Stradivarius’s Palatine Quartet leaves the Royal Palace for the first time in the 21st century

Gregorio Marañónpresident of the Teatro Real, and Ana de la Cuevapresident of National Heritage -flanked by Ignacio García Belenguer and Joan Mataboschgeneral and artistic directors, respectively, of the Madrid Coliseum -, presented the event. “The concert goes beyond solidarity,” said Marañón, “it is the expression of a feeling that unites us all with the best vehicle that exists: music.” Tickets, whose prices range between 20 and 98 euros, are located Now on sale on the Teatro Real website; There is also a 0 row for those who cannot attend the concert but want to collaborate with the charitable cause. The Federation of Musical Societies of the Valencian Community It will be the entity to whom the collection will be delivered and the one in charge of channeling this money.

From Barcelona and through videoconference he intervened Vera Martinezone of the members of the Quartet (along with Arnau Tomas, Cristina Cordero and Abel Tomas), which defined ‘The art of escape‘ as an “immensely beautiful architectural cathedral and a very spiritual piece.” It is, Joan Matabosch completed, one of Bach’s last works (it was composed around 1642), which he left unfinished when he died, in 1650; He was then preparing the edition of the score. «There are many open questions -said Joan Matabosch-, starting with the title, which is not known if it is the one that Bach wanted to be definitive. The work is an exciting exercise in sobriety and stripping. It is made up of 14 fugues (the last one was incomplete) and four canons, and the entire structure is based on a “tiny initial chart of eleven notes,” according to critic Luis Gago in the concert program. Among the curiosities of the score, the composer created a topic about his own name: BACH (which, in German notation, corresponds to the notes B flat, A, C and Si). “We will play to close a choir – said Vera Martínez – which for us is ‘a climb to heaven’.”

The violinist, a member of the chamber ensemble since its creation in 1997, pointed out the opportunity to play the Palatine Quartetwhich “is a quartet of instruments” built to be played together, something unusual; There aren’t many luthiers who have done it, and Stradivarius was one of the first. Playing them together creates a truly unique resonance and the combination with Bach’s work, which is based precisely on resonances and harmonies, is absolutely perfect.”

The Palatine Quartet created it Antonio Stradivarius about 1700; It is currently composed of two violins (one large and one small), a viola and a cello. Charles III he acquired it (it was intended as a gift to Philip V) for your child, the future Charles IV. According to Ana de la Cueva, the quartet plays approximately four times a year, to “maintain the balance between the conservation of the instruments and keeping them alive.” The transfer of the quartet to the Teatro Real remains a secret, and it is still unknown when and how it will occur.