Cover of the edition (Editorial Alpuerto, 1994)
Copla de cante jondo / Stanza of cante jondo
GuitarCommentary
Recording
Download score
Commentary
Composed in the summer of 1980 and premiered in L'Aquila (Italy) in January 1982 by the guitarist Pablo de la Cruz, Copla de cante jondo is a short guitar piece, lasting about seven minutes, whose most characteristic formal feature is the alternation between two sections configured by contrasting ideas: in the first the flexible and cantabile character predominates, although this is sometimes broken, almost dramatically, by a rapid descending arpeggio, whose continued presence (in addition to opening and closing the piece, appears very frequently throughout it) gives it a great prominence. The second section, for its part, is essentially based on a marked "thematic" idea, made up of small and isolated groups of bass notes, obstinately accompanied by an ornamental garland, consisting of the deployment of rapid arpeggios in the higher strings.
Despite what its title seems to want to indicate, in this Copla de cante jondo there is no element taken directly from flamenco; however, it is possible to speak of an evocation of the spirit and the "grief" that, obligatory both for the "cantaor" and for the "tocaor", is supposed to be inherent to that so enigmatic part of Spanish folklore. Also the form of the work, with the alternation of both sections, wants to evoke in its own way the typical form of many "cantes", in which the interventions of the voice (in charge of the "copla") and the guitar alternate. Therefore, do not look here for melodic, harmonic or instrumental turns typical of flamenco, by way of "quotes" or "winks", since there is nothing other than the evocation of a way of feeling, through the quintessential character of the piece.
Program of the premiere of the Copla de cante jondo (january 28, 1982)
The score, dedicated to Gloria Liñán, was published in 1994 by Editorial Alpuerto and included with number 7 in its collection "Contemporary Spanish and Hispano-American Music for Guitar". In 2005 it was included in the CD "Xácara. Spanish music", recorded by the German guitarist Christian Wernicke for the Syemusic label, and in 2011 on the CD“ Joaquín Turina ”, published by the French guitarist Sebastien Llinares on the Paraty label.
Cover of the CD by Christian Wernicke
Cover of the CD by Sebastien Llinares
In 2002, Copla de cante jondo was selected as compulsory work of the 15th edition of the International Guitar Competition "S.A.R. La Infanta Doña Cristina", organized by the Jacinto and Inocencio Guerrero Foundation of Madrid.
Program of the 15th International Guitar Competition
"S.A.R. La Infanta Doña Cristina" (2002)
Recording
Recording Christian Wernicke (fragment)
YouTube
First page of Copla de Cante jondo