Esperanza (world premiere, LA Phil commission)
At-A-Glance
Composed: 2022
Orchestration: 3 flutes (3rd=piccolo), 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 3 bassoons (3rd=contra-bassoon), 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, percussion (1= suspended cymbals, xylo-phone, tambourine; 2=temple blocks, snare drum, tambourine, claves, glockenspiel; 3=tom-toms, marimba, snare drum, claves; 4=vibraphone, tom-toms, bass drum, wood block, glockenspiel, cajón), harp & strings.
First Los Angeles Philharmonic performance: world premiere.
About this Piece
Esperanza is in three brief movements. The first, “Reencuentro,” is inspired by the joy of reunion after moments of hardship. It is followed by “Remembranza,” a mournful movement that symbolizes the remembrance of those who suffered and were lost. The piece concludes with “Porvenir,” an energetic finale that represents determination to confront the difficult, unresolved challenges that lie ahead. The three parts share thematic and harmonic material, giving unity to the whole. The slower section of the first movement, written in a modified sonata form, anticipates later passages, while its main theme makes a reappearance in the last movement. —Gonzalo Garrido-Lecca