Echegoyen Bisiers, Teodoro Apolonio (1875-1905)

Teodoro Echegoyen (Peralta, 1875 – Tarragona, 1905), navarrese composer of the late Romanticism, was an important author, although almost unknown in Navarre today. This lack of recognition is due, in part, to the fact that he developed his career in Catalonia (in Tarragona, Barcelona, ​​and Olot), and also to the fact that he died at the young age of 30.

He was introduced to the fundamentals of musical composition during his time at the Conciliar Seminary of Pamplona. In 1897, he was appointed choirmaster of the Calahorra Cathedral, a position he held until 1903. That same year, he moved to Tarragona, where he was appointed choirmaster of the city's cathedral, a position he held until the end of his life.

Echegoyen's musical collection consists of 218 works preserved in the Garrotxa Regional Archive, in Olot. It primarily consists of sacred music written for religious services in the various places where he worked.

The score Misa Grande, a project of the Navarrese Sound Archive 2025, was rediscovered by David Echeverría Irigaray, manager of the Coral de Cámara de Pamplona, an institution that actively collaborates with the Navarrese Sound Archive program. The work was found in the Garrotxa Regional Archive, in Olot, where it is believed to have arrived via a clergyman friend of Echegoyen's who, after the latter's death, took his entire archive with him. The work was subsequently transcribed and, in some cases, reconstructed from other materials and notes by the composer himself, which has allowed this recording to be made for its dissemination and promotion.

Recording date

June 12 and 13, 2024.

Performers

Orquesta Sinfónica de Navarra

The current Navarre Symphony Orchestra was founded by Pablo Sarasate in 1879, which makes it the oldest active orchestral group in Spain. At present, it is part of the Baluarte Foundation, an institution financed mainly by the Government of Navarre. As such, it is the official orchestra of the Autonomous Community. In its almost one hundred and fifty years of existence, the Pablo Sarasate Symphony Orchestra has performed in the main auditoriums, opera seasons and festivals, both in Spain and abroad. On several occasions its performances have proven to be particularly relevant at the Théâtre des Champs Elysées and the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, as well as other important European auditoriums in the concert tour organised by the Universal Music label. As the preferred orchestra of composer and violinist Pablo Sarasate, its recording of the entire work of this Navarrese composer for Naxos, with violinist Tianwa Yang, has been unanimously praised by international critics. Also with this label, the Navarre Symphony Orchestra undertook a recording project with the Polish conductor Antoni Wit, the principal conductor until the 2017-2018 season. The Navarre Symphony Orchestra presents an annual season of concerts to the public of Navarre in the cities of Pamplona and Tudela, in the Baluarte Auditorium and in the Gaztambide Theater, respectively. It also organises significant social and educational activities throughout the Autonomous Community.

Coral de Cámara de Pamplona

The institution was founded by maestro Luis Morondo in 1946 with the aim of working on music from the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. However, it ended up expanding its repertoire to all genres of vocal music, with a special place for contemporary composers. It has participated in many festivals such as the International Festival of Music and Dance of Granada, the Graz International Festival, the San Sebastián Music Fortnight, the Vienna International Festival and the Hispano-American Choral Music Cycle in Havana. It has published more than a hundred albums with labels such as Lumen, Telefunken, Columbia, Philips, Westminster, Movieplay, ARSIS and RTVE. It has performed on stages such as the Concert Hall in New York, the Konzerthaus in Vienna, the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, the Gran Teatro in Havana, the Sodre Theater in Montevideo and the Teatro della Pergola in Florence. It is sponsored by the Government of Navarre, the Ministry of Culture, the INAEM and the Pamplona City Council, with the additional collaboration of Diario de Navarra and the Caja Navarra Foundation. The Choir was awarded the Gold Medal for Merit at Work in 2005 and the Prince of Viana Prize in 2018.

David Gálvez Pintado

Director

He was born in Valencia, where he finished his higher studies in music theory, piano, choir conducting and composition. Later, he transferred to the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest where he specialised in Choir Conducting, Orchestra and Composition. He has participated in opera productions and symphonic concerts alongside prestigious performers and groups. He has been a judge in competitions and symposia, and has participated in conferences around the world. As a composer, his works have been performed in the finest concert halls, such as Carnegie Hall in New York, the Chicago People's Music School, the Salón Grande of the San Marcos Cultural Centre in Lima, the National Theatre of Panama, the Music Palace of Valencia and the Palau de Les Arts Reina Sofía, among others. He has received important awards such as the National Forum of Hungarian Musicians and the Catalonia Choral Composition Prize in 2006. He is the artistic and musical director of the Coral de Cámara de Pamplona, and has fulfilled the same roles for the Young Orchestra and the Choir of Central America (JOCCA) since its foundation in 2008.

Soloists

Marta Huarte, soprano

Ana Olaso, mezzo-soprano

David Echeverría, tenor

José Antonio Hoyos, baritone

Ignacio Fernández, bass

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