SPRINGTIME IN HISPANIA / 10 AM

In Roman times, the Iberian peninsula, including current-day Spain, was called Hispania. Spain, located in the south of Europe, is a sunny, beautiful country, its people are passionate and proud, which is also reflected in their music. We will hear excerpts from the famous violin concerto of one of their most renown composers, Édouard Lalo (1823-1892). The piece will be played by a very talented and hard-working young solo violinist. French composer Georges Bizet's (1838-1875) most famous work, Carmen, is set in Spain. The composer included many Spanish-sounding parts in the opera; Spanish dances such as the habanera and the seguidilla. Bizet also finely depicted the atmosphere of bullfighting, which is a favourite pastime of the Spanish. Our conductor, Johannes Marsovszky, was born in Germany and graduated in conducting from the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest.