The Spanish National Orchestra made their long-awaited Proms debut at the Royal Albert Hall, nearly 90 years after their founding, under outgoing chief conductor David Afkham. The concert, held before a packed audience, marked both a beginning and a celebratory end, as Afkham will hand over the baton to Kent Nagano next season.
Spanish repertoire and castanets take centre stage
The orchestra brought a suitcase full of Spanish repertoire, castanets, and even a football scarf, which Afkham wore during the encore. The programme was heavy with national treasures, though notably lacking in contemporary Spanish music. Afkham’s more than a decade with the orchestra has seen particular success with Spanish repertoire, building on a legacy that earned the ensemble a Latin Grammy for best flamenco album under Josep Pons in 2010.
Ravel and Rodrigo performed with warmth
The concert opened with the wriggling seguidilla of Ravel’s Alborada del gracioso, featuring a mournful solo bassoon. De Falla’s Fantasia baetica followed in Franciso Coll’s colourful 2022 orchestration, heard for the first time at the Proms. Both works, originally for solo piano, were performed at a mid-paced, spacious tempo that softened their inherent flashiness.
Guitarist Rafael Aguirre, winner of 13 first prizes at international competitions, gave a lean-back account of Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez. His playing was good-natured and folk-direct in the outer movements, while the wistful slow movement featured a cadenza that drew the audience in. Afkham kept the orchestra on a tight rein, resulting in an oddly muted effect.
Boléro and encore bring the house down
Two suites from De Falla’s ballet The Three-Cornered Hat led to Ravel’s Boléro, which built from a flickering pianissimo pulse to a thumping heartbeat. The work’s slow-burn arc was challenging in the Royal Albert Hall’s difficult acoustic, and tension was sometimes lost. The encore, an exuberant piece from Gerónimo Giménez’s zarzuela La boda de Luis Alonso, brought the performance to a festive close.
The concert is available on BBC Sounds until 12 October. The Proms continue until 12 September.
