Angel Gil-Ordonez, former associate conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra of Spain and now the music director of PostClassical Ensemble, laughs heartily when asked what musical convention he and Artistic Director Joe Horowitz plan to smash with their company’s double-bill performances at Georgetown University on Sunday. “We are smashing several things,” he said in his melodic Castilian accent. “First of all we are presenting one of the masterpieces of the 20th century, ‘The Soldier’s Tale’ by Stravinsky, a full stage production which is, unfortunately, not the way it is done to world audiences of classical music. It is normally done with an orchestral suite. But that is ignoring the beautiful narration and acting.”
The PostClassical Ensemble’s production of “The Soldier’s Tale,” directed by Anna Harwell Celenza, showcases the talents of actors from the Georgetown University’s Department of Performing Arts. Ordonez conducts the PostClassical Ensemble on the stage with the actors.
| Onstage |
| ‘El Amor Brujo’ and ‘The Soldier’s Tale’ |
| Where: Davis Performing Arts Center, 37th and O streets NW |
| When: 2 p.m. Sunday |
| Info: $25 ($5 with student ID); 202-687-ARTS (2787); [email protected] |
“The Soldier’s Tale” delves into the artists’ reactions to World War I and is told in the style of a folk tale.
“The work is timeless in its exploration of modern man’s innocent desire to have it all: health, wealth and companionship,” Celenza commented.
“El Amor Brujo” (“brujo” meaning “sorcerer” or “magician”) by Manuel de Falla is what Ordonez calls “a masterpiece of Spanish musicals.”
“Instead of a classical performance with soprano and alto [singers], we have an authentic Gypsy flamenco singer [who] brings dimension to the piece that a classically trained singer is unable to convey. This is our way to smash another convention.”
Horowitz has procured the legendary flamenco singer Esperanza Fernandez, whom he has called “a vocal phenomenon from a famous Gypsy flamenco family in Seville.”
“The piece originated in 1915 as a 35-minute gitaneria (Gypsy entertainment with dialogue, song and dance, supported by a small pit orchestra) bristling with the grit and passion of flamenco,” Horowitz noted. “Our new PostClassical Ensemble production retains the pithiness of the 1916 suite but with the addition of a flamenco singer and new choreography.”
