It will be on October 2 that this symphonic work comes to life with its world premiere in Zaragoza, specifically in a concert at the Mozart Hall of the Zaragoza Auditorium starting at 7:30 p.m. A total of 110 musicians from the Santa Cecilia Classical Orchestra and Aragonese soprano Sabina Puértolas will bring Goya’s life and work to music. They will be led by a figure of recognized prestige, the conductor of the London Philharmonic, Grzegorz Nowak.
The symphony is divided into four movements and lasts 47 minutes. The silences are striking, as the work is filled with them: there are a total of 15,000, as many as Goya heard over 35 years. "When I was asked to create a work of this scale, the first thing I thought about was how I was going to approach Goya’s life and I went to the Prado. That was when my jaw dropped," composer Joan Valent explained with a laugh.
The composer, who has received two Grammy Awards for his work with Montserrat Caballé, said that deafness had been the "common thread" of the work. "I saw Goya’s human side and something about him captivated me, that way the world sounded to someone who painted it but could not hear it. The world of deafness fascinated me. That is when he began creating 'The Caprices,' then 'The Black Paintings,' 'The Disasters...'" he said. In fact, the work begins with a very peculiar sound: tinnitus. That is, the constant sound like a ringing heard by people who, paradoxically, cannot hear. "This reminds us that this world existed and that all of this was happening when he could not hear anything."
"AN ACCESSIBLE WORK"
Conductor Grzegorz Nowak said he had been "perplexed" when he decided to delve into Goya’s life and work in order to lead the orchestra that would perform the symphony. "What I liked most when I heard the piece is that it is an accessible work of art; it is not for scholars or experts, but something everyone can listen to and admire," the conductor said.
Thus, after the concert that will bring it to the public on October 2 (tickets are already on sale), the symphony will travel to Madrid’s National Auditorium on October 5. One day later, on October 6, it will be available to everyone on YouTube, Spotify and digital platforms.
"We are witnessing one of the most important events in Fundación Ibercaja’s 150th anniversary. A world premiere is not something that happens every day, nor is a symphony that did not previously exist, and this is a major cultural event that will take place here. It is beautiful to think that Goya, who lived much of his life in silence, now has music. Music that will endure over time," said Fundación Ibercaja Director General José Luis Rodrigo.
