Suspension de Soledad en 3 Tiempos

“Suspension de Soledad en 3 Tiempos”, for Symphony Orchestra was commissioned by the “Corporacion de Artes Musicales de Puerto Rico” in 1990. The work consists of three movements, which are: “Armonia Bilingüe”, “Marcha”, and “Beat Box”.

It is my purpose to render homage to the music that I grew up with, largely - “rock” and “hip-hop”. This is a work were rhythm takes over to articulate a realistic and empirical sound world. It is born of my admiration of popular culture and presents no pretensions.

The title of the piece signifies a suspension, an absence or a liberation if you will, from the prejudice of dogmatic elitist musical styles that have stigmatized symphonic music for too long.

The first movement, “Armonia Bilingüe”, generates the source material of which the whole work is based. Rhythmic, harmonic and melodic motives used in the second and last movements are derived in one way or another from this movement. Rhythm, the principal element of the work, is used as a “continuo”, serving to connect all three movements. It is especially highlighted in the second movement – “Marcha” – which is a kind of instrumental “rap” and requires a high degree of rhythmic precision.

The third and final movement has the curious title of “Beat Box”, which alludes to the large portable radios, also known as “ghetto blasters,” popular in urban neighborhoods at one time. In that sense, I conceived the orchestra as a large radio were the music changes from station to station transmitting and transforming wireless sound vibrations into different moods and grooves.