Cristóbal Halffter: Yes, Speak Out, Yes (1968)

Cristóbal Halffter (1930 -2021)
Yes, Speak Out, Yes (UNO-Cantata, 1968),
for soprano, baritone, six speakers, two mixed choirs and orchestra (two conductors)
Text by Norman Corwin
Michael Rippon (baritone)
Catherine Gayer (soprano)
Coro Nacional de España
Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid
Cristóbal Halffter, José Ramón Encinar (conductors)
Recorded live on January 21th, 1985, from the Teatro Real, Madrid
Cover photo: General Assembly hall at the UNO Headquarters, New York

[@9827george]

Descansa en paz, Cristóbal Halffter. This is the music of today, 2021! It gives me a shiver!

[@ritawing1064]

I took part in a performance of this work in the Royal Festival Hall, London, it must have been in the 70's. I found it very moving - still remember parts 40 years later -glad to have found it here.

[@alejov923]

Thanks for sharing your experience. Were you part of the chorus or the orchestra? Do you remember if the orchestra was particularly big?

[@ritawing1064]

@@alejov923 I was in the chorus, the (in those days New) Philharmonia) so it must have been with the New Philharmonia orchestra, so not a chamber adaptation. The Philharmonia Chorus has detailed records of all their performances on a web page, so soloists etc would be there. I think it was conducted by the composer. Cheers!

[@galas062]

thank you!!!

[@itendswithus4360]

Tenso que aprendermelo para unas audiciones de música y lo he nombrado "la cancion que de el mal royo"

[@rebeccamlynarczyk2291]

I am writing a biography of American soprano Irene Jordan, who sang in the premier of this piece at the UN General Assembly on 10 December 1968. Is this that performance and is the soprano, in fact, Irene Jordan? Thanks for your help.

[@alejov923]

+Rebecca Mlynarczyk Hi, Rebecca. As you can see in the description, the soprano featured here is not Irene Jordan but Catherine Gayer. And this performance was recorded in 1985 at Teatro Real in Madrid, 17 years after the New York premiere. Greetings.