For 110 years the traditional Concert of Sant Esteveevery December 26 in the Palau of Catalan Musicbecomes the great festival of Orfeó Català. And with each passing year it seems to surpass itself in terms of artistic content, because when it comes to the call, all expectations have long been met: tickets sold out weeks in advance and live broadcasts on public radio and television are clear proof of this.
This time up to three new Christmas carols have been premiered, a genre, precisely, to which the concert artistically directed by Pablo Larraz, director of the Orfeó. The works presented were ‘Oh Jesús de ma infantesa’, about a poem by Joan Maragall and music by Josep Ollé i Sabaté, by the Escola Coral and which started the evening with quotes from ‘El Noi de la Mare’; ‘Les four stations’ by Jordi Cornudella, with text by Dolors Miquel; and the ‘suite’ ‘Un ram de Nadales’ by Joan Vives, which concluded the program. Arrangements of traditional works signed by Mariona Vila and Elisenda Fábregas were also premiered, the latter one of the guest composers of the season.
But the Concert de Sant Esteve is not limited to a night of Christmas carols; This is how fragments of oratorios such as ‘The Messiah’ by Händel, ‘Elías’ by Mendelssohn and ‘El Pessebre’ by Pau Nadal were included – on the 50th anniversary of his death –, as well as contemporary works such as those by the Norwegian Ola Gjeilo ( from whom he highlighted a splendid and exciting ‘The ground’) or from Darius Lim, Ekrem Eli Phoenix and Daniel Elder. The Orfeó dedicated a special memory to the singer Marta Juanola, who died last November, and to the architect of the Palau, Lluís Domènech i Montaner, in the year of her centenary.
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The agile and fluid show (live broadcast is always a condition) had stage direction by Adrià Aubert, lighting by Daniel Gener, choreography by Ariadna Casals and was presented with a great informative spirit by Laura Rosel. There were a couple of contributions from the popular television meteorologist Tomàs Molina, in addition to impeccable interventions by the Cosmos Quartet, the organist Joan Seguí, the clarinetist Joan Roca, the percussionist Marc Cabero and the pianist and composer Albert Guinovart.
The Orfeó Català was joined on stage by the Cor Jove, the Cor de Noies, the Cor Infantil, the Cor Mitjans, the Cor Petits and, of course, the Cor de Cambra of the Palau de la Música Catalana, the acclaimed professional group of the house run by Xavier Puig. All together, about 300 performers, said goodbye to the evening as is traditional, with an emotional performance of ‘El cant de la Senyera’, with the entire audience on their feet –and chanting “independence”–, until ‘El Noi de la Mare’ ‘ imposed a sensitive final point, with Guinovart on the piano.