The Tenerife Symphony Orchestra are bringing Mendelssohn’s Paulus to the island for the first time, with two performances in very different settings.
The first is an adapted version taking place at La Laguna Cathedral on Thursday, 26th March at 20:00.
Then the full version follows at the Tenerife Auditorium on Friday, 27th March at 19:30.
Same piece… but two completely different experiences.
What to expect
This isn’t light listening.
Paulus is a full-scale oratorio… orchestra, choir, soloists, the lot. It was written when Mendelssohn was just 27 and went on to become one of the most performed choral works in Europe at the time.
It tells the story of Saint Paul, built around his conversion… that turning point moment, with the orchestra and choir driving the whole thing forward.
Víctor Pablo Pérez is conducting, which usually means it’s going to be done properly. He’s described the work as something that moves from balance and clarity into much more intense, almost overwhelming passages.
So yes… not background music.
Two venues, two formats
The cathedral performance is shorter… around 1 hour 10 minutes, no interval. It’s been adapted to suit the space, which will probably make it feel a bit more intimate.
The Auditorium version is the full piece. All 45 sections, split into two parts… the full experience if you want to hear it as it was originally written.
The line-up
They’ve brought in a strong vocal cast:
- Alicia Amo (soprano)
- Rinat Shaham (mezzo-soprano)
- Airam Hernández (tenor)
- Josep-Ramón Olivé (baritone)
Alongside the Tenerife Opera–Intermezzo Choir, directed by Miguel Ángel Arqued.
Worth knowing
The cathedral concert forms part of the run-up to Holy Week and ties into the long-standing collaboration between the orchestra and the Diocese.
For the Auditorium concert, there are also pre-event talks and even a free shuttle bus running from different parts of the island… which saves you the usual parking headache.
Tickets are available through the Tenerife Symphony website or at the Auditorium box office.
Not something everyone will rush to… but if you want to see Tenerife doing something a bit more cultural than the usual, this is one of those nights.