Alcazar

The word "Alcázar" is of Arab origin and means "castle" or "fortress". It refers to a period in the history of Spain that is often overlooked: With the expansion of Islam, the Moors invaded southern Spain from the 8th century onwards. Soon their culture became independent, flourished and was then the European leader. Even today, their top architectural achievements are breathtaking and rightly belong to the world cultural heritage. These are the Alhambra in Granada, the Great Mosque in Córdoba and the Royal Alcázar (Palace) in Seville. The play of the Moorish master builders with the water is unrivalled to this day and the incomparable mosaics of their buildings are still fascinating. It was not until the 15th century that Granada became the last Moorish kingdom on Spanish soil to fall during the so-called "Reconquista", the reconquest of the country by the Spanish.

The overture "Alcázar" is unmistakably influenced by this Spanish flair and this should come as no surprise, because the composer had the essential inspiration for this work during a visit to Seville, the capital of Andalusia on the Guadalquivir River. The romantic middle part goes back to a walk in the palace garden on a starry night. At noon, however, the composer visited the district of Santa Cruz, where the story of the world-famous "Barber of Seville" is located. Here he was thrilled by a young Spaniard, whom he met playing the guitar under a lemon tree. In the fast passages of the overture, the composer has therefore captured the flamenco, the pounding with the hooks and the sound of the castanets, and the chords he chooses are based on the barre-riffs of the guitar. A work full of Andalusian joie de vivre.