Euskadi Symphony Orchestra
Director: Juraj Valcuha.
Narrator: Dorleta Urretabizkaia
Programme: Works by Copland and Mahler.
Where: Teatro Principal de Vitoria.
When: 15 December.

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The Euskadi Orchestra has joined the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and has offered a concert of composture with the work Preamble for a solemn occasion by Aaron Copland. This work marked the first anniversary of this declaration. On this occasion a discursive version of this work has been given, with a text read in Basque by Dorleta Urretabizkaia.

The work, created in 1949 for the aforementioned event, was the starting point of this concert of the Basque Orchestra, with the unique union of the Slovak director Juraj Valcuha.

The most notable feature of the concert was the direction of Valcuha, born in Bratislava and currently head of the Houston Orchestra. Strict, excellent, almost surgical direction for its perfection. This allowed us to enjoy each of the reasons and phrases that make up the program.

The work of Copland, barely six minutes, came to the public. The work, despite being 74 years since its composition, has not lost any aspect of freshness. Sound textures are a work that is perceived with transparency and elegance. Beautiful.

But perhaps the perfect direction of Valcuha was more evident in the second work of the program. 1 by Gustav Mahler. The Re Major Symphony was a gift filled with 'Titan' details. As mentioned, the director was born in Bratislava, 200 kilometres from Kalist, the home town of Mahler. Perhaps this detail explains the perfect understanding and translation of the soundworld of the Bohemian composer who owns the director.

The director clearly explained all the nuances of this great symphony. He dissected to the extreme. Each movement of the symphony expressed an atmosphere and a proper nuance, but if we have to highlight one of the movements, the third would be – Feierlich und gemessen, ohne zu shleppen (solemnity and moderate, without dragging). Valcuha's transition for each reason was masterful. From the famous Frère Jacques, made in minuscule form, to the delicious Bohemian melody, passing through surrounding and Hungarian passages, everything was very clear and with very nice steps.

Valcuha's work with the orchestra really wonderful. Congratulations.