L.A. Phil’s Spanish Program Becomes a Dance of Sound

It was a luxury evening Friday at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, one that people will recount to their friends, children and grandchildren and anyone else who had the misfortune not to attend.

The mighty Los Angeles Philharmonic, led by associate conductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya, played a program of Spanish music, and played it marvelously.

Peruvian guitarist Jorge Caballero was a dazzling, magical soloist in Rodrigo’s “Concierto de Aranjuez.” His playing in the slow movement was the stuff of gossamer lightness, evoking vanished historical glories in phrasing almost more breathed than heard. (So too was the musicality of English horn player Carolyn Hove.)

In the outer movements, Caballero, who is in his early 20s, was amazing in his virtuosic ease.

Harth-Bedoya presided over this and music by Chapi, Barbieri, Luna, Penella, Granados, Sarasate and Falla with crisp, energetic, insightful and vivifying leadership, as well as introducing each of the works with endearing remarks.

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But if anything could steal the limelight from the musicians--and not much could--it was the six dancers associated with the Ballet Nacional de Espan~a--especially Lola Greco and Francisco Velasco--who in solos, duets and ensembles set the stage ablaze.

Greco, who left the company in 1998, combines astonishingly strong and pliant dance technique--sinuous arms, stretched back, intricate footwork--with intense, dramatic communication.

Her La Maja solo from Granados’ “Goyescas” created a complex characterization, a woman passing through stages of strength, vulnerability, suffering and surrender. She was riveting.

Greco is a consummate actor as well as dancer, but in a different way, so is Velasco.

In a Zapateado showpiece set to music of Sarasate, it was not only by his virtuosic footwork, but also by his utterly unblurred clarity of movement, his stunning plumb-line accurate spins and turns, that he transformed his body into a dramatic, singing instrument.

The long-limbed, handsome Nieves Roche Noguera made the “Danza del fuego” from Luna’s “Benamor” a complex scene of longing and loss.

Jose Porcel danced the parody Pasodoble from Penella’s “El gato montes” with hyper elan, the audience--previously encouraged by the conductor--cheering each passing sweep of his cape.

Esther Montoro and Alvaro Lopez-Galiacho launched the dance sequences with their sunny, flirtatious account of “Cancion de Paloma” from Barbieri’s “El barberillo de Lavapies.”

All six, along with a dozen capable students from the Pasadena Civic Ballet Center, returned after intermission to dance Hector Zaraspe’s choreography for Falla’s “El amor brujo.” Mezzo-soprano Milagro Vargas sang the solos with throaty expressivity.

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Here again, superb dance technique served to heighten dramatic and psychological purpose, the story line of a woman exorcising either a real or an imagined past obstacle to new love. Greco and Velasco were hot and magnetic.

The program was presented in collaboration with the Eugene (Ore.) Symphony, where Harth-Bedoya is music director.

Two encores: Spanish Dance No. 1 from Falla’s “La vida breve,” and a spectacular finish with the six principal dancers in the Intermezzo from Gimenez’ “La boda de Luis Alonso.”

It was easy to lose track of how many curtain calls the audience--rightfully--demanded.