Reflecting on the Ibero-American Landscape’s World Premiere
The premiere of Edwin Guevara Gutiérrez’s Ibero-American Landscapes was very different from what I was expecting. I initially was planning on attending the premiere online, but ended up deciding on attending in person. Walking into Crowder Hall, in which the performance took place, I was not surprised to find audience members spread out throughout the Hall, but it was interesting to see the audience so far away from the stage. What was even more peculiar was the large distance that the performers sat from each other. There was at least 6 feet of distance between the performers, which lined up with COVID regulations, but, having been used to the close proximities of performers before COVID, it threw me off a little.
By the time I arrived at Crowder Hall, the performers were already rehearsing and rehearsed for about another half hour more as a final dress rehearsal. The volume of the audience before the dress rehearsal was very low as quiet, distanced conversations were taking place beforehand. Even though all the audience members were peers from my class, not many of us had met in person. In that sense, it truly felt like I had just met strangers, much in the same way that I assume audience members at the majority of the six premieres we learned about this semester had.
In contrast, the performers onstage were talking slightly louder with each other as they rehearsed, especially since the distance between them was definitely more measured than the distance between the audience members. Despite the slightly louder volume at which they were speaking, I could only pick up a few words they were saying due to the large distance between where I was sitting and the performers on stage. Despite the distance they sat from each other and the louder volume with which they spoke, they were still able to hear specific details from each instrument, even if the dynamic that was played was piano.
When the performance actually began and the lights in the house of Crowder Hall were lowered, it was like stepping into another land. After a year of being stuck inside in the same place, it felt like I was in a dream and if I opened my eyes, I would be walking in the center of a plaza in a Latin American country. Although I am not well-versed in the music of different Latin American countries, I could differentiate between the different music styles with which the different parts of the music were inspired. The difference between the rhythms, dynamics, tempos, and the harmonies between the instruments allowed me to travel to different places in the matter of a few seconds. I have always been one to associate music with certain scenes that I created and this performance was no difference. At one point (timestamp of 41:20–41:45 in the recording of the premiere), I could imagine myself walking down the street in a market with music playing in the distance and the next moment I am in another country watching a dance being performed.
One detail I noticed in the work that helped me to imagine my destination was the little motifs of each section. It seemed as if there was a common melody that was played by at least two of the instruments, separately or together, at one point in each section. Although each section was a little shorter than I would have expected or liked, the repetition of each section’s motif was greatly appreciated in helping me to remember where I was.
Another thing I noticed was the sort of madrigalism/music painting that came out through the techniques used by the performers, especially the flutist. Much in a similar way to Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique, I could imagine certain scenes that were occurring as the music progressed based on the way that the instrumentalists played. Although there are no words within this specific piece of music, the music was executed through techniques in a way that it allowed me to imagine certain scenes. For example, at the timestamp of 47:31 in the recording of the performance, the flutist began to play her instrument in such a way that it created the sound of wind blowing. At this point in the music, I could imagine myself sitting on the porch of an old, well-loved home in a more desert area and the breeze picked up while listening to the older grandfather playing his guitar for his grandchildren. This section of the music was very comforting with the warm tone of the cello being the main focus.
Overall, this performance was different from how I expected. There was a larger distance between the performers than I was expecting and, when I first walked into Crowder Hall, I expected the piece as a whole to be slightly louder than would be played if social distancing wasn’t a thing we had to look out for. However, I was surprised to find that they played at similar dynamics than what seemed to be notated on the score. Whether this has more to do with how much the performers have practiced together and therefore trust each other or whether they are simply following the score, I am not entirely sure, but it was surprising regardless. Another thing that surprised me a little was the instrumentation. I did not expect a flute and guitar to work as well together as they did, much less a cello and guitar. Overall, however, Gutiérrez’s Ibero-American Landscapes sounded really amazing and took me to many great places without leaving the comfort of Crowder Hall.
Link to a recording of the World Premiere:
Premieres Across History — YouTube