Hernández-Silva, excellent reviews at Teatro Colón

Hernández-Silva, excellent reviews at Teatro Colón

Hernández-Silva has recently achieved a great success at Teatro Colón after conducting two programs with the Buenos Aires Philharmonic Orchestra. Several reviews from Argentine and international media such as Clarín, Olyrix or De Paraíso para Usted highlight his detailed knowledge of the scores, technique, musicality, attention to detail and ability to accompany the soloists and get the best out of this prestigious ensemble. Here you can read some excerpts.

Hernández-Silva en el Colón

© Prensa Teatro Colon / Arnaldo Colombaroli

Temperament and personality on stage

Martha Cora Eliseth for De Paraíso para usted

The orchestra accompanied the pianist perfectly, under the masterful conducting of Hernández Silva. In the second of the three movements (Allegro scherzando), Filjak’s scherzo was masterful, with a depth and sound balance between orchestra and soloist as had not been heard at Teatro Colón for a while.

For the second part of the concert, Manuel Hernández Silva chose Dvorák’s Symphony No. 8 in G major, a piece within the usual repertoire of the Philharmonic, that has performed it on countless occasions. However, few performances have achieved the level of perfection and luminosity as last night’s under Hernández-Silva, which excelled for its outstanding interpretative quality and pure sound.          

When there is rehearsal, discipline and effort, the Philharmonic shows its quality, sounding like a European orchestra. Manuel Hernández-Silva was an additional ingredient, contributing with his personality and talent to bring brightness and luminosity on a night worthy of the Colón. An authentic revelation on the stage of our biggest coliseum.

Hernández-Silva en el Colón

© Prensa Teatro Colon / Arnaldo Colombaroli

Berlioz Summer Nights at Teatro Colón’s (French) Winter Garden

Sébastien Vacelet for OLYRIX

The five pieces in Ma Mère l’Oye offer in their symphonic version a delicate, smooth and quilted panorama of this French garden, which promised to be rich in colors and nuances, and that the Buenos Aires orchestra managed to transmit under the beats of the sometimes magic baton of Hernández-Silva, who was very inspired and precise in his direction. The management of volumes and tempi is particularly careful (III, Laideronnette), with Manuel Hernández-Silva remaining very attentive to the execution of his gestural, flexible and precise indications. The fade-in of the harp, the triangle and then the violins in Les Entretiens de la Belle et de la Bête (IV) is a good example of coordination to create this impression of wonder that is the aesthetic link of Ma Mère l’Oye and finds in Le Jardin féérique (V) an enchanting conclusion.

Au Cimetière (V) gives us the opportunity to see text and melody intermingling in a piece that evokes a song «on the wings of music», while the iridescent nuances of the orchestra, under the instructions on its conductor, manage effects that echo  those of the verses.

The second part of the concert opens to this French garden a new horizon from across the Rhine: the performance of Schumann’s Symphony No. 2 further reinforces the already existing impression. The Buenos Aires Philharmonic Orchestra follows Manuel Hernández-Silva’s requests exactly, earning them all a big applause.

Conducted by Venezuelan Manuel Hernández-Silva, the orchestra excelled itself with works by Ravel, Schumann and Berlioz.

Federico Monjeau for CLARÍN

The conductor was also a success. Venezuelan Manuel Hernández-Silva replaced French Lionel Bringuier, absent for health reasons. Hernández-Silva was born in Caracas, graduated in Vienna and is currently principal conductor of the Malaga and Navarra orchestras. In Ravel’s suite and Berlioz’s songs he managed the orchestra to sound expressive and detailed even in the most surprising pianissimos. The ravelian goldsmithing counted in addition on impeccable soloist interventions, especially Pablo Saraví in the brief but significant violin solo at the end of the fourth movement, Les entretiens de la Belle et de la Bête.

And another success was the soloist Berlioz songs, the Irish mezzosoprano Tara Erraught, of beautiful timbre, fair intonation and an expresiveness at the same time nuanced and reserved. Hernández-Silva maintained a seamless balance between orchestra and soloist.

