The Festival Internacional de Música Antigua de Tenerife (Fimante) [Tenerife Early Music International Festival] and the Nova Ars Organorum (NAO) series present the concert “El vademécum de un órgano romántico” [Vade Mecum of a Romantic Organ], to take place tomorrow at Iglesia del Pilar in Santa Cruz de Tenerife at 8:30 pm. Admission is free to enjoy listening to the young Tenerife organist Juan Luis Bardón (La Orotava, 1994).

The Romantic organ at Iglesia del Pilar, built in 1923 by Catalonian organ builder Lope Alberdi, is suitable for a varied repertoire despite its limited number of stops. Bardón will be playing Late Baroque compositions like the transcription Johann Sebastian Bach did of Vivaldi’s concerto grosso, in addition to a Prelude and Fugue by the composer and truly Romantic pieces like those by German Mendelssohn, a great admirer of the Cantor, whom he followed in his musical conceptions of the organ; and the Belgians Cesar Franck and Lemmens as well as the versatile French musician Dubois.

The artistic director of the Nova Ars Organorum series, Rosario Álvarez, revealed that “in these compositions, Romantic expressiveness is represented in different ways, by contrasting pieces and at times, fragments, of intimate, softened sonority with other powerful, grandiose ones which will fill the naves of the church. Belgian and French composers are experts at achieving this as they worked very differently from their contemporary German colleagues”.

Fostered by the Cabildo, through the Area Tenerife 2030 scheme and with the coordination of Auditorio de Tenerife, Fimante + Nova Ars Organorum join the cultural scene to revive repertoires both in traditional and new venues on the island. With the support of Canarian players of period instruments, historic organs reconditioning, the latest interdisciplinary research, and the historical-geographic location, we hope to be keeping and spreading our cultural heritage for future generations.