El 24 de novembre de 1969, Duke Ellington va protagonitzar un històric concert de música sacra a Santa Maria del Mar que va ser un crit a la llibertat en ple franquisme, com ens explica el crític de jazz, Jaume Tauler i director del programa ‘Jaz It’.
On November 24, 1969, Duke Ellington starred in a historic sacred music concert in Santa Maria del Mar that was a cry for freedom in the midst of Francoism, as jazz critic Jaume Tauler and director of the program 'Jaz It'.
Una figura clau de la música
A key figure in music
Duke Ellington va visitar Barcelona per primer cop el 25 de gener de 1966 per dos concerts de tarda i nit al Palau de la Música. En aquella ocasió va actuar acompanyat de la cantant Ella Fitzgerald, en el moment més àlgid de la seva carrera. Joan Rosselló, propietari del Jamboree, va ser l’organitzador del concert i fruit de l’èxit va iniciar el Festival de Jazz de Barcelona el 1966.
Duke Ellington visited Barcelona for the first time on January 25, 1966 for two afternoon and evening concerts at the Palau de la Música. On that occasion he performed accompanied by the singer Ella Fitzgerald, at the height of his career. Joan Rosselló, owner of the Jamboree, was the organizer of the concert and, as a result of its success, started the Barcelona Jazz Festival in 1966.
Ellington està considerat un dels compositors de jazz més importants de la història, però també se’l considera un dels compositors de tota mena de música més importants del segle XX. La seva orquestra és responsable d’èxits com In a sentimental mood, Perdido, Caravan o Take the 'A' train, entre moltes d’altres sintonies que s’han fet inoblidables.
Ellington is considered one of the most important jazz composers in history, but he is also considered one of the most important composers of all kinds of music of the 20th century. His orchestra is responsible for hits such as In a sentimental mood, Perdido, Caravan or Take the 'A' train, among many other tunes that have become unforgettable.
Crit de Llibertat a Santa Maria del Mar
L’any 1969, el Festival Internacional de Jazz de Barcelona va arribar a la seva quarta edició. A les tres anteriors, havia portat les figures més grans del moment. Es podia considerar, doncs, un festival consolidat. A l’edició del 69, va recuperar Ellington en dos àmbits diferents: el 23 de novembre, amb un concert al palau on s’interpreten els seus grans èxits; el 24, a Santa Maria del Mar per interpretar els seus concerts sacres. Els concerts sacres eren una oprtunitat per Ellington de mostrar al món la seva religiositat.
Per als assintents al concert, la peça més important era “Freedom”, llibertat. En aquesta peça, diferents cantants de la coral, en aquest cas, la Coral Sant Jordi dirigida per Oriol Martorell, cridaven la paraula llibertat en diferents llengües, entre elles, el català. Quan això va succeir, la resposta del públic va ser entusiasta.
Ellington diu a les seves memòries que al concert de Barcelona el públic es va integrar al gran final de l’obra, es va aixecar de les cadires, va sortir als passadissos i es va posar a ballar. Aquesta reacció va fer que Ellington recordés aquest concert la resta de la seva vida.
In 1969, the Barcelona International Jazz Festival reached its fourth edition. In the previous three, he had brought the biggest figures of the moment. It could therefore be considered a consolidated festival. In the 1969 edition, Ellington was brought back in two different areas: on November 23, with a concert at the palace where his greatest hits were performed; on the 24th, in Santa Maria del Mar to perform his sacred concerts. The sacred concerts were an opportunity for Ellington to show the world his religiosity.
For those attending the concert, the most important piece was "Freedom". In this piece, different singers from the choir, in this case, the Sant Jordi Choir directed by Oriol Martorell, shouted the word freedom in different languages, including Catalan. When this happened, the public response was enthusiastic.
Ellington says in his memoirs that at the Barcelona concert the audience joined the great finale of the work, got up from their chairs, went out into the corridors and began to dance. This reaction made Ellington remember this concert for the rest of his life.
L’any següent, el 1970, Ellington va tornar a Europa i va presentar el seu segon concert sacre a la ciutat francesa d’Orange. Tenia tan bon record del concert de Barcelona, que va tornar a cridar la Coral Sant Jordi.
El novembre de 1973, la vuitena edició del Festival Internacional de Jazz de Barcelona, va tornar a contractar Ellington per interpretar el seu tercer concert sacre. Però el representant d’Ellington va oblidar comunicar-li l’objecte del contracte a l’artista i aquest es va presentar a Barcelona sense ni tan sols la partitura del concert sacre. Ellington, per tant, va haver d’improvisar bona part del concert, que tot i ser un gran concert, no va arribar a l’alçada del de 1969.
The following year, in 1970, Ellington returned to Europe and presented his second sacred concert in the French city of Orange. He had such good memories of the concert in Barcelona, that he called the Sant Jordi Choir again.
In November 1973, the eighth edition of the Barcelona International Jazz Festival, he hired Ellington again to perform his third sacred concert. But Ellington's representative forgot to communicate the purpose of the contract to the artist and he showed up in Barcelona without even the score of the sacred concert. Ellington, therefore, had to improvise a large part of the concert, which, despite being a great concert, did not reach the level of the 1969 one.
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