Queen Symphony in Las Palmas

I hever heard about Tolga Kashif’s magnum opus, Queen Symphony (2002), until the concert of GCWO earlier this year. And there you go, two months later they’re back to Auditorio Alfredo Kraus together with the Choir and the Children’s Choir of Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria. Timur and I went to see the show. (Tamara excused herself saying that “It won’t be real Queen anyway”.)

As symphonies go, this is on a longer side, about one hour. It is as epic as one would expect, to the degree that at times I wished it was less so. Who Wants To Live Forever appears in three movements. The first time, in the third movement, as a beautiful interplay of violin (Preslav Ganev) and cello (Marisa Roda). It comes back in the fifth movement and lasts, well, forever (or so I thought). Then, when you’d think you’ll never want to hear it again, it is reprised in the final movement.

My favourite parts were the second movement, where pastoral Love Of My Life is rudely interrupted by Another One Bites The Dust and Killer Queen, and the jazzy, quirky fourth movement based on Bicycle Race. Both movements showcase marvellous piano work of Óliver Curbelo and are refreshingly not as serious as the rest of the symphony.

After a standing ovation, they played the most anthem-like encores: We Will Rock You, We Are The Champions, and The Show Must Go On.

Tolga Kashif Queen Symphony Auditorio Alfredo Kraus, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Sunday, 15 April 2018, 12:30 Adagio misterioso — Allegro con brio — Maestoso — Misterioso — Allegro (Radio Ga Ga, The Show Must Go On, One Vision, I Was Born To Love You) Allegretto — Allegro scherzando — Tranquillo (Love Of My Life, Another One Bites The Dust, Killer Queen) Óliver Curbelo: piano Adagio (Who Wants To Live Forever, Save Me) Preslav Ganev: violin Marisa Roda: cello Allegro vivo — Moderato cantabile — Cadenza — A tempo primo (Bicycle Race, Save Me) Óliver Curbelo: piano Andante doloroso — Allegretto — Alla marcia — Moderato risoluto — Pastorale — Maestoso (Bohemian Rhapsody, We Will Rock You, We Are The Champions, Who Wants To Live Forever) Andante sostenuto (We Are The Champions, Bohemian Rhapsody, Who Wants To Live Forever)

