Octubre 2023
Repertoire
El pessebre
Performers
Mireia Tarragó, soprano
Gemma Coma-Alabert, mezzosoprano
David Alegret, tenor
Joan Martín-Royo, baritone
Pau Armengol, baritone
Coral Càrmina
Franz Schubert Filharmonia
Antoni Ros Marbà, conductor
Programme notes
El Pessebre is an oratorio with music by Pau Casals and lyrics by Joan Alavedra. The Nativity is a theme of peace, purity of feelings, faith and hope, thinking that from this same purity will arise the greatness of the spirit. Nothing better than this world, between naive and moved by Christian Christmas. The poet provided him with a double fervor: that of the Nativity and that of the simultaneous evocation of the Passion; that of the joy of the heralding star and the agony of sacrifice by the man himself. And Casals worked with this double emotion: the Infant God, who cries as if in his cry he could fit all the suffering of the world, and the prophesied cry of a pained Christ, dying for love of Humanity and for redeem her from her oblivion of the spirit.
Pau Casals concentrated in his Oratory “The Manger” became a universal message, from the hand of a universal man, to try to unite the peoples, to convince everyone and to move those who are still able to to move.
CONCERT DATES
‘El pessebre’ of Pau Casals
Biography Antoni Ros Marbà
Born in L´Hospitalet de Llobregat, he studied orchestral conducting at the Conservatorio Superior de Música de Barcelona with Eduardo Toldrá. He later furthered his studies with Sergiu Celebidache at the Accademia Chiggiana in Siena, and with Jean Martinon in Düsseldorf, where he was awarded the First Prize at the End of Year Awards.
In 1996, when the RTVE’s Symphony Orchestra was founded, he was appointed the position of Chief Conductor. In 1967 he was named Chief Conductor at the Orquesta Ciutat de Barcelona, and in 1978 Musical Director at the Orquesta Nacional de España. He soon was appointed Chief Musical Director at the Nederlands Kamer Orkest, of which he later became Chief Conductor.
He has been Chief Conductor at the Real Filharmonia de Galicia and Director at the Escuela de Altos Estudios Musicales in Galicia.