Full house in the Paris Philharmonie, France

Concierto Al-Andalus with master Alexandre Bloch and the Lille Nacional Orchestra
Photo: © Ugo Ponte / ONL

The concert in the Paris Philharmonie followed the two concerts in Lille, a city in northern France, near the Belgian frontier.

The concert has been sold out for two months, and you could feel the expectation. The enthusiasm of the audience was hard to believe, and it is difficult to describe.

View from the top floor
Photo: © Ugo Ponte / ONL

This concert hall is very different to the rest. For one, the plan is asymmetric, forming beautiful curves that are also behind the magnificent acoustics. Another important feature is that the seats are located around the 360º stage; as a result, the furthest seats from the stage are in fact a lot closer to it than in conventional theatres of a comparable size. This, I think, helps the audience to enjoy the concert in the best possible conditions, both acoustically and visually.

The day on the concert, in addition to the usual 2400 seats, a number of additional seats were made available to reach a total of 2500 seats. The ovation and bravos of the audience were truly overwhelming.

Cañizares playing El Abismo (Bulerías) as a bis
Photo: © Ugo Ponte / ONL

Like the first day, the performers played El Abismo (Bulerías), by Cañizares, as a bis. At that moment, I discovered the surprise that master Bloch had prepared with Cañizares, Angel and Charo: master Bloch joined in with the flamenco clapping!

Master Bloch later told us that, when he heard Cañizares playing El Abismo on the first day, he felt the incontrollable need to participate actively in it!

A moment of the rehearsals and master Bloch’s intensive course on flamenco clapping
Photo: © Ugo Ponte / ONL

This was master Bloch’s first attempt at flamenco clapping. In the dressing room, Angel and Charo told him the basics of the art, so he could accompany Cañizares during his performance.

Cañizares is a consummated master in explaining flamenco’s musical structures and technical terms. This is a quick and efficient way to communicate with experts in other musical genres, and acquaint them with the secrets of flamenco.

They had a great time in the dressing room. The chemistry was great, which had a positive effect in the performance of Concierto Al-Andalus. The second performance was much better than the first, and the third was better still.

At the end of the concert
Photo: © Ugo Ponte / ONL

The feeling with the musicians in the orchestra was also great. The way the musicians looked at Cañizares was something to behold, as the photograph illustrates. These 3 concerts with the Lille National Orchestra and Master Alexander Bloch have been a wonderful experience.