- Estampas Mexicanas (Mexican Vignettes) is a joyful 3-movement suite for orchestra. Elizondo wrote the original version in 1995 while still a student at MIT. 25 years later, Elizondo revised his original score.
- Ferial (Parade)
- Danza del Pájaro Sagrado (Dance of the sacred bird)
- Teotlalli (Land of Gods)
- Poems about the symbolism of Estampas Mexicanas (page 5 of the score)
- Program notes from the composer:
Estampas Mexicanas is a three-movement suite for orchestra featuring Mexican folk elements. In particular, it is inspired by the rhythmic vitality of the music of Carlos Chávez, the ritualistic mysticism of Silvestre Revueltas, and the lyric melodies of Manuel M. Ponce.
The first movement, “Ferial,” is a festive parade of simple, colorful, folk-like tunes and rhythms. The opening of this movement pays homage to composer Carlos Chávez, paraphrasing the opening measures of his magnificent “Sinfonía India.”
The second movement, “Danza del Pájaro Sagrado,” presents an imagined Aztec ritual. The orchestration is sparse and symbolic. The heartbeat of the volcano is heard in the bass drum. The ritual dance steps of the priest are evoked by the rhythm of the congas. The layered music in the pizzicato strings creates a musical step-pyramid that the piccolo melody climbs to invoke the connection with the sacred bird.
The third movement, “Teotlalli,” includes a celebratory statement of this movement’s main theme in a symphonic version of the mariachi band.1
Sources
- José Elizondo, “Estampas Mexicanas,” (2021), https://joseelizondo.com/scores/estampas-orchestra-silver-i-ii-iii.pdf.
Cut IDs
27368