The Giant Guitar

Description

Piccolo, Flute 1, Flute 2, Oboe 1, Oboe 2, Oboe 3, Clarinet in Bb 1, Clarinet in Bb 2, Clarinet in Bb 3, Bassoon 1, Bassoon 2, Bassoon 3, Horn in F 1, Horn in F 2, Horn in F 3, Horn in F 4, Trumpet in C 1, Trumpet in C 2, Trumpet in C 3, Trombone 1, Trombone 2, Trombone 3, Tuba, Timpani, Percussion 1, Percussion 2, Percussion 3, Harp, Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola, Cello, Double Bass — Having lived the first twenty years of my life in South America I can't think of a guitar withoutassociating its music to my early memories. I often view South America as a "giant guitar" ...friendly, sentimental, nostalgic, and yet concealing a great powerful secret, only suggested byoccasional "rasgueado" chords or historical revolutions. Unfortunately, I can't think of this "giantguitar" without remembering conflict and the dramatic political events of the 1970's. Thus thiswork starts in a somewhat nostalgic mood, beginning with a theme based on the six open stringsof the guitar (E A D G B E). After these few introductory bars the flutes re-introduce the guitartheme now in a very rhythmic pattern resembling an Inca-Andean flute chant. The stringsaccompany the melody through rhythmically complex pizzicati, imitating a giant guitar or SouthAmerican charango. The drama begins almost unnoticed as the originally delicately strummedchords turn into violent bass drum and timpani hits. A final chord, a third higher then the rest ofthe piece, offers a last note of defiance as it confronts a police siren, only to be quickly crushedby the overwhelming percussion.—Miguel del Aguila "The Giant Guitar is a short overture-like work inspired by Andean folk idioms. Having lived the first twenty years of my life in South America I can't think of a guitar without associating its music to my early memories. I often view South America as a "giant guitar" ... friendly, sentimental, nostalgic, and yet concealing a great powerful secret, only suggested by occasional "rasgueado" chords or historical revolutions. Unfortunately, I can't think of this "giant guitar" without remembering conflict and the dramatic political events of the 1970's. Thus this work starts in a somewhat nostalgic mood, beginning with a theme based on the six open strings of the guitar (E A D G B E).  After these few introductory bars the flutes re-introduce the guitar theme now in a very rhythmic pattern resembling an Inca-Andean flute chant. The strings accompany the melody through rhythmically complex pizzicati, imitating a giant guitar or South American charango. The drama begins almost unnoticed as the originally delicately strummed chords turn into violent bass drum and timpani hits. A final chord, a third higher then the rest of the piece, offers a last note of defiance as it confronts a police siren, only to be quickly crushed by the overwhelming percussion." -Miguel del Aguila