Presentation of number 13 in the Basque Composers Collection, dedicated to Valentín de Zubiaurre

The Basque Composers Collection dedicates its volume number 13 to the composer from Bizkaia, Valentín de Zubiaurre (Garai, 1837-1914). Zubaiurre held the most outstanding musical positions of his time. In 1873, he was named Academician of San Fernando, in addition to being the first musician to receive a bursary of merit from the Spanish Academy of Fine Arts in Rome. Moreover considered to be one of the principal promoters of creation of the Spanish opera, he was one of the few non-Italian composers to have two of his operas staged at the Teatro Real.

This CD includes the preludes for the operas Don Fernando el Emplazado (a lyrical tragedy in three acts), and Ledia (a lyrical drama in three acts), plus the Symphony in E and Ecos de Oiz (Melody for cello with orchestra accompaniment), Zubiaurre's only composition for soloist and orchestra. The libretto includes the notes to the works written by the musicologist Patricia Sojo, author of a doctoral thesis on Zubiaurre's work.

The maestro Juan José Ocón, a regular collaborator with the Orchestra, participates in this Collection for the first time. The same applies to the cellist Roman Jablonski, who features as a soloist on the recording of Ecos de Oiz.

Valentín de Zubiaurre is the latest name in a collection already featuring Beltrán Pagola, Luis de Pablo, Juan Crisóstomo de Arriaga, Aita Madina, Tomás Garbizu, Aita Donostia, Pablo Sorozábal, Francisco Escudero, Andrés Isasi, Jesús Arámbarri, José Mª Usandizaga and Jesús Guridi. The two coming monographic editions in the Collection will be dedicated to the work of Pedro Sanjuán and Carmelo Bernaola.

All of the CDs in this collection end with a statement of our gratitude to the Basque Government Department of Culture, principal promoter of this Basque music project, and to the MONDRAGON Group, firmly committed to extending the Orchestra's CD collection with this compilation which has now become a reference in the field of sound files.