At the Auditori de Palma: Wagner, Colomer and Bruckner — an evening of edges and expanses

Subscription concert again at the Auditori: large forms on a Mallorcan November night

On Thursday, November 20, the Auditori de Palma fills once more with orchestral air: it's time for a subscription concert offering a wide palette with Wagner, a modern piece by Juan J. Colomer and Bruckner's Fourth Symphony. Conductor Pablo Mielgo has also invited the brass ensemble Spanish Brass — a spicy addition that gives the programme extra colour. You notice it right at the entrance: the November air outside is still mild, and inside the hall it smells of programmes and expectant murmurs.

Wagner: direct celebration, grand gestures

The Overture to Die Meistersinger is an audience-winner. It begins with chorale motives and then pushes through mighty brass fields, heading straight to the core without detours. In the interpretation under Mielgo the piece feels pompous but not showy; more like a musical parade with precise stepwork. The trumpets glitter, the horns add warmth beneath. For concertgoers who want to feel something immediately, this is just right: a mix of craftsmanship and pathos that lands directly in the hall.

Colomer — a modern riddle in three parts

Juan J. Colomer's La Devota Lasciva stands for the opposite: a concentrated, edgy piece that does not reveal everything at once. Three sections build tension — probing, breaking open, culminating — and demand attention. Here you have to listen, sometimes close your eyes to catch the subtleties. For Mallorca visitors who might otherwise prefer the gentle sounds of the beach, this is a small risk worth taking: modern language meets orchestral colours, and the brass of Spanish Brass provides pinpoint, luminous accents.

Bruckner: the "Romantic" as a great cathedral

Anton Bruckner's Fourth Symphony rightly carries the subtitle "Romantic": it builds on a large scale, breathes slowly and has that choral depth that evokes sacred spaces. The Andante becomes an inner monologue, the Scherzo rushes forward with hunting figures, and the finale spans a wide arc. Good Bruckner interpretations can shake a hall, and that is exactly what one feels here: moments of almost liturgical calm alternate with powerful waves of sound. Those who linger outside after the concert in the mild night will repeatedly hear discussions about tempi and space — a good sign for the local concert culture.

Spanish Brass as companions bring shine without blinding. The metallic timbre can easily dominate, but on this evening it creates contrasts: it increases brilliance in Wagner, highlights dramatic cuts in Colomer and adds new resonances to Bruckner's chorale motifs. A small intervention that shows great effect.

Practical: Starts around 8:00 p.m., tickets available online and at the box office. The Auditori usually provides a programme booklet in several languages; a quick look inside helps to understand the modern pieces. If you can't get a ticket: there's a repeat performance on Friday in Manacor. And a tip from a regular local: bring a light jacket in November — evenings can get cool, and after the concert people like to stand outside and discuss a clever Scherzo.

I'll be there too — not out of obligation, but because evenings like this are worth it. You meet the usual faces: the elderly lady with the red scarf, the early arrival who claims the central seat, the group that debates bars and tempos long afterwards. Even if it rains outside, the mood stays warm; the Auditori is a place where sound and community come together. See you in the hall.