If conductor Hernández-Silva had been extremely reserved in the first two pieces of the program, in Schumann he reached peaks of great emotional intensity, without neglecting the continuity of form and details at the same time. The great performance of the soloists, especially the oboe, the clarinet and the bassoon, must also be here underlined.

 

 

 

Hernández-Silva at Teatro Colón with the Buenos Aires Philharmonic

Hernández-Silva at Teatro Colón with the Buenos Aires Philharmonic

Manuel Hernández-Silva returns to Teatro Colón to conduct the Philharmonic Orchestra of Buenos Aires in the absolute premiere of Ave Fénix by Argentinian composer Claudia Montero, winner of four Grammy awards. In addition, maestro Hernández-Silva will accompany Croatian pianist Martina Filjak by Saint-Säens Concert No. 2, op. 22 in G minor and conduct Dvořak’s Symphony No. 8 in G major. This concert will take place on next Thursday, June the 27th at 20:00 hrs.

This trip to Argentina is a prelude to the upcoming debut of Hernández-Silva with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra in the US at the 2019/20 season, as well as to future visits to Norway, France, Germany or Australia. The album Cantos y Revueltas by Pacho Flores with cuatro player Leo Rondón and the Real Filharmonía de Galicia under Hernández-Silva will be released next July by Deutsche Grammophon. This album contains the homonymous work by Pacho Flores, Cantos y revueltas, that was premiered in January 2018 and recorded live for this double CD / DVD, together with other highlights by Pacho, Neruda, Villalobos or Piazzolla. Hernández-Silva is also going to premiere on next November Efraín Oscher’s Danzas Latinas for trumpet and orchestra, a commission of the Real Filharmonía, withPacho Flores.

Hernández-Silva will complete this month his first and fifth season as Principal and Artistic Director of the Navarra Symphony Orchestra and the Malaga Philharmonic Orchestra respectively, but an intense summer awaits him. After returning from Buenos Aires, he will continue with one of the activities he’s most passionate about: working with young people; on the one hand with a series of concerts with the Young Baroque Orchestra of Andalusia; and on the other hand with the Masterclass in Orchestral Conducting organised by the Malaga Philharmonic Orchestra. Hernández-Silva will then make his debut at Pollença Festival in Mallorca, along with Pacho Flores and the Symphony Orchestra of the Balearic Islands, and conduct a Homage to Gayarre with the Navarra Symphony Orchestra.

 

 

 

Pacho Flores, American premiere of ‘Cantos y Revueltas’

Pacho Flores, American premiere of ‘Cantos y Revueltas’

The American premiere of Pacho Flores’ work Cantos y Revueltas. Fantasia Concertante for trumpets, Venezuelan cuatro and strings with the Bolívar Phil and cuatro player Héctor Molina under maestro Carlos Riazuelo will take place next June 30 at 11:00 am at the Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Performing Arts Center in Miami. Cantos y Revueltas was premiered on January 11, 2018 at the Auditorio de Galicia in Santiago de Compostela with the Royal Philharmonic of Galicia and two other Venezuelans —conductor Manuel Hernández-Silva and cuatro player Leo Rondón—, to great success from both audience and critics. This premiere was recorded in audio and video and will be the central piece of the next album by Pacho Flores, a double CD/DVD for Deutsche Grammophon that will be coming soon. However, this isn’t Pacho’s first composition, since other works such as Morocota or Labios Vermelhos were already part of his album ENTROPÍA.

rfg pacho leo mhs cantos y revueltas

Image of the premiere of Cantos y Revueltas, Flores, Rondón, Hernández-Silva and the RFG. Copyright: RFG

Pacho Flores is playing this week with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Gran Canaria, a program that includes Akban Bunka by Christian Lindberg —appearing in FRACTALES, his last album for DG so far— and Concierto Mestizo by Efraín Oscher. He will perform the same repertoire the following week at the 11º Conference of the Brazilian Association of Trumpeters in Campinas.

Flores will then return to Europe to perform Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto and Lindberg’s Akban Bunka with the Sinfonieorchester Basel led by Michal Nesterowicz. After this American premiere in Florida, Cantos y Revueltas will then head for the Southern Cone for another historical premiere in Argentina: the performance by the Buenos Aires Philharmonic Orchestra under Enrique Diemecke of Arturo Sandoval’s Trumpet Concerto No. 1 for the first time since its composition 25 years ago. It will take place on July 11 at Teatro Colón.

