It wasn’t just another night. It could not even be classified as a concert, it was not a performance to use. It was a work, a perfectly designed gear that was meticulously coupled mixing music, theater, light play, props and a Cloister of the Cathedral of Almería that served as a fortress so that the public did not lose detail of the artistic representation they were witnessing. , Letters to Juliet. Everything, surrounded by the voice and talent of Thomas Vikström, the singer who made the stage, the Cathedral and the feelings of all those present his own with his charisma.
It was a unique suite of songs for string and voice quartet created and recorded by Elvis Costello and the Brodsky Quartet in 1992. A reference musical creation that, as Costello himself describes, “navigates between the classical genre, pop-rock , without becoming a musical ”.
In a unique and genuine format, these pieces combine the expressive force of the masterfully synchronized voice with the challenging and inspiring textures of the string quartet. A literary-sound journey that captured the attention of the public and interpreters, as if they were in a trance produced by some kind of magic spell.
The night continues its course, the moon and the stars closely guarded the Cloister of the Cathedral of Almería, a Temple from which emanated a play of lights perfectly synchronized with the music of a string quartet that also enjoyed the live music that they themselves were performing for a concentrated audience. Applause followed to culminate with the final ovation and the artists’ kneeling before the audience. The Cycle 3 Moons of the City of Almería Orchestra put the final touch on three concerts that have returned to remind us that we cannot, that we do not want, to live without live music.
The OCAL string quartet was born in 2001 together with the Orquesta Ciudad de Almería. The members of the quartet are musicians of recognized prestige trained in institutions of the highest international level such as the Royal Academy of Music, Trinity College of Music, Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía or Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Likewise, its components have extensive artistic experience, having offered numerous concerts in halls of the national and international geography, with a varied and extensive repertoire that ranges from the first quartets of the classical period to contemporary compositions by musicians from the second school of Vienna and current composers.
The string quartet is made up of José Vélez, lead violin; Salvador Esteve, second violin; Clara García, viola and Paloma García, Cello.
Thomas Vikström is a Swedish vocalist best known for working with hard rock and heavy metal bands, including the doom metal bands Candlemass (during their later years, 1991 to 1994) and Stormwind energy metalheads. He is the son of the opera singer Sven-Erik Vikström. He is also a permanent vocalist for the symphonic metal band Therion.
Inspired by his father, Vikström began by playing roles in theatrical productions on the stage of the Folkan, Stockholm theater in 1990. In 1991 he played the lead role in the opera Hoffman adventure in Stockholm. He also played the lead role as Juan in the musical Miss Saigon from late 1997 to December 1998.
Since 2009, he has been a member of Therion. Vikström also played keyboards on Talisman, although he did not release any records with them. In the mid-90s he was part of the Queen coverband Silvia The Queenf Sweden. Since 2011, Thomas Vikström is one of the vocalists of Queen Symphonic Rhapsody, a Spanish show that combines a rock band and a symphony orchestra to play covers of the mythical group Queen. In 2019 he participated in the IV part of Legado de una tragedia, on the song “Y Judas Betrayed the Lord” singing in Spanish.
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