Romero:Bayo:Seville So:Burgos - PALOMO: Andalusian Nocturnes

Lorenzo Palomo (b. 1938)Nocturnos de Andalucia (Andalusian Nocturnes, 1996)Canciones espanolas (Spanish Songs, 1987-1994) Linked by friendship and by his Andalusian and musical rootsto the guitarist family of the Romeros, Lorenzo Palomo, responding to a requestfrom Pepe Romero, composed for him a full Suite concertante for guitarand orchestra (lasting approximately forty minutes) entitled Nocturnos de Andalucia (Andalusian Nocturnes). It unfolds in six movements, eachwith an expressive title: 'Brindis a la noche' (A Toast to the Night), 'Sonrisatruncada de unaestrella' (ShatteredSmile of a Star), 'Danza de Marialuna' (Dance of Marialuna), 'Rafaga' (Gust of Wind), 'Nocturno de Cordoba'(Nocturne of Cordoba) and 'El tablao' (The Flamenco Stage). The suite was firstperformed in Berlin on 27 January 1996, naturally enough with Pepe Romeroperforming as soloist and with Rafael Fr??hbeck de Burgos conducting the BerlinRadio Symphony Orchestra. It received such fervent applause that the artistshad to perform an encore of the fifth movement: 'Nocturno de Cordoba'.The Cordoba in which the composer spent his childhood, theAndalusia of which he forever dreamed, with its poetic echoes of Juan Ramon Jimenez- 'Danza de Marialuna' takes its inspiration from the poet's verse 'La nina de blanco' (see Una primaveraandaluza) - and musicalechoes of flamenco, provide a constant inspiration for this very original work,which is both colourful and very deeply felt. Palomo shows great compositionalskill in writing for groups of instruments. Although a large orchestra is used,consisting of pairs of woodwind, four French horns, two trumpets, three trombones,tuba, timpani and a rich array of percussion, the problem of the balancebetween orchestra and the smaller sound of the guitar has been resolved. The orchestrais often heard tutti, but the sound diminishes progressively, giving waynaturally to the guitar. Conversely, in the passages for solo guitar,instruments and orchestral sections are added gradually to enable the transitionfrom the guitar's dialogue with woodwind, strings or percussion to fullorchestral outbursts to be realised in the most seamless of ways. Echoes of Spanishfolk-melodies, rhythms of Andalusian song and dance, lyricism and light, arethe characteristics of this unique work. Somewhat reluctantly, but with understandingfor the request of performers, who often encounter difficulties in programmingsuch a long concertante work, Palomo offers the option of omitting somemovements in order to present an abbreviated version, a sort of suite de lasuite.Since its premi?�re in Berlin, Nocturnos de Andalucia hasbeen performed on fifty occasions in Germany, Spain, France, Switzerland, Italy, Norway, Japan, the United States (in eleven different cities), and Cuba. The official Spanish premi?�re took place at the National Auditorium on 11 October1996, during the Madrid Autumn Festival, with Pepe Romero, the Madrid SymphonyOrchestra and the conductor Fr??hbeck de