May 19 & 20, 2017, 8:00 p.m.
H-E-B Performance Hall at The Tobin Center
Sebastian Lang-Lessing, conductor
Angel Romero, guitar

Chabrier España
Villa-Lobos Bachianas brasileiras No. 4, Mvt. 1
Rodrigo Fantasía para un gentilhombre
Villa-Lobos Bachianas brasileiras, Mvts. 2, 3, & 4
Debussy Ibéria from Images

What do four composers from France, Spain, and Brazil have in common? A fascination with the atmospheric sounds of Spain! Debussy’s Ibéria describes three Spanish scenes—“In the streets and byways,” “The fragrances of the night,” and “The morning of a festival day.” Rodrigo’s concerto for guitar is based on 17th century Spanish dances and the gentleman in the title is guitar legend Andrés Segovia, who commissioned the work. French composer Chabrier toured Spain and researched its regional dance forms. He wrote of his trip, “Since coming to Andalusia I haven’t seen a really ugly woman . . . I won’t let on what these women display, but they display it beautifully. [With] their arms bare and their eyelashes so long they could be curled: they spend their time laughing, gesticulating, dancing, [and] drinking.” You can hear all that and more in his music!