Mendoza’s Classic Music Festival
Since 2000, Mendoza’s Ministry of Culture has been organizing an international classic music festival during Holy Week. The festival brings talented solo artists and respected orchestras to venues along Mendoza’s wine routes known as “Caminos del Vino.”
Over 50 concerts are played in renowned wineries throughout Lujan de Cuyo and the Uco Valley, as well as outdoor amphitheaters, churches and cultural centers.
This week I enjoyed The National University of Cuyo’s Symphonic Orchestra conducted by Luis Gorelik at the beautiful Teatro Independencia.
My favorite piece was Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks Op. 28 written by German composer Richard Strauss in 1894. Gorelik introduced the work by explaining that the music chronicle’s the misadventures of peasant folk hero Till Eulenspiegel as he rides his horse through the countryside and is subsequently hanged for his taunting pranks. He explained how Strauss’ works were very influential and you could even hear the echoes of Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks in the Looney Tunes cartoon music.
Here’s a short clip of the violin love theme, which represents Till’s attempt to romance women he meets along the way.
