Quantum Ensemble, Auditorio de Tenerife resident group sets One thousand and One Nights to music with the concert Shéhérazade, which ison at 7:30 pm on Thursday, 21st at Sala de Cámara. The programme offers a stimulating stylistic contrast with pieces by Szymanowski, Ravel and Rimsky Korsakov related to the heroine of this medieval Middle Eastern tale.

The concert features soprano Sarah Fox and six musicians: Alissa Margulis (violin), Francisco García (flute), Cristo Barrios (clarinet), Emil Rovner (cello), Miguel Ituarte (piano) and Gustavo Díaz-Jerez (piano). Barrios and Díaz-Jerez are two of Quantum Ensemble funding members, together with David Ballesteros.

This time pianist Miguel Ituarte will be discussing Shéhérazade an hour before the concert starts at Sala de Cámara. Admission to the talk is free. 

Shéhérazade, the character and narrator of One thousand and one nights has been a source of inspiration for many composers and the origin of many musical adaptations, including the three pieces in this programme. Masques for piano (1915-1916) is one in a series of three compositions by Karol Szymanowski based on literary works; Shéhérezade, which opens the work; Mythes (1915) about Tristan and Isolde and Métopes (1915) on Don Juan.

 Shéhérazade is also the title of two works by Maurice Ravel: an overture which is considered to be his first orchestral composition and a series of songs -also included in this concert- which have become well-liked pieces in the French musician’s repertoire, both in its orchestral and chamber versions. This piece by Ravel is strongly influenced by Russian composers, mainly by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov, whose symphonic poem is particularly relevant. This is no surprise since the Russian composer’s Shéhérezade is probably the best-known musical response to this emblematic literary character.

Quantum Ensemble once again includes a music arrangement -made by Pablo Díaz this time- to offer this great piece by Rimsky-Korsakov in a chamber version. This arrangement closes a concert made up of highly stimulating, contrasting compositions which at the same time are linked together by one of the most fascinating stories in universal literature.

As part of the outreach work of Quantum Ensemble, at 5:30 pm on Wednesday, 20th a session will introduce music to a group of La Casita, in collaboration with “la Caixa” volunteers. This is a Barcelona-based project which is managed in Tenerife through a programme of Hermanas Oblatas La Casita, which offers help and training to women related to prostitution and/or victims of sexual exploitation dealings.

Also, on Friday, 22nd as part of their training, clarinettist Cristo Barrios is giving a Performance class for students of Conservatorio Profesional and Conservatorio Superior de Música de Santa Cruz de Tenerife, which collaborate in this activity.

Tickets for the concert can be booked via the usual channels of Auditorio de Tenerife: at the box office from 10:00 am to 7:30 pm, Monday to Saturday, on www.auditoriodetenerife.com  here or calling 902 317 327.

The QB subscription is also available on Auditorio’s website and at the box office. It offers an additional 15% discount on the standard ticket price for Quantum Ensemble and Orquesta Barroca de Tenerife concerts in the present season.