James Gaffigan says goodbye as chief conductor of Les Arts with the cantata 'Alexánder Nevsky', by Prokofiev

Les Arts és Simfònic

• The Cor de la Generalitat and the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana will perform this work on the 3rd and 4th at Les Arts and the Auditori de Castelló
• The program includes Haydn's symphony 'La Passione' and 'Gesang der Geister über den Wassern', one of Schubert's finest choral works.

Valencia (1.4.25). James Gaffigan conducts the monumental cantata 'Alexánder Nevski', by Sergei Prokófiev, in his last appointment as musical director of the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía.

The Cor de la Generalitat (CGV) and the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana (OCV) will perform this masterpiece of the symphonic choral repertoire on Thursday, April 3, at Les Arts and on Friday, April 4, at the Auditori de Castelló, featuring mezzo-soprano Olesya Petrova.

The concert also includes 'Gesang der Geister über den Wassern' (Song of the Spirits over the Waters), one of Franz Schubert's finest choral works, and Franz Joseph Haydn's Symphony No. 49 in F minor, Hob.I:49, 'La Passione', of profound emotional intensity.

After four years as principal conductor, the New York-born director proposes for his farewell to the Valencian public one of the most challenging and complex programs for the resident companies of Les Arts, with which the CGV and the OCV will be able to showcase their renowned quality and competence.

Sergei Prokofiev originally composed 'Alexander Nevsky' as the soundtrack for Sergei Eisenstein's film of the same name, which deals with the victory of the Prince of Novgorod over the Swedish invaders and the subsequent siege by the Teutonic Knights and their defeat in the impressive Battle on the Ice in the 13th century.

Prokofiev reproduces the narrative of the feature film with a powerful discourse full of harrowing moments, from the aggressiveness with which the music portrays the oppression of the Russian people, the lament over the fallen heroes in the breathtaking solo of the mezzo-soprano or the triumphant entrance of Alexander Nevsky into Pskov, greeted by the choir in all its splendor.

Schubert and Haydn

For the first part of the concert, James Gaffigan delves into the Romanticism of Franz Schubert with 'Gesang der Geister über den Wassern' (Song of the Spirits over the Waters) with strings from the OCV and the male section of the Cor de la Generalitat. Based on Goethe's poem of the same name, the great master of the Lied reaches heights of extreme beauty in this brilliant symbiosis between music and words.

Franz Joseph Haydn will follow with Symphony No. 49 in F minor, 'La Passione', one of the most dramatic symphonic pieces by the German composer, which, like the rest of the program, will be performed for the first time by the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana.

Les Arts reminds you that tickets can be purchased through the different sales channels of the theater: box offices, the sales line 96 197 59 00 and its website .