Director of the Young Orchestra of the Basque
Country: Unai Urrecho.
Programme: Overture of the gazza ladra of Rossini and 4 of Brahms. Symphony in my youngest, op. 98
Where: Teatro Principal de Vitoria.
When: 3 January.

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Since the creation of the Young Orchestra of the Basque Country, like every year, the group of young musicians offered us a Christmas concert. A good opportunity to listen to music, full of freshness offered by these young musicians, in a festive and familiar atmosphere.

On this occasion, the orchestra, led by Unai Urrecho as guest director (its head director is Rubén Gimeno), offered us a magnificent programme. Two works of a very different nature, which can undoubtedly be a test to evaluate the musical quality of any group.

Short program, but with the explanations that Urrecho himself gave at the beginning of each work. Through his words we discovered, for example, that he was also an instrumentalist on the day of the inauguration of the group, in 1997, under the direction of Juanjo Mena. Here's an example of the evolution of these quarry musicians.

The meeting began with the famous opening of La gazza ladra de Rossini, a work full of energy and dynamism. In this work he found the maximum expression of the characteristics that the EGO showed as a group: submission to the director's instructions, good compaction, musical courage. This is what is expected of a group of young people.

The orchestra sounded great. And the good sum of Urrecho must be highlighted: accurate in the gesture and carefully in the details.

The second job they offered was completely different in character. 4 Brahms. Symphony in my youngest is a profound work in which the composer shows his soul, a work of great introspection. Although the director described it as "hard to listen work", due to its musical and emotional complexity, this symphony is a work of enormous architecture, a pleasure for the senses. One of the favorite symphonies of the universal repertoire.

What happens with this kind of work is that they can appear in-depth in a young version, and on this occasion, somehow, it has been. The anxious breath we expected from the first movement was something "measured." And the reflection and introspection of the second movement was something more "agile." But this did not prevent a correct and fresh reading of the work. Good version, no drama in any way, but well built.

The listeners applauded enthusiastically. And the visas were great. Two Hungarian Brahms dances filled with glitter. We have a good quarry, no doubt.