Roberto Sierra has 'a constant preoccupation with the intersection of a modern musical language and the vernacular'

[Roberto Sierra; Roberto Sierra Piano Trios; Trío Arbós; Naxos 8.559611 (2011)]

On April 21, 2011 AfriClassical posted: “'Roberto Sierra Piano Trios' on Naxos is 'Record of the Month' of MusicWeb-International.com.” The Puerto Rican composer was born in 1953. His new disc is Naxos American Classics 8.559611 (2011). The liner notes of the recording are by Roberto Sierra. They begin:

“The three piano trios in this recording span seventeen years (1991-2008) of my creative life. Each reflects a different creative impulse and the ideas that were in my mind at the time I wrote them. There are nevertheless common threads that link these works: a constant preoccupation with the intersection of a modern musical language and the vernacular that come out of my ethnic background, and also timbral explorations often linked to instrumental virtuosity.

“My first trio is titled Trio Tropical (1991), implying from the outset my intention of tropicalizing a genre that has a long tradition. The four movements reflect the rhythmic gestures, timbres and melodic gestures of the music I heard growing up in Puerto Rico.” “Each of the four movements of Trio No. 2 (2002) treats the same material, namely a twelve-tone row/motive that is used without transpositions or inversions, but in very different ways. Out of this restricted material a first movement emerges written in clave, the underlying rhythmic backbone of salsa, hence the title Clave de mediodia (Midday Clave).”

“Piano Trio No. 3 (2008) incorporates extended tonal idioms infused by non tonal chromatic sonorities in many ways similar to Trio Tropical. Here too Afro-Caribbean musical gestures are present. I subtitled this trio Romántico to evoke the expansive and broad musical gestures evocative of late nineteenth-century chamber music.” “The opening sounds of Fanfarria, aria y movimiento perpetuo (2000) are based on the kind of open intervals and triads reminiscent of sonorities that Aaron Copland favored in his music (the work was commissioned by the Library of Congress as part of the Copland centennial celebrations).”

The Naxos American Classics series also includes Roberto Sierra: New Music with a Caribbean Accent, Naxos 8.559623, and Roberto Sierra: Missa Latina 'Pro Pace,' Naxos 8.559624. The namesake of Trio Arbós is Enrique Fernández Arbós (1863-1939), a Spanish composer, violinist and conductor, the liner notes tell us.

'Roberto Sierra Piano Trios' on Naxos is 'Record of the Month' of MusicWeb-International.com

[Roberto Sierra; Roberto Sierra Piano Trios; Trío Arbós; Naxos 8.559611 (2011)]

One of the most authoritative of classical music websites has chosen Roberto Sierra Piano Trios by the Puerto Rican composer Roberto Sierra, Naxos 8.559611 (2011), as its “Record of the Month.” We present excerpts from the very favorable review:

MusicWeb-International.com

“RECORD OF THE MONTH

Roberto SIERRA (b.1953)

Piano Trio no. 1 Trío Tropical (1991) [16:55]

Piano Trio no. 2 (2002) [13:53]

Piano Trio no. 3 Romántico (2008) [15:50]

Fanfarria, Aria y Movimiento Perpetuo, for violin and piano (2000) [6:28]

Trío Arbós (Miguel Borrego (violin); José Miguel Gómez (cello); Juan Carlos Garvayo (piano))

rec. Auditorio Nacional, Madrid, February 2009. DDD

NAXOS AMERICAN CLASSICS 8.559611 [53.05]”

“The three piano trios featured here span nearly two decades. The jerky, hammered rhythm of the opening bars of Piano Trio no. 1, segueing into a lilting Latino-jazz section, announces immediately a composer of considerable originality. The work is subtitled Trío Tropical, and the three movements incorporate the rhythms and colours of Sierra's childhood in Puerto Rico. A sultry Habanera nocturna follows the first movement, and the last, in two contrasting parts, transforms from a languorous Intermezzo religioso into an exhilarating moto perpetuo, in which the three instruments take a turn in the spotlight like sophisticated jazz soloists.

“The spectacularly imaginative Piano Trio no. 2 is a second trío tropical, based on a twelve-tone row untransposed and uninverted. This must be the most immediately attractive 'serial' music ever written! The first movement is entitled Clave de Mediodía. Clave is the rhythmic base of Afro-Cuban music, whose jerky pulse plays through the movement, which ends surprisingly with thirty seconds of minimalism! In his detailed liner-notes, Sierra describes the agitated, virtuosic second movement, Espejos ('Mirrors'), as a 'mirage of counterpoint', and the last, which follows a brief scherzo, as 'music for an imaginary ritual', likening the throbbing, almost Stravinskian rhythms to those of Afro-Caribbean drumming.” “The Fanfarria, Aria y Movimiento Perpetuo is a shortish but memorable work in one movement for violin and piano.”

“The recent Piano Trio no. 3, dedicated to and premiered by the Trio Arbós, is subtitled Romántico, 'to denote the expansive and broad musical gestures evocative of late-nineteenth-century chamber music', in Sierra's words. At the same time, however, he again integrates Afro-Caribbean elements, succeeding once more in paying homage to the popular music of Puerto Rico by seamlessly weaving those elements into a considerable work of art music. The third movement, Con gran sentimiento, como un 'Bolero', is a particularly beautiful example; this is not Ravel's dance-like Bolero, but a Latin American ballade. The thrilling final Agitado moves back and forth between salsa and Austro-Germanic tradition with exceptional skill and invention.

“The Arbós Trio have been playing together since they were founded in 1996 and have built up a sizeable discography, principally of Hispanic music. They perform Sierra's often virtuosic music with great accomplishment and conviction.”

Tania León & Roberto Sierra Are Guest Composers at Wellesley College July 19-August 2

[Roberto Sierra; Tania León: Singin' Sepia; Bridge 9231 (2008)]

ComposersConference.org
“Founded in 1945, the Chamber Music Center gives amateur chamber musicians and singers the opportunity to participate in ensembles coached by professional faculty musicians, live and socialize with composers from the Composers Conference, and play chamber music informally with old and new friends. The shared experience and synergy of these diverse musicians create a unique musical community and a very special musical opportunity for all the participants.

For summer 2009 (July 19 - August 2), we welcome Roberto Sierra (Cornell University) and Tania León (City University of New York) as distinguished guest composers. Concerts of traditional and contemporary repertoire are free and open to the public.” [Tania Justina León (b. 1943) is profiled at AfriClassical.com]