On September 19, 2014, the Zafraan Ensemble will present its debut release “Palimpsesto” at the Spanish Embassy in Berlin, which will be released as a CD-DVD edition on the Testklang label, distributed by Harmonia Mundi.
“Palimpsesto” includes five outstanding new recordings of works by contemporary Spanish composers Hèctor Parra, Elena Mendoza, Alberto Posadas and Juan María Cué, as well as a Renaissance piece by Luis de Narváez in a new arrangement by Miguel Pérez Iñesta. The album title of “Palimpsesto” is derived from the ancient and medieval context of the word, which refers to the shimmering through of old, erased text levels on a rewritten parchment. Similarly, the Zafraan Ensemble, led by Manuel Nawri, examines the works of the Spanish avant-gardists for the influences of their tradition and opens up an excitingly complex sound world with superior virtuosity.
Other components of “Palimpsesto” are five poems, including a new creation by the Spanish poet José Antonio Rodríguez Alva, a trilingual booklet with an essay by Janis El-Bira, a music video by Martin W. Maier for Hèctor Parra’s Ciel Rouillé as well as a film documentary and Interviews with all participants. The five art objects by the painter Luis Ángel Prestell, which were created based on the five pieces of music, serve as the source material for Fabian Lefelmann’s design.
Featuring: Zafraan Ensemble / Manuel Nawri (conductor) / Luis Ángel Prestell (painter) / Martin W. Maier (filmmaker) / Barkas & Hishi Karo (actors) / Elena Mendoza (composer) / Janis El-Bira (cultural scientist) / Marc Tritschler (Label Manager) / Miguel Pérez Iñesta, Clemens Hund-Göschel, Sebastian Solte (Moderation)
The presentation event followed by a reception in the auditorium of the Spanish Embassy Berlin begins at 7 p.m. Admission is free, but registration must be made via email (at) zafraan-ensemble.com by September 18, 2014 at the latest (access only after confirmation).
