ENCUENTROS

oboe and bassoon (2021)

This piece was commissioned by the International Double Reed Society in 2021,
when Daniel Cueto won the IDRS’s 1st Annual Commissioning Competition.

Details

Duration: 9 minutes (total), though individual movements may be performed separately (ca. 2 minutes each).

Movements:

• I. Prólogo

• II. Figuritas de Wayno (con Theodoro Valcárcel)

• III. Pregón del Amauta (con Enrique Iturriaga)

• IV. Pequeña Aria (con Bernardo Alcedo)

• V. Yaraví Místico (con Celso Garrido-Lecca)

• VI. Marinera de Cámara (con Rosa Mercedes-Ayarza)

Premiere:

• July 26, 2021, at the 50th Anniversary Conference of the IDRS

• Premiered by Xiaodi Liu (oboe) and Conrad Cornelison (bassoon)

Program Note

“Encuentros” was commissioned by the International Double Reed Society in 2021. The work consists of several short movements, each one inspired by the music of a different Peruvian composer. My intention here is to “put myself in the shoes” of these creators, hoping to understand what we have in common, what I can learn from them, and how I can honor their legacy in my work as a Peruvian composer of the 21st century.

Often called an “indigenist” composer, Theodoro Valcárcel (1902 – 1942) wrote beautifully expressive music that draws heavily on the rich traditions of Andean folklore. My “Figuritas de Wayno” is loosely based on a passage from his “Chillin Ut’haja” (part of “Cuatro Canciones Incaicas”). I borrow the idea of interlocking rhythmic motives used at the outset of that piece, which have a lilting, playful quality reminiscent of “figurines” dancing to the rhythm of a wayno (one of the main dance genres of the Andes).

Enrique Iturriaga (1918 – 2019), whom I had the fortune of studying with briefly at the National Conservatory, is one of the most prominent Peruvian composers of the 20th century. A devoted pedagogue, he has often been described as “amauta” (an Inca word meaning “great master”) by his students. My “Pregón del Amauta” is an abstract reimagination of the beginning of Iturriaga’s iconic work “Pregón y Danza”, which itself features a modernist recreation of the traditional Afro-Peruvian genre of the pregón.

Bernardo Alcedo (1788 – 1878) is best known for being the composer of the national anthem of Peru. He was celebrated nationally as a prominent musician of his time, while at the same time being denied opportunities because of his Afro-Peruvian origin. He wrote several large-scale orchestral and vocal works, crafted masterfully in a Rossini-like style typical of his time. My “Pequeña Aria” inhabits a kind of post-Rossinian aesthetic, and includes brief references to his work “Trisagio a la Santísima Trinidad”, as well as (of course) to our national anthem.

Celso Garrido-Lecca (born 1926) is probably the most internationally acknowledged Peruvian composer of the 20th century. His music blends elements of European modernism with influences of Andean traditional music to create a truly unique personal language. I have had the fortune of meeting him and receiving powerful advice from him during our encounters. My “Yaraví Místico” is a soulful chant (the yaraví being a traditional genre of Andean song) that includes subtle references to the composer`s favorite chord. I also include a brief quotation from a guitar passage out of his wonderful work “Dúo Concertante”.

Rosa Mercedes Ayarza (1881 – 1969) was an acclaimed pianist, composer and “folklorist”, responsible for collecting and notating many pieces of traditional music of the Peruvian Coast. My “Marinera de Cámara” is inspired by an original composition of hers: the virtuosic piano showpiece “Marinera de Concierto”. I follow her idea of using the genre of the marinera (the national dance of Peru) as a launchpad to create an instrumental “tour-de-force”, featuring typical melodic and rhythmic motives of this signature genre that all Peruvians know and love.

“Encuentros” can be thought of simply as a collection of contrasting pieces, and they need not be played only in the suggested order. Players are free to rearrange the movements, if desired, or to perform only a selection of them on a recital.