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Zafraan Ensemble Reinterprets Spanish Music

September 22nd, 2014
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News from Berlin – The meaning of Palimpsesto can be found in the Ancient Greek language. The manuscripts that were scraped or washed off and can be rewritten are Palimpsestos. Nevertheless, Palimpsesto is the new album by Zafraan Ensemble: five new recordings of pieces by contemporary Spanish composers – Hèctor Parra, Elena Mendoza, Alberto Posadas and Juan María Cué – as well as a renaissance piece by Luis de Narváez in a new arrangement by Miguel Pérez Iñesta.

Last Friday, the album was presented in the auditorium of the Spanish Embassy. However, the special aspect of this launch is that the music comes along with other forms of art: poetry, paintings, and videos. This is related to the multi-faceted nature of the group that has made a name for itself through innovative concert productions. On this occasion, the Zafraan Ensemble, under the direction of Manuel Nawri, probes the work of these Spanish avant-garde composers.

As mentioned above, there are more elements accompanying the music: among them, five poems, including a new creation by the Spanish poet José Antonio Rodríguez Alva; a booklet in three languages with an essay by Janis El-Bira; a music video by Martin W. Maier to Ciel Rouillé by Hèctor Parra; and also a documentary film as well as interviews featuring all artists involved. Furthermore, the five art objects by painter Luis Ángel Prestell, created in reference to the five compositions, serve as a starting point for the design by Fabian Lefelmann, according to the information provided in the web page of the group.

News from Berlin – Berlin Global