Maghek: Seven Symphonic Poems about the Canary Islands Royal Scottish National Orchestra & Eduardo Portal

• Gustavo Diaz-Jerez (b. 1970):
• 1 Ymarxa (Tenerife) (For Orchestra) 19:27
• 2 Ayssuragan (La Palma) (Symphonic Poem for Clarinet and Orchestra) 23:44
• 3 Guanapay (Lanzarote) (Symphonic Poem for Piano and Orchestra) 26:24
• 4 Chigaday (La Gomera) (For Orchestra) 19:02
• 5 Azaenegue (Gran Canaria) (For Orchestra) 22:14
• 6 Erbane (Fuerteventura) (For Orchestra) 15:05
• 7 Aranfaybo (El Hierro) (For Orchestra) 11:46
• Total Runtime 02:17:42

Info for Maghek: Seven Symphonic Poems about the Canary Islands

Gustavo Díaz-Jerez is one of the leading composers and pianists in Spain. His compositional output spans all genres, from solo works to opera. His works have been premiered by prestigious ensembles and orchestras. His orchestral work Ymarxa, commissioned by the XXVII Canary Islands Music Festival, was premiered by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Charles Dutoit. In 2018, his first opera was premiered, La casa imaginaria.

This album represents the culmination of more than ten years of compositional work. A unique endeavour in the history of music in the Canary Islands, it comprises seven symphonic poems - almost two and a half hours of music - which evoke the landscapes and natural beauty of the Canaries. The cycle takes its name, Maghek (‘the one who creates brightness’), from the sungoddess of the Guanches, the aboriginal inhabitants of the Canary Islands. Each piece is inspired by a specific locale on a different island; some resurrect forgotten stories. Naturalistic tonal painting (the sea, the wind, the rugged scenery) is a constant feature throughout the cycle.

Cristo Barrios, clarinet
Ricardo Descalzo, piano
Royal National Scottish Orchestra
Eduardo Portal, conductor

Eduardo Portal
Conductor and European Young Leader Eduardo Portal made his debut with the London Philharmonic Orchestra in 2011 at the Royal Festival Hall. During the following years he conducted more than twenty performances with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Since then, a great number of international orchestras have invited him, including the Philharmonia, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the Hallé, Scottish, Swedish and Vienna Chamber Orchestras, Munich Symphony Orchestra, Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia Symphony Orchestras, Strasbourg Philharmonic, Staatskapelle Weimar, WDR Radio orchestra in Cologne and Sao Paulo Estate Symphony Orchestra, among many others.

His performances with Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Pierre Laurent Aimard, Baiba Skride and Javier Perianes have highlighted recent seasons, together with his concerts at the Berlin Philharmonie, Royal Albert Hall in London, Palau de la Música in Barcelona and Sala Sao Paulo in Brazil. Eduardo has conducted the majority of orchestras of his home country Spain, as well as the Auckland Philharmonia in New Zealand, Colombian National Symphony, Lausanne Chamber Orchestra in Switzerland, Staatsorchester Heidelberg, Mainz and Frankfurt, Royal Northern Sinfonia and others.

His nomination last year as European Young Leader enables him to join his fellow European, American and middle East leaders from a broad spectrum of industries, and participate in events, talks and discussions of relevant matters affecting societies throughout the world. Personalities that attend those meetings include prime ministers and heads of state from EU countries, ministers and members of the European Parliament, CEO's, founders of prominent organisations, activists, researchers, analysts, and others.

Eduardo has just recorded a double CD which includes the first recording of the orchestral cycle Maghek by Gustavo Díaz-Jerez. The orchestra involved will be the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the project has been possible thanks to a Leonardo grant awarded to Eduardo by BBVA foundation. The recording will be released in February 2020. Other CD recordings include a recent release of Roderick Williams’s Three songs of Ethiopian Boy, with the Chineke! Orchestra.

Past seasons have seen Eduardo Portal work at Glyndebourne and Dartington Opera Festivals, Opera Rara in London, Opera North, Teatro Real in Madrid, Opus Lírica and Royal Northern College of Music Opera.

Eduardo graduated as a Humboldt Scholar and as a La Caixa Scholar from the University of the Arts Berlin and the Royal Academy of Music in London, and as a Junior Fellow at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. He gained further experience through collaboration with Vladimir Jurowski, Sir Simon Rattle, Ivan Fischer, Maurizio Benini and Sir Mark Elder with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. He is fluent in English, German and Spanish, and has a knowledge of French and Italian.

Eduardo is particularly committed to contemporary repertoire and is the founder of Antares Ensemble in Spain, whose focus is on the performance of new music and research into its links with historical and rarely performed masterpieces.

This album contains no booklet.