert, the audience brought Parisotto, the Tambuco Ensemble and Álvarez back onstage three times, urging them to perform an encore.
Tambuco interpreted the song La Llorona, with sounds and rhythms from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, provoking a new cascade of applause. Then the Filarmónica, under Parisotto´s baton, regaled the public with the Moncayo Huapango and the song Guadalajara.
All in all, it was a novel sensory experience for this audience, which listened with rapt attention and interest.
The Orquesta Filarmónica de Jalisco will perform this Wednesday in Munich and this coming Friday in Vienna, capital of Austria, returning to Mexico afterward.