Willibald Guggenmos stars in this matinée playing the keyboards with his feet, hands, and elbows.
The organ concert season at the Auditorio de Tenerife commences with Fuegos artificiales sinfónicos, a recital performed by German organist Willibald Guggenmos. The diverse programme for Sunday (September 14), starting at noon in the Symphonic Hall, features Hans Zimmer’s Interstellar suite and Vogt’s Fantaisie-Orage, a piece demanding the use of elbows along with hands and feet. The tickets for this concert, which is held in collaboration with the ‘Real Academia Canaria de las Bellas Artes San Miguel Arcángel’ (San Miguel Arcángel Royal Canarian Academy of Fine Arts – RACBA), are available at €15, and €5 for under 30s, besides other discount options.
The first large symphonic organs were built in the mid-1800s, chiefly in France and England. The advent of these instruments quickly changed playing techniques, and their installation in public concert halls, where organists played them before the public, thus leading to the emergence of a more visually compelling repertoire. The first acclaimed organists were also trained pianists, which was the best prerequisite for creating music of great virtuosity, as is evident in this programme.
Opening with the Toccata by Eugène Gigout (1844–1925), the programme then presents Fantaisie-Orage by Jacques Vogt (1810–1869), an aria from Bach’s Suite in D major, BWV 1068, and finally Moto Ostinato from Musica Dominicalis by Petr Eben (1929–2007) characterised by its quick manual changes.
Without intermission, the recital moves on to Chorale No. 3 in A minor by César Franck (1822–1890), continues with the Suite Interstellar (Organ Variation and Toccata) by Hans Zimmer (born 1957), and Symphonie de la Passion, op. 20 and Le tumulte au prétoire by Paul de Maleingreau (1887–1956), and will conclude with Symphony No. 6 in B minor, op 59 by Louis Vierne (1870–1937), with its brilliant pedal scales in the finale.
Willibald Guggenmos received his first position as organist in his hometown of Dasing, Bavaria (Germany) at the age of 10. As an organist, Guggenmos has given concerts in nearly all European countries and performed in many venues around the world. Critics have praised the colourful nature of his concert programmes and his ‘excellent technique and captivating musicianship’ (Bernhard Holland, The New York Times). His extensive repertoire is documented in a series of recordings for radio, television and CD on important instruments (including the Goll organ of the collegiate church of Engelberg/Switzerland, St. Gallen Cathedral/Switzerland, the Cavaillé-Coll organ of Azcoitia/Spain, and the legendary William Hill organ of Sydney Town Hall/Australia. At present, he is the artistic director of the International Organ Festival Augsburg (Germany).
The Auditorio de Tenerife’s organ is commemorating its 20th anniversary this year. Built by the renowned master organ builder Albert Blancafort and his team, the organ is a 21st-century instrument unique not only for its design but also for its sound and musical range. The sounds are produced by 3,835 pipes housed in the walls of the emblematic Symphony Hall. The organist controls them from on-stage through the console and the four keyboards that he can play.
The tickets are available on the website www.auditoriodetenerife.com, at the auditorium’s box office or by dialling the phone number 902 317 327 from Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Check the special discounts for students, unemployed people and large families, among others.