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Washington D.C.- The Post Classical Ensemble is bringing together some of the most highly acclaimed musicians in the United States to present “Iberian Mystics: The Confluence of Faiths,” a concert to be performed on March 10 and 11, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
The concert features artists and ensembles reflecting the breadth of Iberia’s unique culture that is drawn from a confluence of Arabic, Catholic, and Jewish influences, from the Middle Ages through modern times.
In collaboration with “one of the most acclaimed Spanish writers,” Iberian Mystics highlights the confluence of cultures, religions, and music in Andalusian Spain before the reconquista, when the Muslims and Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492.
“This concert represents the fabulous circumstance of the convergence of cultures that all Spaniards are very proud of,” according to Music Director Angel Gil-Ordóñez. “We are privileged to have in this heritage of Spain the confluences of cultures in our country. Even after the expulsion of the Jews and Arabs we cannot escape the influence; it is in our architecture, our art, and our music. It’s in our veins — both Jewish heritage and Arab heritage.”
The Post Classical Ensemble is remarkable for its focus on the confluence of classical music and other genres of music. “You cannot separate classical music from popular music,” said Gil-Ordóñez. “The Post Classical ensemble seeks to change the format for how classical music is presented by bringing in elements that make the experience of classical music more compelling,” he said. “What is essential is an understanding of many of the roots of the composers. Here we have a Sephardic ensemble, for example, singing songs of 500 years ago juxtaposed with classical music and western instruments to convert the sentiment.”
This concert presents “the puzzle of ‘what is Spain?,’” according to Joe Horowitz, Post Classical Ensemble’s executive director. “The program builds on years of programming, and here we continue exploring the cultural history of Spain.” Accompanying the concert will be a continuous visual tract showing paintings and churches and palaces.
Mysticism is the main theme of the performance. Writer, Antonio Muñoz-Molina, the author of the script, said, “After the reconquista, when the Muslims and Jews had been expelled, the country was impoverished by the religious and political and cultural orthodoxy that took their place. I wanted to show how these traditions live on in the cultural tradition of Spain.” There will be readings from sufi and Arabic philosophers, of Muslim and Jewish poetry, as well as readings from major Spanish poets of the Renaissance, such as an excerpt of Don Quixote that describes a man of moorish descent who, having been expelled, comes back later to Spain and describes his feeling of exile as a Spaniard.
Hanna Khoury, director of Al Bustan Seeds of Culture, said that the music Al Bustan will be performing has been transmitted by oral tradition for generations. The key instrument is the oud, the predecessor of the lute. Al Bustan will perform three compositions inspired by oral and historical tradition, in the modes and rhythm and style of Al Andalus, evoking Tarab — the ecstatic feeling one gets from listening to the music and participating in the music making.
“Al Andalus is the one place we come back to and yearn for when speak of tolerance and coexistence,” said Khoury. “In some respect this reminds me of the song Al Atlal (“The Ruins”), sung by Om Kalthoum. Do we keep crying over the ruins of Al Andalus or can we get back to that era of tolerance? This concert takes us back in time to prove to ourselves that coexistence is possible,” he said. “Through the concert we reinforce the idea of unity and coming togetherness. Al Andalus was a formula that must have worked. In the spirit of performance, we hope to evoke at least for one hour the sentiments of unity that Al Andalus represented.”
Trio Sefardi will perform several songs that are a testimony to the survival of the Jews of Spain, according to Howard Bass, the lutenist/guitarist in the Trio. One of the pieces is a prayer for peace composed by Flory Altarasa Jagoda, whose family was part of the vibrant Sephardic community in the Balkans that was destroyed in the Holocaust.
Completing the confluence of music and religion, the vocal ensemble Cathedra, directed by the National Cathedral’s Michael McCarthy, will perform works of classical choral polyphony from Renaissance Spain by notable composer Tomás Luis de Victoria, regarded as one of the greatest 16th century composers of sacred music in the Christian church.
The final piece consolidates everything that has happened in the concert. Flamenco dancer Sonia Olla will be dancing the “Dance of Midnight,” to the El Amor Brujo suite (derived from the original 1914 “gypsy piece” for dancer and cantaora voice), accompanied by flamenco singer Ismayel de la Rosa.
“This is a call for reason and understanding,” said Gil-Ordóñez. “Every single culture we are representing is extraordinary, and we want to show how spiritual and deep these cultures are.”
Not all of the works or numerous soloists and contributing artists involved, such as the keyboard concerto by Manuel de Falla to be played by pianist Pedro Carboné, are included here. In a time of increasing religious and cultural intolerance, this promises to be a most compelling concert not to be missed.
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