The program opens with Danzas fantásticas by Joaquin Turina, one of the least performed Spanish composers. A pictographic work in three movements, inspired by the novel La orgía by Spanish writer José Más, brings the characteristic melodies and rhythms of Spanish dances, showing the composer’s mastery over the orchestral medium. Then come the picturesque Nights in the Gardens of Spain, a set of nocturnes for piano and orchestra by Manuel de Falla, who felt that Debussy’s Iberia – the next work on our program – was one of the best images of his native Spain, in which the author used only basic elements of popular music instead of the usual approach of using folk songs. For Debussy, the musical thoughts of Spain were based on pure imagination, if we keep in mind that the composer spent only a few hours in the country he chose to turn into music. The concert closes with a masterpiece by Maurice Ravel – his famous Spanish Rhapsody.