Gran Canaria Wind Orchestra Conductor: Luis García Santana Flutes: Elisa Eugenia Guerra Falcón Juan José Cerpa Arencibia Ana Muñoz Bernardeau Oboes: Carlos López Sanahuja Ramón García Déniz David Batres Calleja (cor anglais) Bassoons: Gabriel Domínguez Medina Javier Pérez Jiménez Saxophones: Antonio Campillo Saura Esteban Ponce Quesada Eliseo Bordón García Eduardo Naranjo Afonso Javier García García Clarinets: David Carreiro Morín (concertmaster) Saulo Guerra Marrero Dácil Guerra Guzmán Laksmi Camacho Cano José Luis Ferrando Calatayud Ana Gil Rodríguez Francisco Gómez Mendieta Sharon Brezzo Macarena Ramos Machín Marta Falcón Castellano Pilar Ochoa Muñoz Inmaculada Mendoza Santiago Juan Ramón Sosa Santiago Mónica Jiménez Afonso Sebastián Fernando Angulo Paula González Santana Juan José Ortiz Font (bass clarinet) Diego Díaz Koury (bass clarinet) Trumpets: Juan Antonio Guerrero Ortiz Enrique Zorrilla Soriano José G Benitez Ubai Tamaran Alemán Benítez French horns: Abimael Ojeda Santana Orlando Navarro Morales Ana Ferrero Pérez Gustavo Mendoza Henríquez Hugo Báez Díaz Sonia Ramos Machín Ruben Guerrero Ortiz Trombones: Obed García Martínez Javier Navarro Montesdeoca Jordi Climent Fuentes Euphoniums: Zoraida Hernández Almeida Carlos Santana Domínguez Erik Rodríguez Guerra Tubas: Luis Carlos Jiménez Fálcon Luis Lorente Arencibia Timpani: José Alen Domínguez Percussion: Óscar Santana Trujillo Hugo Hernández Alemán Alejandro Bayo Buj Carlos Santana Rodríguez Carlos Sanchez Castellano Daniel Rivero Arebalo Violin: Preslav Ganev Cellos: Marisa Roda Pujol Leticia Marrero Déniz Odette Machado Lidia Santana Guedes Lucia Benito Ortiz Double basses: Roberto Falcón Rosales Leandro Ojeda Santana Carlos Sebastian Ayala Garrón Gabriel González Jiménez Harp: Mercedes Villarino Ponce Piano: Óliver Curbelo González Keyboards: Moraya Sánchez Mejias Coordination: Rosa María Fey Coro de la Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria Sopranos: Mariola Álamo Cabrera Zoraida Álvarez Hernández Laila Bitar Farah Ana María Caballero Sánchez Elena Cabrera Pérez Pamela Tatiana Cruz Soto Laura González Fidalgo Rita Cristina Hernández Galván Sara León de León Jessica Lorenzo Fleitas Nicole Martín Medina Luz de Luna Mihalic Rodríguez Cristina Pérez Hernández Kenya Ramírez Galindo Nancy Romero Rivero Marta Sánchez Rodríguez Marta Santana Rivero Candelaria Toste-Bello Díaz Tenors: Victor Manuel Batista Falcón Aridane Betancor Castellano Rafael Calero Medina Gabriel Cancio Ramírez Manuel Hernández Arencibia Pedro Hernández López Ivan Hernández Santana Jonathan Jiménez Karar Álvaro Medina Gens Jorge Perera Álvarez Ramón Ramos Quintana Jose Gabriel Rodríguez Álvarez Antonio Trejo Sáenz Ignacio Viguera París Contraltos: Diana Bachkova Elsa Cancio Ramírez Diana Castro López Rosa María Fey Gallego Ana Eugenia Gómez Martínez Fuensanta González Alemán María Lejavova Rafaela María López Díaz Andrea Ojeda Rodríguez Aída Pena Bonilla Irga Rodríguez Rodríguez Yanira Santana Santana Leila María Shan Núñez Agata Szyplinska Laura Beatriz Torres Mata Basses: Nathaniel Alejandro Cabrera Pablo Armas Hormiga Francisco Javier Artiles Peña José Antonio Elias Roldán Juan Faber Esquivel Benigno García García Autelindo Gomes Morais Alejandro Javier Henríquez Suárez Pedro Hernández Santana Francisco José León Castellano Jorge León del Rosario Yapsi Marrero García Julián Padilla Postigo Gustavo Sergio Santana León Pascual Moisés Socorro Santana Coro Infantil de la Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria Isabel Álamo Suárez Estela de Paz Alemán Martín Andrea Almeida Herrera Matilde Antonioli Fátima Armas Martín Carmen Bordes de Armas María Brito Calleja Bentchey Cabrera León Álvaro Cardona Herrera Alfredo Castellano Engó Fayna del Carmen Castillo González Iyalodde de la Cruz Arenas Paula Díaz de Antonio Carlota Díaz Medina Eliza Díaz Rua Camille Doumerc Aurora Fibla Tejadas Rodrigo Fraguela Etchenique Jimena García Lorenzo Famara González Montesdeoca Miriam Granero María José Guarepe Gil Alba Gutiérrez Méndez Rubén Jiménez Ruiz Mina Masters Espino Julia Mesa Rodríguez Inés Navarro Álamo María Jesús Ortega Pulido Yiyuan Perdomo Jiménez Lucía Pérez Padrón Carla Quintana Doña Ingrid Rodríguez Zapatero Elena Sánches Montesdeoca Román Suárez Betancor Irene Suárez Suárez Elías Unamunzaga Henríquez Sara Roisin Viera McGorrin