Ernesto García de León: Las Campanas (The Bells), Sonata No.1 for Guitar (Score video)

Details

Description

Ernesto García de Leon's Las Campanas is a superb example of contemporary Mexican guitar composition. The bell and the belfry are symbolic to the composer of the co-mingling in Latin America of Indian, European and African cultures. In the same manner that Mexican and Latin American churches are often constructed on the top of or at the site of pre-existing Indian temples, and in the same manner that the religious ceremoies in those buildings mix the aboriginal and African gods with the saints that arrived with the Spaniards, so does García de León combine elements of the three cultures in his music. He recalls, "Amidst the sounds and ferment of the jungle you hear the chiming of bells mied with the beating of the drums and son love songs. This is one of my earliest memories."

The fist movement of Las Campanas begins with rhythmic, dance-like music that gives way shortly to a lyric, song-like theme. Like characters in a play, these two elements discourse throughout the rest of "Creole Dialogues", sometimes alona, and sometimes in combination with each other.

"Canción" begins in a distressed mood which becomes increasingly peaceful and gentle up to a sweet closing that evokes turn-of-the-century Mexican song. One melody repeats throughout with small variations but remaining essentially the same, while the harmonies become more consonant and the mood happier each time the melody returns.
After the relief provided by the central section in which the melody relaxes on a fluid, sonorous accompaniment of arpeggiated chords, we hear the first section again but with new ears.

The last movement exploits the son, dance rhythm of the composer's native state, Veracruz, in a festive, virtuosic manner with a treatment that gives the feeling that you are going somewhere looking for something and finding happy surprises along the way. The composer says, "The important thing is to feel the music. Do not worry aboud understanding it! Let it take you along. Let it show you places beyond the reach of words, places that belong to the realm sound and that can only be felt."

Ernesto García de León, guitar
------------------------------------------------

The videos published in this channel are only dedicated to diffussion, not commercial.
If someone, composer or company, for any reason, would deem that a video appearing in this channel violates the copyright, please inform us immediately before you submit a claim to Youtube, and the video will be removed immediately. Please and thanks.