Dani Espasa: "The quality of Catalan Baroque musicians is greater than we can imagine"

GironaThe pianist, harpsichordist, and conductor Dani Espasa (la Canonja, 1974) is one of the most knowledgeable and prolific musicians in Catalonia. In 2005 he founded the Vespres d’Arnadí orchestra, a group of top-level musicians dedicated to the performance of Baroque pieces with historical instruments and criteria, which performs continuously in theaters and auditoriums in our region. In recent years, the ensemble has undertaken a huge task of unearthing lost works of ancient music, some by Catalan composers, such as Domènec Tarradellas and Carles Baguer. They are now the resident ensemble of the Peralada Festival, and this Maundy Thursday, April 2, they will inaugurate the Easter edition with a version of Il Cristo condannato, by Antonio Caldara, composed in 1717 and unpublished in modern times. The work will be revived in the church of El Carme under Espasa's direction, with Montserrat Seró and Josep-Ramon Olivé among the soloists, and the participation of the Cor Francesc Valls.

Why have you decided to perform this 18th-century oratorio, previously unknown, at Peralada?

— Certainly, since it premiered it has never been performed again, but the manuscript is easy to find, because Caldara's Viennese oratorios are in the Vienna library and a large part of the archive is digitized. Of course, there is only one recording of the initial symphony, an overture, but I think that overall it has undeniable quality and a series of truly inspired arias.

How would you describe the piece musically?

— Caldara follows the standard of Italian oratorios: a work in two parts, with five soloists, a choir, and a string orchestra with organ or harpsichord. In this oratorio, real characters appear related to Christ's moment before the Pharisees, and the choir represents the people, with furious interventions demanding Pontius Pilate release the condemned Barabbas. Furthermore, Caldara is an author whom with Vespers of Arnadí we have often performed because he is very closely linked to early 18th-century Barcelona music. When Archduke Charles held court in Barcelona, between 1708 and 1710, he imported musicians, including Caldara, who left an important mark, and during this period Italian opera was introduced to the Iberian Peninsula.

Since the Easter edition was born four years ago, in each edition Vespres d'Arnadí has recovered some baroque piece, by authors such as Scarlatti, Hasse or Traetta. Does it respond to an explicit request from the festival?

— Yes. The idea is to offer similar repertoire each year, with some interesting novelty that can capture international attention. I think it is important because there is a large number of very high-quality musicians who have never had the weight of figures like Bach, Händel or Vivaldi, but it is worth seeing the light. Step by step it is confirmed that there are still hidden beauties to rescue. With Vespres, the idea is to combine these recoveries with the great repertoire, maintaining a balance.

Recovery also of Catalan authors, like Domènec Terradelles, with Giuseppe riconosciuto,and Carles Baguer, with El regreso del hijo pródigo, which have just been released on CD.

— The result has been magnificent and shows that the quality of the musicians from here is greater than we can sometimes imagine. I believe Tarradellas' album will impress with the quality of the performance, the singers, and the sound. It could be a historical document. The same applies to the album dedicated to Baguer, because hardly anything had been done about his oratorios and they are of absolutely fantastic quality. Furthermore, it may encourage further investigation into the world of the Barcelona oratorio, which produced a lot of music, as it is known that in Barcelona more than fifty oratorios were offered each year, many composed specifically. It is an almost inexhaustible world of music that is yet to be rediscovered.

Can Baroque music interest today's neophyte audience, even if they do not agree with the religious theme of sacred pieces?

— Very much so. With the new orchestras and musicians that have emerged in recent years, there is a search for contrast, colors, and energy. In Caldara's oratorio, there are very notable contrasts: interventions by the choir with great power, arias for each character with their own instrumentation, and a great variety. We try to take care of all the details and colors, as if it were a painting with different brushstrokes. It is very exciting to see the reaction of someone who does not know this style and feels that something different has happened on stage.

The musicians of Vespres d'Arnadí are extremely well-regarded in the sector, having performed with orchestras of masters such as René Jacobs or William Christie throughout Europe.

— Yes, it is quite common in the world of ancient music for many musicians to play in different groups, because we do not have the stability of a symphony orchestra. Many of the Vespres musicians play all over the world and great conductors call them, which demonstrates their quality, but we always try to maintain a stable base to consolidate the orchestra's sound and relationships.