This festival revolves around Ravel, an artist crossing over the French and Spanish worlds, hence here is a program offering the same combination. It starts with Ravel himself, followed by art songs by three Spanish composers. Part two opens with Carmen, a French opera on a Spanish subject, followed by some French art songs. Then comes some Spanish musical theater, with a well-known dance by Manuel de Falla and two airs from zarzuelas, still quite popular in that country. Lastly, here is one of the most beloved 20th-century Mexican songs, Granada, which enjoyed long-lasting popularity in Italy as well, in Claudio Villa’s vocal rendition.
