"A Isaac" for viola and guitar -Claudia Herrerías (Mexican composer)

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   Dr. Claudia Herrerías is from Mexico City,  she studied at the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters of the UNAM, and at the National School of Music of the UNAM, also studied piano and bassoon. Subsequently studied composition at the Meistersinger-Konservatorium in the city of Nuremberg, as well as a Master of Music at the University of Glasgow and a Doctorate in Music at York. She is currently a teacher of composition and music theory at the Faculty of Music of the University of Sciences and Arts of Chiapas. Her works have been presented in various forums in Mexico, Germany, Cuba, the United States, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

  The composer mentions that her piece "Homenaje a Isaac" is inspired by the surroundings of the composer Isaac Albéniz, especially in the music of the Andalusian region, with its flamenco dances and its Arab influence. In the composition, highly stylized flamenco dance patterns predominate, and a Phrygian scale reduced to five sounds, reminiscent of a Pelog (the scale used in Indonesia), and sometimes enlarged with the major or minor third, typical of the Andalusian scale. The main element of the work is the search for different textures and colors typical of the instruments, creating in the central part a nostalgic and melancholic atmosphere: a longing for the lands in which the famous composer lived and sang. (Composer notes).

    The piece was dedicated to the Ditirambo Duo (who are the interpreters of this video). The violist Noelia Gómez and the guitarist Alfonso Aguirre, who are especially dedicated to disseminating the works of Ibero-American composers. 

Thanks for reading and see you soon!

Luis Ángel Chab Dzul.

* The information was obtained through emails with the composer.