Repertoire

Percy Grainger: The Power of Rome and the Christian Heart (1947) 13’
José R. Pascual-Vilaplana: Oihartzunak. Concerto for French Horn and Band (2021) 17’
Ida Gotkovsky: Concerto pour grande orchestre d’harmonie (1994) 30’

ARTISTS

Barcelona Symphonic Band (BMB)
Juan Manuel Gómez, French horn
José R. Pascual-Vilaplana, conductor

Programme

It took composer Percy Grainger 25 years to finish The Power of Rome and the Christian Heart, written in the period from the end of the First World War and into the Second. The inspiration for the piece was seeing young men, forced to enlist, practising with bayonets, which recalled for Grainger the struggle of the individual against the power of ancient Rome during the persecution of the first Christians.

The second piece in the programme, by José R. Pascual-Vilaplana, who will also be conducting the concert, features soloist Juan Manuel Gómez, first horn with the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra (OBC). Oihartzunak (Echoes) contains references to the cities of Bilbao, Llíria and Barcelona, much loved by the horn player.

Finally, the Concerto pour grande orchestre d’harmonie by Ida Gotkovsky celebrates the 90th anniversary of the composer’s birth. As a student of Olivier Messiaen and Nadia Boulanger, her interest in wind instruments is evident throughout her catalogue, as shown in this work of exceptional technical skill.