This commission from Bilbao Musika was, as the composer admits, received with great enthusiasm. The piece was originally conceived to be conducted by José Rafael Pascual Vilaplana, who was the band's principal conductor until last year and always showed a keen interest in creating new repertoire for the Bilbao Band.
Gabriel Erkoreka (Bilbao, 1969) is one of the most prestigious contemporary musical creators of the moment. Since completing his postgraduate studies in composition in London, he has been continuously creating, a task he combines with his teaching profession at Musikene since the opening of the Higher Music Center of the Basque Country. His works have been performed by orchestras worldwide, but this marks his first composition for a music band.
“"It's a challenge; I know the instruments within the Band well, but the balances are very different from those of an orchestra."
Erkoreka describes Arenal as an eclectic work that, in some way, alludes to the different facets of its title. It refers to the area of El Arenal, but also to the sandy beach itself, as he wanted to reflect his continuous interest in nature through a superposition of layers of different musical materials in extreme registers, from tuba to piccolo, which, like sediments, refer to abstract elements such as granulation and undulating formations, constantly changing at the mercy of wind and tides, where sand is present as a transformative element.
Furthermore, his most recent creation also views El Arenal as a quintessential meeting place for Bilbao residents. It makes a veiled reference to classical music, the Arriaga Theatre, popular music, and the kiosk, embracing the idea of bustle and celebration. Consequently, at certain moments, the work becomes more festive, including processional marches and even, without revealing too much, a reinterpretation of one of the most deeply rooted musical traditions that occurs in early February.
The concert will also feature the Portuguese tubist Sérgio Carolino as a soloist, in collaboration with students from Musikene. Among his most immediate projects is the premiere with the Royal Philharmonic of Galicia of his work Alalá, under the direction of Paul Daniel, described as “a kind of ancestral Galician chant.” This event will take place on April 22 in Vigo and a day later in Santiago de Compostela.
