This Co-Cathedral of San Nicolás in Alicante vibrated with this Friday concert Passion, death and resurrection of Jesus “Orgelbüchlein BWV 618-630 “Way of the Cross” Choirs“with parts Johann Sebastian Bach and Franz Liszt, Performed by more than 60 students and teachers organ, harpsichord, piano, choir and orchestra specialties between José Tomas Conservatory of Music from Alicante.
hundreds of people They packed San Nicolás to enjoy a sensuous show where the staging overwhelms audiences and music lovers. Lights, sounds and dramatization Giving meaning to the Passion that accompanies the drama of the moment from time to time rattles, flickers of light and a storm simulation.
Bach, Listz and the Gregorian chant
“The passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus have been composed by hundreds of composers throughout history. Bach Choral PreludesIn the Lutheran liturgy, Way of the Cross, Franz Liszt And Gregorian songin the Catholic liturgy. The close relationship between the two can be seen, for example, in the BWV 625 chorus “Christ lies in the bonds of death”. Gregorian hymn “Victimae Paschali”one of the architects of the show told the audience: Professor of Early Music and Organ, Benantzi Bilbao.
When shouting “Father, why have you forsaken me” the organ would light up red and rattle, lightning and thunder would announce the death of Christ.
The concert combined dramatized episodes: the moment of the crucifixion was symbolized by six thumps, Jesus was nailed to the cross, and a ratchet when the cross was lifted; in another scene Mary’s processionwho sing with candles in their hands Stabat Mater next to you hurt And Nazarene. At the gates of Jesus’ death, a loud voice cried out: “Father forgive them because they don’t know what they are doing”and with a roar and burning of the red organ, rattles and lightning and thunder announced the death of Jesus. To attain resurrection, where the Co-Cathedral is suddenly illuminated and sadness turns into joy. organ sound Co-Cathedral where bells, bells, rattles and triangle sound simultaneously.
The show featured two organs, a piano, a spine, a choir, and an orchestra of string and woodwind instruments.
And all this through an intense musical tour two organsA pianoA spinetA coral and one plucked string orchestra And blown He contributed to the short concert, which lasted a little over an hour, with bassoons, oboes, theorbo and archilaud, as well as others.
The great organ of the cathedral
HE big organ The person who presided over the Co-Cathedral became one of the heroes of this sacred spectacle. A “unique” copy their voices traveled and filled every corner of San Nicolás. And in order to think of the organists’ movements in which hands and feet are required to sing the great instrument, big screen young artists were allowed to see their moves live.
It was also projected on the screen to follow the development of the event. Original texts in German and Latin what the choir sings. And to give more emotions and memories, it is complemented with images of classical paintings that refer to the liturgical moment represented.
“I feel nervous before I start, but when I start playing it goes away. It’s a big responsibility.”
“To feel moody before it starts, but disappears when I start playing”, explains Athena Castillo, 15 years old, student of organ and harpsichord at the Conservatory since childhood, is aware of the great responsibility of playing in front of an audience in San Nicolás. Like him, other students and teachers delivered their ballots this Friday, thanks to a busy week of rehearsals, so the result was excellent.
“The idea is that it remains a fixed concert every year,” says Professor Patricia Peinado, the event’s director. And she tells how special it is to be able to present this to students. “One of the most decisive concerts of the year,” she explains. Peinado highlights the additional difficulty for the chorus because most of the pieces they sing are in German, which is a “complex language”.
early music department
at the gates Easter, this musical show means everything. And it was the successor to the first “Alicante Sings to the Virgin” concert held recently. May 3, 2023 initiating what is already on its way to becoming tradition. The appointment that made a Conservatory proud, which premiered last year. old music department which has the value of exclusivity, because there are few centers that offer these teachings, and the organ and harpsichord are added to the plectrum, and next year the harpsichord specialization top flute.
Also, being able to offer organ classes in San Nicolás, thanks to an agreement with the Co-Cathedral Council, is an important step forward, providing an important qualitative leap for students.