Cádiz
Suite for Recorder and Guitar.
1. The Flight of the Seagull
2. The Wind from the Sea
3. Alone at the Shore
4. The Bath of the Mermaid
5. Carnaval de Cádiz
Cádiz is located in Andalusia, on the southern Spanish Atlantic coast. It was founded by Phoenician seafarers around 1100 BC, making it the oldest continuously inhabited city in Western Europe. Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs, and Spaniards ruled the city and ran trade from here. The old town overlooking the sea with its centuries-old ensemble of the fortress, the town hall, the watchtowers, theaters, churches, and cathedrals reminds of a fairytale. Manuela de Falla and Paco de Lucía were born here. This fascinating place inspired me to write this suite.
The first movement is about a walk at the seaside in the early morning, when it is still pleasantly cool. A seagull flies through the sky, hovers, circles, rolls over, enjoys its freedom. The hovering of the seagull is expressed in the floating flow of the guitar ostinato in 13/8 time.
The second movement is about the wind from the sea, which over the centuries has carried ships from here to foreign coasts all over the world. The weltering of wind and waves is reflected in a special meter: Each bar consists of nine sixteenth-note triplets, that is, the bar is divided three times by three.
The third movement is a lamenting song: Alone on the shore, the melody complains about a painful loss - the guitar accompanies thoughtfully, asks questions, hears the recorder answer, listens thoughtfully, insists on always the same rhythm.
The fourth movement - The Bath of the Mermaid - lives from a polyphonic accompaniment reminiscent of Bach, and a wide, vocal melody that combines simplicity and expressivity. Enjoy the long notes, play as emotionally as you can!
The fifth movement is the grand finale: Cádiz is famous all over Spain for its colorful Carnaval, which takes place in February but is prepared all year round. The virtuoso guitar ostinato in 11/4-meter drives the piece forward and to his furious climaxes.
Cádiz is my first piece for recorder and guitar, and I'm happy how well those two match together. I love the intimate yet powerful sound of the guitar I've been playing since I was 19. I think it was the guitar that brought me to the Spanish and French-sounding harmonies that dominate this piece.
I would like to thank Cléa Galhano and Rene Izquierdo for the wonderful world premiere on June 9, 2019, at the Summit Center for Arts and Innovation Performance Hall in St. Paul. It was a great pleasure and honor for me to be premiered by such skilled and passionate musicians as Clea and Rene; I learned a lot from them.
Here are the links to the Youtube videos of the Premiere:
First movement: The Flight of the Seagull
https://youtu.be/N-YdI-mvt_4
Second movement: The Wind from the Sea
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4b-rwUS1RKw
Fourth movement: The Bath of the Mermaid
https://youtu.be/TWxqJe3u2E8
Fifth movement: Carnaval de Cádiz
https://youtu.be/BOGfN-EvyJA