 

 

 

 

Berna Perles debuts in Teatro de la Zarzuela

Berna Perles debuts in Teatro de la Zarzuela

Soprano Berna Perles debuts at the Teatro de la Zarzuela in the role of Angustias de La Casa de Bernarda Alba by Miquel Ortega, conducted by the composer himself, together with Rubén Fernández-Aguirre and directed by Bárbara Lluch, which will be performed on the 10th, 11th, 13th, 15th, 17th, 18th, 20th and 22nd of November. She shares the limelight with Nancy Fabiola Herrera (Bernarda Alba), Carmen Romeu (Adela), Luis Cansino (Poncia), Carol García (Martirio), Marifé Nogales (Amelia), Belén Elvira (Magdalena), Milagros Martín (Maid) and the recent Premio Nacional de Teatro prizewiner Julieta Serrano as María Josefa.

Berna Perles

The best of the night was Berna Perles, a delicate, lyrical and emotional Micaela, with an impeccable singing voice and great expressive sensitivity (Andrés Moreno, Diario de Sevilla) 

The best voice of the night was the Micaela of the Malagueña Berna Perles: delicate, emotional, expressive and with clean projection (José Luis López, ABC de Sevilla)

Berna Perles was born in Malaga, where she obtained a Título Superior de Canto en el Conservatorio Superior de Música de Málaga con Matrícula de Honor y Premio Extraordinario Fin de Carrera – the highest awards. She studied a postgraduate course at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome and completed her training at the «Santa Cecilia» Opera Studio of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. She then studied in Vienna with Glenys Linos, a disciple of Elvira Hidalgo. She has received master classes from Renata Scotto, Mirella Freni, Mariella Devia, Teresa Berganza, Monserrat Caballé, Isabel Rey and Carlos Álvarez.

Berna has been awarded prizes in numerous singing competitions (First Prize, «Muestra de Jóvenes Intérpretes de Málaga», First Prize, «Juventudes Musicales de España», First Prize «Nuevas Voces Ciudad de Sevilla», First Prize «Concurso Internacional Mozart de Granada», First Prize «Concurso Internacional de Canto de Logroño») and finalist in many others («Concurso Internacional de Canto de Toulouse», «Concorso Lirico Internazionale Umberto Giordano“ «Concurso Internacional de Canto Manuel Ausensi”, “Concurso Internacional de Canto Villa de Colmenar Viejo”, “Concorso Lirico Internazionale di Portofino”). In 2016 she received the award for Best Musical Work of the Year in her hometown of Malaga.

Berna Perles blanco y negro

His professional career has led him to perform, both in opera and zarzuela productions and in lyrical recitals, in theatres such as Teatro dell´opera (Rome), Auditorio Santa Cecilia (Rome), Konzerthaus (Vienna), Teatro Comunale (Bologna), Teatro Garibaldi (Lucera), Royal Opera (Versailles), Théâtre du Capitole (Toulouse), Opera de Massy, Le pin galant (Mérignac), Théâtre de Sète, Teatro Avenida (Buenos Aires), Le pin galant (Mérignac), Théâtre de Sète, Teatro Avenida (Buenos Aires).

He has sung under the baton of John Axelrod, Andrea Marcon, Giarcarlo Andretta, Dominique Rouis, Martin Mázik, Lorenzo Mariani, Edmon Colomer, Santiago Serrate, Pablo González, Mario Menicagli or Manuel Hernández-Silva and under the stage direction of Lindsay Kemp, Emilio Sagi, William Orlandi or Riccardo Canessa. Berna has played, among others, the roles of First Lady and Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), Contessa and Marcellina (Le nozze di Figaro), Bastienne (Bastien und Bastienne), Donna Anna and Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni), Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte), Gilda (Rigoletto), Anna Bolena (Anna Bolena), Adina (L’elisir d’amore), Musetta y Mimì (La Bohème), Liù (Turandot), Juliette (Roméo et Juliette), Micaela (Carmen), Costanza (L’isola disabitata), Sandrina (Un avvertimento ai gelosi).

