Gershwin | Ginastera | Antonsen

Hot Latin American rhythms have fascinated twentieth-century composers. The Cuban overture by George Gershwin, initially simply called "Rumba", is a holiday postcard from Havana, where the composer stayed in 1932. The piece focuses primarily on dance-like Caribbean rhythms, and the Cuban character is added by percussion instruments: maracas, bongos, claves and guiro, which strike the ostinato rhythm almost for the whole duration of the composition.

The Latin ballet "Estancia" by Argentinian composer Albert Ginastery also exhibits a Latin American temperament. In 1941, American Ballet Caravan manager Lincoln Kirstein ordered a one-act ballet from Ginastery that would show life in the Argentinean countryside, to take place in the gauchos community or South American cowboys. The ballet action covers one day – from dawn to dawn – and is comprises five pieces. The composer put together a short musical suite from the four ballet dances, which often appears in concert programs without a stage version. An especially known piece and often performed as an encore is the final "Malambo" – a traditional Argentine tap dance, performed exclusively by men.

As a break from the southern climate, the program will be complemented by a series of compositions entitled “Landscapes“ by Norwegian trumpeter Ole Edvard Antonsen. In terms of music, Antonsen’s musical landscapes resound with jazzy, symphonic, and sometimes also traditional and folk music.