Mark Elder directs 'Una vida d'heroi', by Strauss, and 'Simfonia dels salms' by Stravinsky, in Valencia and Castelló

Les Arts és Simfònic 

• The British director, recognized as one of the great names of the international circuit, debuts in both the stable stages of Les Arts
• After the resounding success of 'Wozzeck', the Valencian Community Orchestra closes the symphonic cycle with two works of fascinating sound

Valencia (7.6.22). 'Sir' Mark Elder, recognized as one of the great batons of the international circuit, directs the symphonic poem 'Ein Heldenleben' ('A Hero's Life'), by Richard Strauss', and 'Simfonia dels salms', by Igor Stranvinsky in Valencia and Castelló de la Plana.

The prestigious British conductor makes his debut with the Choir of the Generalitat and the Orchestra of the Valencian Community (OCV) in the last of the concerts of the cycle 'Les Arts és Simfònic', scheduled on Sunday, June 10, at the Palau de les Arts (8:00 p.m.), and on Saturday 11 at the Auditori and Palau de Congressos de Castelló de la Plana (7:30 p.m.).

The current head of the Manchester Hallé Orchestra and chief guest conductor of the Bergen Philharmonic conducts the most important ensembles in Europe and the State Units. Artífex of the artistic creixement of the English National Opera, he combines the symphonic repertoire with the opera, with works at Covent Garden in London, the Opera in Paris or the Metropolitan in New York.

For his debut, 'Sir' Mark Elder proposes two works of fascinating sonority and technical complexity, together with the excellence of the stable works of Les Arts, which this month have culminated in excellence in one of his greatest artistic challenges with the premiere of 'Wozzeck' in Valencia.

Igor Stravinsky will compose 'Simfonia dels salms' with the aim of celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Boston Symphony. Based on three psalms from the Llibre dels Salms de David and dedicated 'to the glory of Deu', this choral symphony is considered one of the most brilliant sacred works of the 20th century. XX.

Ascribed to the composer's neoclassical period, it is divided into three movements that are performed without interruption. The austere and singular orchestration, which excludes violins, violas and clarinets, the intervention of the choir, which interprets the extreme texts of the versions of the 'Vulgate' in Spanish, generates a disturbing sound with which Stravinsky advises the highest levels of spiritual elevation.

The Valencian Community Orchestra will close the symphonic cycle with one of the most complex and committed works of the great repertoire, 'Ein Heldenleben', by Richard Strauss, a brilliant, energetic score endowed with an impressively rich orchestral colour.

Composed in 1898, Strauss's last symphonic poem is an allegory in which the author portrays, using heroic vocabulary, the life of the artist. Configured in its movements, I told the melodic illusions to previous symphonic poems, as a musical autobiography.

'Ein Heldenleben' is, moreover, one of the essential works in the OCV's career, which will mark its applause debut at the National Auditorium of Madrid in 2010 under the direction of Zubin Mehta.

Mark Elder

'Sir' Mark Elder has been music director of the Manchester Hallé Orchestra since 2000. From September 2022 he will be the principal guest conductor of the Bergen Philharmonic. He previously served as musical director of the English National Opera (1979-1993) and of the Rochester Philharmonic, New York (1989-1994), as well as principal guest conductor of the London Mozart Players and the City of Birmingham Symphonies and the BBC.

The British master conducts the most important orchestras on the international scene: Concertgebouw, Paris, Budapest Festival, Philharmonics of Berlin and London and Symphonies of Boston and Chicago. He is principal artist of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, collaborates regularly with the London Symphony and has conducted at the Proms for many years.

The presence is also common in the main opera houses: Covent Garden, Metropolitan, the Paris and Chicago opera houses or the Glyndebourne Festival. He has also been invited to the Bayreuth Festival (in which he will be the first English director to direct a new production), Munich, Amsterdam, Zurich, Geneva, Berlin and the Bregenz Festival.