In zarzuela Berna has also played the roles of Ascensión (La del manojo de rosas), Carolina (Luisa Fernanda), Katiuska (Katiuska) and Marola (La tabernera del puerto). In the field of symphonic and oratorio, she has performed, among others, The Messiah (Handel), Stabat Mater (Pergolesi), Requiem (Fauré), Requiem (Mozart), Requiem (Verdi), Elijah (Mendelssohn), Ninth Symphony (Beethoven), Coronation Mass (Mozart), Miserere (Ocón) and Carmina Burana (Orff). Among her recent commitments are: Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte, Teatro Cervantes de Málaga), several recitals with the ROSS, OCG, RFG, OSN and OFM, and interesting debuts at the Teatro de la Zarzuela (Madrid) in La casa de Bernarda Alba by Miquel Ortega, at the Teatro Campoamor, Teatro del Liceu and Teatro Real. She has participated in the recording of a CD of duets, together with baritone Carlos Álvarez, on the DNRecords label. (Translation: John Eastham)

 

 

 

Domínguez-Nieto, Chief Conductor in Córdoba

Domínguez-Nieto, Chief Conductor in Córdoba

The Orquesta de Córdoba has designated Maestro Carlos Domínguez-Nieto as its new Music and Artistic Director since the season 2018/19. Domínguez-Nieto is also Music Director of the Concierto München Chamber Orchestra in Germany since its creation in 1997, was Assistant Conductor of the Spanish National Youth Orchestra and of the Münchner Jugendorchester, Assistant Conductor of Ivan Fischer in the Budapest Festival Orchestra, Music Director at the Münchner Kammeroper and General Musik Direktor of the Landestheater Eisenach.

Carlos Domínguez-Nieto

Debuted at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires conducting the Buenos Aires Philharmonic in 1995. In the season 1997/98 he was assistant conductor of the Spanish National Youth Orchestra and of the Münchner Jugendorchester, working with Mstislav Rostropovich and András Ligeti between others. In 1999 he won the position of Assistant Conductor of Ivan Fischer in the Budapest Festival Orchestra. In 2001 won the First Prize in the International Conducting Competition of the Fundación Oriente de Lisboa.

In 2000 Domínguez-Nieto debuted as opera conductor in Salzburg with C. M. von Weber’s Der Freischütz. Since that year till 2005 he is Music Director at the Münchner Kammeroper, where he conducted 13 new productions. From 2009 to 2015 he was General Musik Direktor of the Landestheater Eisenach where he conducted more than 50 titles of opera as well as ballet. Domínguez-Nieto works regularly in the Stadtstheater Klagenfurt, Südostbayerisches Städtetheater, Staatsphilharmonie Halle and Staatskapelle Halle, Münchner Symphonieorchester, Münchner Rundfunk Orchester and Münchner Philharmoniker, Nürnberger Symphoniker, Hofer Symphoniker, WDR Symphonieorchester Köln, Bayerische Kammerorchester, Sinfonieorchester Basel, Brucknerorchester Linz, Württembergische Philharmonie, Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie, etc.

Furthermore he has conducted the Orquesta de Radiotelevisión Española, Orquesta Sinfónica de Navarra, Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León, Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canari, Orquesta Filarmónica de Málaga, Real Filharmonía de Galicia, Warsaw Philharmonic, Hungarian Symphony, the Orchestra of the Hungarian National Opera, Orquestra Metropolitana de Lisboa, Orquesta Filarmónica de Buenos Aires and Sinfónica de Rosario in Argentina, Orquesta de la Universidad Nacional en México and the Aragua, Falcón, Guárico and Mérida Symphonies in Venezuela.

He recorded Sony-BMG and the Radio of Baviera, with the Münchner Rundfunk Orchester, the WDR Symphonieorchester Köln and the Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria, with soloists as Francisco Araiza, Olga Scheps, Wen-Sinn Yang or Ingolf Turban. Carlos was born in Madrid 1972 where he studied piano, violoncello and composition, and moves to Vienna to study composition and orchestra conducting at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien with Leopold Hager and Uros Lajovic; and at the Universität Mozarteum Salzburg with Dennis-Russell Davis and Jorge Rotter.