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At-A-Glance

Length: c. 23 minutes

About this Piece

Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout (2001) mixes elements from the Western classical and Andean folk music traditions, drawing inspiration from the idea of mestizaje as envisioned by the Peruvian writer José María Arguedas, wherein cultures coexist without the subjugation of one by the other. Toyos depicts one of the most recognizable instruments of the Andes, the panpipe. The largest kind is the breathy toyo, which requires great stamina and lung power and is typically played in parallel fourths. Tarqueada is a forceful and fast number suggestive of the tarka, a heavy wooden duct flute that is blown harshly in order to split the tone. Tarka ensembles typically play in casually tuned fourths, fifths, and octaves. Himno de Zampoñas takes its cue from a particular type of panpipe ensemble that divides up melodies through a technique known as hocketing. The characteristic sound of the zampoña panpipe is that of a fundamental tone blown flatly so that overtones ring out on top. Chasqui depicts the legendary runner of the same name from Incan times who sprinted great distances to deliver messages across Andean peaks. The chasqui needed to travel light, so I imagine his choice of instruments to be the charango, a high-pitched cousin of the guitar, and the lightweight bamboo quena flute, both of which influence this movement. Canto de Velorio portrays another well-known Andean personality, a professional crying woman known as llorona. Hired to render funeral rituals (known as velorio) even sadder, the llorona is accompanied here by a second llorona and an additional chorus of mourning women (coro de mujeres). The Dies Irae chant is quoted as a reflection of the llorona’s penchant for blending verses from Quechua folklore and Western religious rites. Coqueteos is a flirtatious love song sung by men known as romanceros and is direct in its harmonic expression, bold, and festive. The romanceros sang in harmony with one another against a backdrop of guitars, which I think of as a vendaval de guitarras (storm of guitars). —Gabriela Lena Frank