Wednesday, October 8, 2008

To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, the education-driven ensemble Suite Hispania combined flamenco, traditional song, poetry, classical music and classical dance at George Washington University's Jack Morton Auditorium on Saturday night. The performance offered as many lessons in artistic chemistry and planning as in Spain's musical culture.

Wearing long, sleek gowns, flamenco dancer Anna Menéndez barely traveled from center stage, never losing her perfect, statuesque alignment as she executed sharp spins and explosions of rapid-fire footwork.

Her whole body moved as vigorously as guitarist Salva de María's fingers as he imbued each single, repeated chord with startling intensity.

Whether executing a series of strict, 12-beat alegrias or portraying the words of Federico García Lorca, the duo's contained, concentrated energy and complete synchronicity were breathtaking.

Connections such as the one between Menéndez and de María, however, were rare in this otherwise uneven, disjunct program. In trying to create a comprehensive cultural overview, Suite Hispania came up with an arc-free spread, grouped under the abstract title "Espejos," or "Mirrors."

There was no continuity, for example, between Joaquin Turina's virtuosic "Cantares" -- performed by tenor Israel Lozano, pianist Ignacio Prego and percussionist Behzad Habibzai -- and Spanish classical dancer Lupe Gómez's costumed rendition of "Chanson Bohème" from Bizet's "Carmen," performed to a recording.

No performer was without talent. But particularly in Lozano's case, the lack of a clear group identity and purpose was unsettling. Lozano seemed not to know whether to act as a singer in a band or a recitalist with a music stand. The former is a better choice for effusive delivery and his very pretty but uncontrolled tenor.

-- Ronni J. Reich