The 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will inaugurate the Easter edition with a version of Il Cristo condannato, by Antonio Caldara, composed in 1717 and unpublished in modern times.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.

To get the concerts of The harmonic inspiration by Vivaldi corresponding to the cycle of The Four Seasons That they sound like something new means many things. First, that the Venetian composer's pieces are timeless and allow for many readings and rereadings. And second, that for this to happen, talent, imagination, great technical ability, and a willingness to work are essential. This combination came together in Arnadí's Vísperas, once again under the enthusiastic leadership of Dani Espasa. And also, of course, with the prodigious performance of the soloist, violinist Farran Sylvan James.

Baroque concert (1974), the fascinating novel by Cuban author Alejo Carpentier, is the spark that ignited the imagination of musician David Albet, founder of the ensemble BCN216 and professor at Esmuc. "Four or five years ago, I rediscovered the book in a friend's library. I reread it and felt the urge to create a stage-musical piece, using early music as a pretext, a journey with time jumps from 18th-century Venice to Wagner, Louis Armstrong, and an electronic piece." The spark spread. The first to receive the call was set designer Pol Roig, who happened to be in Venice, the city where Carpentier imagined an encounter between Vivaldi, Handel, and Scarlatti. "I had just visited Vivaldi's Ospedale della Pietà," recalls Roig, marveling at the coincidence. As the idea began to take shape, musician Dani Espasa, director of the ensemble Vísperas de Arnadí, quickly joined the project. "I see myself reflected a lot in the book, and it's full of musical references," Espasa explains.