Led by its artistic director José María Álvarez Muñoz, the OCUAM performed before a large representation of the university community, arrived at the Biology Building of the Faculty of Sciences.
The opening, with the first movement of the Petite Symphonie by Ch. Gounod - "a worthy representative of the Belle Époque that shows the festive character of Paris at the end of the 19th century, where the classical structure of the work coexists perfectly with the expressive elements (melodies and harmonies) most characteristic of Romanticism", set the tone for a repertoire ideal for the occasion. This was followed by a selection of pieces from Vivaldi's Gloria.
Before performing the second chorus Et in terra pax hominibus, "perhaps the most expressive choral piece of the whole work", the conductor addressed the audience to convey a message of peace, in a time as convulsive as the one we live in, where music contributes to reconciliation. As for the finale:
Vivaldi saved for the end one of the most relevant jewels of his entire musical production. It is a double fugue Cum Sancto spiritu. This chorus is, without doubt, one of the best examples of the purest and most complex Italian counterpoint that Handel assimilated and developed so well, thanks to his youthful stay in Italy", explained the director of the OCUAM.
The concert ended with five original Christmas carols from different parts of the world, with Mario Almorox' piano accompaniment: