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A common feature of her works involves rich storytelling and imagery and her recent work premiered by NYO-USA and commissioned by Carnegie Hall is no different. Apu: Tone Poem for Orchestra (2017) depicts a flighty mischievous spirit, the apu, that watches over the travelers in Andean Perú. The first two movements are a folksong and prayer, which traditionally calm the apu to make way for safe travels through the rocky terrain of the Andes. The folksong takes inspiration from the pinkillo flute, a small, high-pitched instrument made from thick reed. The music flows with a a bit of a lilt and the instrumentation of plucked strings, wooden percussion and prominent woodwinds create a textured and earthy sound quality. The prayer, or "haillÃ," leads the listener into an expansive musical landscape through lush harmonies and supplicating melodic voices with interjections of bright xylophone and woodwinds. The apu's appearance in the third movement is driven and effervescent. The character is unpredictably playful and is expressed in sixteenth note rhythmic motive jumping around to different families of the orchestra. The impish spirit suddenly dissipates into thin air, and the piece comes to a quiet close as the transient moment with the apu is gone.
The performance can be seen below with the composer's note:
In addition to her work as a composer, she is a fervent climate activist that strives to address how musicians can start implementing sustainable practices in music. As the founder of the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music (GLFCAM), she aims to address the effects of climate change through composition, life at the facilities of the academy at her home, and education.
The commissioning initiative, Composing Earth, provides alumni of her program the opportunity to develop a work that brings light to the ecological changes to the planet. She has also developed a climate commitment for the academy that promotes an ecologically conscious environment of music-making and has an educational initiative with a climate scientist for a weekend long virtual course addressing climate intelligence and action for artists.
I've been very interested in the music of Latin American composers who use folk elements in their music such as Ginastera and Villa-Lobos. I love the way Gabriela Lena Frank expands the materials she uses from different cultures to include traditional instruments and folkloric figures and ideas. She creates a sound and atmosphere that goes well beyond the "typical" use of rhythms and melodic gestures found in folk songs and dances. Her love of the earth also comes through in her music - it has a unique mixture of organization and disorganization, just like the earth where things grow organically and in an organized way but also where things decay and are organized randomly, all while creating something beautiful.
ReplyDelete-Hyrum Arnesen
It was really cool to not only learn about Gabriela Lena Frank's music, but about her social and justice initiatives. As a musician I oftentimes feel limited in how my career can have an "impact" past playing and sharing beautiful music. Gabriela is really incorporating her personal values into her work as a composer, and helping to spread that message. Thank you for sharing someone who is a great example of a human!
ReplyDelete- Laura Ruple
Hi Catharine! Thank you so much for sharing Gabriela’s music and story, she is so fascinating! I love that she makes an effort to highlight native instruments to Latin and South Americas, I feel as though these areas are so often overlooked so it is wonderful that she is making a point to showcase them. Her concept of mestizaje is beautiful and so relevant for today, I wonder if this can be used in other genres as well. Her tone poem, Apu, so clearly depicts the story you described! I really love pieces that tell a story like this, thank you again for introducing me to her! I also appreciate you highlighting her climate activism, and that picture of her with the bees is so awesome. Being an advocate for climate and environmental protection through music, as well as her Academy of Music, is so important and I feel like it is so rarely done in music. Great post!
ReplyDelete-Abby Ryan
DeleteHi Catharine! I really enjoyed learning about Gabriela and her music. I thought you described her sound poem for orchestra beautifully and I enjoyed how you tied the description into her inspirations. I also love how Gabriela is committed to climate activism and I completely agree that it is something we should all think about.
ReplyDeleteLianna
DeleteReally enjoyed your description of Apu! I love the concept behind it. The idea of "mestizaje" is also really interesting to me, as I've often wondered how we might create a world where no one culture is seen as "dominant" and others as "exotic" or "inferior." Her emulation of native sounds through Western instruments and forms reminds me a lot of Isang Yun's style, except his uses elements of Korean music instead of Latin American music.
ReplyDeleteI think it's great that Frank uses her music as a tool of social change, especially when it comes such an important issue like climate change.
-Cameron
I'm so glad you mentioned that, "As musicians, we don't necessarily consider the impact that music-making has on the planet..." I fully agree and more. I say more because music has shown itself to bring people together in such great humanitarian ways. One good example of this is Diana using her artistry to raise money and awareness for Ukraine. It's very commendable and I have so much respect for musicians using their artistry for more than just their own development, but the development of others.
ReplyDeleteHi Catherine! I liked how present her influence from Bartok and Ginestera was in her music. The first piece you linked has a lot of Latin influence throughout which made for this interesting sound of post tonal and a Latin vibe! Thank you for sharing! -Lydia Young
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