Well, unfortunately, Guernica was not on display at the Reina Sofia. We are crushed, but the Flamenco show we went to tonight, Zambra 5.1, made up for it. We happen to be visiting Madrid during the 26th annual Flamenco Festival. That's good because I may be getting my fill of paintings and sculpture, not sure, but today I seemed to hit overload and went home after lunch to read. Sharon went back to the Sofia and saw some pieces she liked, mostly moderns and sculptures. One wonderful side bonus of the Sofia was an exhibit featuring Flamenco art and film. We got a taste of the Flamenco tradition before our theater show. An item that caught my eye was a few 1932 reviews of the Flamenco dancer, Vicente Escudero. He did a tour of the major US cities in that year to rave reviews. Here's what the New York Times wrote about his performance to a sold-out crowd in the city.
His dancing is a thing of amazing skill. There is an electric energy to it that transforms his body from the motionlessness of stone in an instant to a veritable dynamo of nervous activity...he moves with the easy grace of a fine animal, his chest held high and his feet picking their way with the daintiness of a cat...
Leave it to the New York Times to capture the artistic moment on paper, even the newspaper. The show we saw tonight featured two exceptional flamenco guitarists, a singer with an incredible tenor voice and a female dancer. We had a great evening, loving the music and the dancing...so much energy in the theater. We're back in the apartment, eating our evening meal and planning our day tomorrow to the palace.
If you're into Flamenco music at all, check out Zambra 5.1. The guitar music in particular is stunning.
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