APOLLO ENSEMBLE OF BOSTON

Saturday, Aug. 15th, 2026 at 1:00PM

In art, music, and particularly flamenco — the expressive artform from Southern Spain — duende represents a profound, mystical state of heightened emotion, authenticity, and soul. It cannot be manufactured or planned for; it is a visceral force that surges from within, arriving in the right performance, at the right moment. Bookended by two works steeped in the flamenco tradition that gave duende its name, this program promises an afternoon of vibrant, exhilarating, and evocative music-making.

A colorful medley of Andalusian dances, the Intermezzo from Giménez’s zarzuela La Boda de Luis Alonso (“The Wedding of Luis Alonso”) distills the warmth and rhythmic vitality of Andalusian folk tradition into a few intoxicating minutes. Gabriela Lena Frank’s Elegía Andina (“Andean Elegy”) explores the composer’s multicultural roots, drawing on Peruvian folk music, American ragtime, and European galant style. Bizet’s L’Arlésienne, Suite No. 1 (“The Woman from Arles”) takes us on a brief detour to the French countryside, before we return to Southern Spain with selections from Manuel de Falla’s greatest ballet: El sombrero de tres picos (“The Three-Cornered Hat”) — a work crackling with rhythmic intensity, flashes of dark humor, and the irresistible pulse of Andalusian song and dance.

Ticket reservations are not necessary for our outdoor performance in Carlisle. The following day, we’ll take the program to the Roxbury Community College Media Arts Center.