Regarding the Bruch, a selection of the 8 movements will be performed.
Cavalleria rusticana (‘Rustic Chivalry’) is an opera in one act by Pietro Mascagni to an Italian libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci, adapted from an 1880 short story of the same name and subsequent play by Giovanni Verga. Considered one of the classic verismo operas, it premiered on 17 May 1890 at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome. Since 1893, it has often been performed in a so-called Cav/Pag double-bill with Pagliacci by Ruggero Leoncavallo.
La vida breve (‘Life is Short’) is an opera in two acts and four scenes by Manuel de Falla to an original libretto by Carlos Fernández-Shaw. The complete opera is seldom performed today, even though its importance in the context of opera in Spanish is recognised and it was programmed for the reopening of the Teatro Real in 1997. However, its orchestral sections are often performed, especially the act 2 music published as Interlude and Dance, which is popular at concerts of Spanish music. (Fritz Kreisler in 1926 arranged for violin and piano the dance from this pairing under the spurious title Danse espagnole.)
Sevilla is a composition by Isaac Albéniz from his Suite Española No. 1. Albeniz premiered Sevilla himself in a piano performance on 24 January 1886 and dedicated it to the wife of Count Morphy. Since it has been transcribed for classical guitar it has become one of the most important works of the classical guitar repertoire. It has been played and recorded by guitarists such as Julian Bream and John Williams and many others. It is generally played in the key of G major.
i Bot tánc / Jocul cu bâtă (Stick Dance), ii Brâul (Sash Dance), iii Topogó / Pe loc (In One Spot), iv Bucsumí tánc / Buciumeana (Dance from Bucsum), v Román polka / Poarga Românească (Romanian Polka), vi Aprózó / Mărunțel (Fast Dance)
Romanian Folk Dances, Sz. 56, BB 68 is a suite of six short piano pieces composed by Béla Bartók in 1915. He later orchestrated it for small ensemble in 1917 as Sz. 68, BB 76.
i Andante, ii Allegro con moto, iii Andante con moto, iv Allegro agitato, v Rumänische Melodie: Andante, vi Nachtgesang: Andante con moto, vii Allegro vivace, ma non troppo, viii Moderato
Bruch is not well known, although his “Eight Pieces for Clarinet, Viola, and Piano” are occasionally revived, there being very little other music written for this rare combination of instruments. As with Brahms and Weber who produced compositions with a particular clarinetist in mind, so did Bruch write these trios for a particular clarinettist, his son Max.
Pedro Iturralde Ochoa was a Spanish jazz saxophonist, teacher and composer. Memorias is a piece for soprano saxophone or clarinet and piano, with a musical journey through Portuguese fado, swing, boogie-woogie, and Algerian folk music.
i Andante – Largo, ii Allegro vivo, iii Molto meno, iv Meno, quasi lento, v Allegro vivace, vi Allegretto, vii Monto più vivo
Czardas is a rhapsodical concert piece by the Italian composer Vittorio Monti. Written in 1904, the folkloric piece is based on a Hungarian csárdás. It was originally composed for violin, mandolin, or piano.
Manu Brazo - Saxophone
Manu Brazo is an innovative musician who is redefining the concept of classical music in the 21st century. He has been featured as one of the young talents of Spanish classical music in Melómano magazine, the most prestigious classical music publication in Spain. As one of the most influential names around the saxophone on social media, his videos have garnered more than 4 million views, captivating audiences worldwide.
Claudia Gallardo - Violin
Claudia Gallardo, hailing from Los Barrios (Cádiz), embarked on her violin journey at the tender age of 5 at the International School of Algeciras. She pursued her Bachelor’s in Music at the Conservatorio Superior de Música de Sevilla and recently completed her Master’s in Performance at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, mentored by Jacqueline Ross. Claudia’s musical path has seen her collaborating with numerous youth orchestras in Spain, notably the Orquesta Joven de Andalucía, where she held the position of concertmaster during nine consecutive years, including the 2015/2016 season. Her performances have been conducted by esteemed maestros like Michael Thomas, Arturo Tamayo, and Manuel Hernández Silva.
Prajna Indrawati - Piano
Indonesian pianist Prajna Indrawati honed her Master of Performance degree in Collaborative Piano (2018) at the Royal College of Music under tutelage of Roger Vignoles, Kathron Sturrock, and Simon Lepper. Accompanying singers, she performed in many places in the UK, such as Victoria and Albert Museum, Royal Festival Hall, Holywell Room Oxford, Wigmore Hall, etc. She was awarded second
Piano
24 July 2025
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