del Águila - Malambo

As in many of Aguila’s works, this work features virtuosistic instrumental writing often within a language that combines drama, color, driving rhythms and the melodic inflections of Latin American folk music elements. In only two years, Malambo has had over 100 performances worldwide.
Miguel del Aguila: “Before I start writing a new work, I often see a blank, empty imaginary space which, as I compose, starts being populated with things, events, emotions and of course my own music. Sometimes it’s not a landscape but the inner thoughts and emotions of a person, and in the case of Malambo the music switches between both. Here, we are in the main square of a village in the Argentine Pampas where a celebration is taking place, while the main protagonist (the solo instrument), struggles with past memories and with the decision of joining the party or isolating. As the sound of church bells trigger memories, he sings alone only accompanied by distant birds and insects; soon joining in a dance taking place near him. While the rhythmic character of this dance was inspired by the Malambo dance of the South American gauchos. My music here represents only the abstraction of these dances in my memory as rendered in my own musical language and rhythm which in this case consists of alternating 12/16-7/16 meter. In the midst of the dance the bells ring again and the bassoon isolates again. Away from the rest it sings an expressive song which grows in intensity until the dissonant bells finally trigger an emotional climax that dissolves in darkness. Suddenly, as if waking up from a dream, the dance resumes. This time, without interruptions, it gains momentum building up to a joyous, life affirming ending.”