César Franck 1822 – 1890
Le Chasseur maudit

Francisco Coll 1985
Ciudad sin sueño

Work commissioned by Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Toronto Symphony, Orchestra, Sinfonieorchester Basel – premiere in Spain Maurice Ravel 1875 – 1937 Concerto for piano and orchestra in G major La Valse Javier Perianes (piano) Orchestra of the Valencian Community 

James Gaffigan conducts a Franco-Spanish program that begins with Franck’s fascinating symphonic poem Le Chasseur maudit followed by the Spanish premiere of Ciudad sin sueño, commissioned by Les Arts from the Valencian composer Francisco Coll. Forged as a fantasy for piano and orchestra, written especially for the soloist of this concert, Javier Perianes, takes its title from Lorca’s homonymous poem that belongs to Poeta en Nueva York and is inspired by flamenco musical material, such as he had already done Coll a Turia or Four Iberian Miniatures. In the second part, dedicated to Ravel, Perianes interprets the Piano Concerto, brilliant music, “without depth”, as the composer quipped, with some reminiscence of the world of jazz and demanding virtuosity for the soloist in the final movement. After the concert, an apotheosis of the Viennese waltz, served by the most performed and resplendent piece of the French composer, La Valse.