This past year has been a unique experience for everybody. There have been highs. There have been lows. Many have experienced great sorrow and unimaginable losses. Lessons have been learned, and new ideas imagined. Through the chaos and uncertainty that COVID-19 has brought, it has been inspiring to witness individuals find creative ways to overcome the restrictions brought on by a world pandemic.
On April 29th, 2021 we students of MUS130b had the privilege of experiencing the world premiere of Edwin Guevara Gutiérrez’s Ibero-American Landscape. It was certainly a premiere to remember! Twenty of us students were fortunate enough to be present in the audience (practicing covid safety measures), while many more students, family members, musicians, and music enthusiasts joined over a live broadcast. One of the great advantages of having an in-person option as well as a live broadcast is that the premiere was able to reach people all over the world at the same time. I hope in the future we take the good things, such as this, that we have learned from a worldwide pandemic and continue to apply them. Technology gives us the power to unite a large group of people if we but use it wisely and meaningfully.
Before the performance of Ibero-American Landscape, we had the opportunity to hear from the composer, Gutiérrez, who also played the guitar in the premiere. He explained that his piece incorporated over 50 rhythms inspired from various regions of Latin America, the United States, and Spain. Having studied the premiere of Beethoven’s 9th symphony, I found many similarities in the artists’ goal. For example, I believe the 9th has a call of action to unite. In reference to the Ode to Joy Darko Boultrac called it a “hymn to brotherhood.” Similarily, Gutiérrez is working to unify the rhythms and therby in a way find common ground in over 50 different regions from all over the world. This act of unifying was not dependent on spoken words, but rather was accomplished by taking varied influences and ideas and merging them together. Both Beethoven and Gutiérrez demonstrated that unity does not require sameness, but rather harmony and vision.
When speaking of the piece Gutiérrez said it is “between serialism and tonality.” The elements of tonality are easily discernible by even the most casual listener. The serial influence, however, can be seen most clearly in the compositional process. Gutiérrez began with the name of each performer. Next, he assigned each letter of their name to a pitch. From this, he drew melodic inspiration.
For me, one of the highlights of this piece is how Gutiérrez’s music was able to use each instrument in an absolutely stunning way. I personally don’t play the flute, cello, or guitar but I was amazed at the talent of each performer. For example, the flutist near the end of the piece produced a wind sound, which was something I had never heard before. The cello at times generated a warm rich sound and at other times, with no notice, evoked a harsh almost percussive sound. This was especially noticeable in the beginning of the piece, and I assume the contrast came from representing two different regions. The guitarists and celloists used their hands to beat on their instruments adding a percussive, almost drumlike element to the music. When the guitarists would end the percusion, the cellosit would take over immitating the rhythms the guitars ahd begun. The guitarists were also able to play in ranges higher than I have heard a guitar produce before by using partials on the strings.
The performance itself was absolutely breathtaking. The change of rhythms, dynamics, and texture gave the piece lots of color. Each instrument was given a solo at one point or another, and each member of the quartet was important. There was no “background” accompaniment. Not only was this evident in the music that we heard but in the way that the musicians communicated. They communicated with their body language, eye contact, and breathing so clearly that the sound produced was adrimrably cohesive and united. The story portrayed was one tangibly felt by each audience member.
The end of the piece was accompanied by a highly enthusiastic applause from the small but mighty in-person audience. I personally greatly enjoyed the performance and hope to hear Ibero-American Landscape performed more in the future!
