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Miguel del Águila - DISAGREE!

Miguel del Águila's DISAGREE! was premiered by SOLI Chamber Ensemble in Austin, TX in 2017. True to its title, Disagree features competing themes which somehow coexist without ever coalescing into a unified whole. According to the program notes from the premier, "Disagree is a work about integrating disparity...[making] a statement about pluralism in music and in our society." 


To better understand the inherent conflict in this work, it is necessary to explore the composer's background. Miguel del Águila is a Uruguayan-American composer who studied in San Francisco and Vienna and has served as composer in residence at various institutions around the world. His music has a distinctly international sound without ever losing touch with his Latin American roots. In Disagree, we hear Latin inspired themes which are constantly interrupted by music which bears more European influence. The disagreement itself is almost cinematic in the way that themes transition; upon the initial listening, one might think that the recording had been haphazardly edited together by a sound engineer. The success of this effect can largely be attributed to the skill of the performers: SOLI Chamber Ensemble. 

Formed in 1994, SOLI Chamber Ensemble has spent the last 28 years committing their careers to the celebration of new music. Through various commissions and premiers, they have given voice to countless living composers and greatly contributed to the plethora of new chamber compositions in the 21st century. Their performance of Disagree highlights del Águila's virtuosic writing as well as the dramatic changes in mood, character, and style. 

There is no way to discuss a work for clarinet, violin, cello, and piano without acknowledging the historical significance of this instrumentation. The most famous work for this ensemble is Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time, which he wrote and premiered as a prisoner of war during World War II. Since then, various 20th and 21st century composers have composed works for this ensemble, many of which feature similarly challenging themes. While Disagree does not tackle themes of war and faith, it does attempt to engage with the divisive political climate which has permeated every sphere of life in contemporary society. Thus, del Águila's work continues the legacy of chamber compositions which exist beyond the concert stage. 

~Marissa Kerbel

Comments

  1. UnknownFebruary 4, 2022 at 12:23 PM

    Your description is very apt for the sudden shifts. Wow. A complete halt for the soundings of every single instrument with a total texture change. I wonder how the ensemble manages creating the same effect in different halls! I've got to see it live to believe what I'm hearing is real (and accomplishable).

    JO

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownMarch 3, 2022 at 8:25 AM

    Hi there! What a fantastic piece! Thank you for sharing! I really enjoyed your recognition of the significance of the instrumentation in relation to Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time. I originally didn't make this connection, so this was very helpful! I also enjoyed how you mentioned that this piece, though it doesn't cover the same themes as the Messiaen, it can also be seen as talking back to politics. It's commentary on current political discourse through expressing idealized world where we can disagree and coexist via a lot of different contrasting themes that don’t really ever merge into one another is so important. Thank you so much for sharing! -Abby Ryan

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  3. UnknownMarch 9, 2022 at 7:43 AM

    I really enjoyed hearing you presentation on this post. We should all be much more concerned with playing newer works. I think it's great that you not only sought out this piece to play for a recital, but are also getting to share it with your colleagues who will then be able to share it with future musicians they work with. The domino effect of programming and learning new music is profound.
    - Laura Ruple

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  4. UnknownApril 18, 2022 at 5:40 PM

    Hi Marissa! The music has one of the characteristics of postmodernism about pluralism. When I listen to the music by SOLI Chamber Ensemble, they require various techniques using their instruments, such as rapid scale and high pitch of the violin and piano. As a result, the music was complicated and ironic.
    -Haksung Lee

    ReplyDelete
  5. UnknownApril 18, 2022 at 7:45 PM

    Hi Marissa! I recently found his Miami Suite for flute and piano that I am looking forward to learning soon, but I hadn't gotten the chance yet to learn more about del Aguila. I appreciate that you introduced the class to him and I enjoyed learning more about him.
    Lianna

    ReplyDelete
  6. LydiaApril 22, 2022 at 7:55 PM

    Hi Marissa! This piece was pretty cool. I enjoyed reading about how the composer creates his sound and especially with this piece. The way you described how the talent of the musicians are responsible for the outcome and that it is something that would typical come from sound engineering. Thank you for sharing! -Lydia Young

    ReplyDelete

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