Dear August Bagg,

Wednesday, May 12, 2021

Dear August Bagg,

I hope all is well. How is everything in your life? How are your endeavors going at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music? I am writing you regarding an incredibly moving premiere that I had the pleasure of not only witnessing but being a part of. I know that you, as a lover and patron of the arts, will thoroughly enjoy hearing about this debut.

At the University of Arizona, I am a part of an undergraduate course titled Music Literature (130B). In this course we studied five very different world music premieres, ranging from1607 to 1913. With the instruction and tutelage of Dr. Matthew Mugmon, we drew conclusions about these different musical premieres using archival recordings and documents. We would then draft Blog Responses regarding those premieres. For example, I wrote a blog post investigating the use of Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique in an underwater puppet show, a completely novel use of the work.

The study and discussion of premieres was all leading up to our own class premiere, led by Dr. Mugmon, in which we commissioned and staged a work that we would not only enjoy, but gain a new perspective and appreciation for. Dr. Mugmon commissioned the talented Edwin Guevara Gutiérrez to compose a piece that was performed in front of our class in Crowder Hall at The University of Arizona.

That day finally arrived, and I can’t wait to tell you about it.

Edwin Guevara Gutiérrez composed a piece based on traditions from different Latin American countries and Spain. The piece is titled “Ibero-American Landscape;” this piece was written with continuous movements and a contained sense of time and was performed by the Tucson Ibero-American Quartet. The performers included Diana Schaible playing flute, Cecilia Palma playing cello, Misael Barazza-Díaz playing guitar, and Edwin Guevara Gutiérrez himself playing guitar.

The premiere began with both a rehearsal and an introduction from Dr. Mugmon. I was so excited that we made it to this moment. As they began to rehearse, I found myself captivated with the flutist Diana Schaible; it was just wonderful to listen to her practice. You, Mr. Bagg, would have been enamored with her too! The blending of these specific instruments created an atmosphere that I had never experienced before in any other work I have seen or participated in.

Then, promptly at 11:30, the performance began. I was so excited and intrigued to see this work come to life and was fortunate enough to live stream the performance from my home in Los Angeles, as I have been attending classes remotely for a little over a year now. Nonetheless, my excitement was not capped due to my virtual presence at the performance. I was in awe of not only the piece, but the instrumentation. While still being captivated by the flute and the way she oscillated texturally, but I was most fulfilled by the overall soundscape. The warm color of the guitars and cello against the soft coolness of the flute created such a well-rounded and room filling sound. I love homophony, so the homophonic texture of the piece was immediately enrapturing. As I previously stated, the piece was based on aural traditions from different Latin American countries and Spain, however the sound felt very modern. I think the modernity for me was derived from the way the guitar was played. There were moments where it sounded traditional, and other moments where it sounded reminiscent of a Jimmy Page guitar sequence, like in Led Zeppelin’s “Rain Song.” This duality kept was a driving force behind my engagement with the work.

Another aspect of the piece that I loved was the way it ebbed and flowed. There were intense sections, yet others that felt contrastingly soothing. This subsequent sense of tension and release reminded me somewhat of the string section in “Rhapsody in Blue.” Though the sound of Gershwin’s piece is fundamentally different compared to Guevara Gutiérrez, “Ibero- American Landscapes,” the feeling that both works evoked within me is similar.

The moment that stuck out to me most was the transition between section C and D in the score (pgs. 13 and 14), and in the YouTube premiere from 42:15–43:10 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nY9lOuPsCVQ). These two sections are completely different, yet the caustic transition is rich with ragtime era reminiscent liveliness. This directly reminded me of the Andantino moderato section in Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue”, where the strings go from long legato thirds to quick half steps.

*Interestingly, “Rhapsody in Blue” premiered in New York on February 12, 1924, at the Aeolian Concert Hall, and was considered ‘a modern music experiment’ in its own right.

“Rhapsody in Blue” displays a tension and release in this specific section, that is absolutely breathtaking, and draws the audience in. I think Guevara Gutiérrez may have been attempting to invoke that same feeling between these sections. He did so by going from a quick polyphonic, almost cacophonous sound to a purely homophonic section beginning with arco cello and continuing with a beautiful melodic flute.

(Whenever I listen to music and something reminds me of something else, it makes me very excited because I feel, as a creator myself, informed and connected to a composer. It makes me appreciate what the artist may have been inspired by.)

This piece was so different from the previous premieres we studied, and yet the entire experience at its core was extremely similar. This premiere, like all the other premieres we studied, brought a new musical work to life, written by an artist, and commissioned by patrons of the arts. I am so lucky have been a small part of bringing a new work to life.

I am not sure if you are aware, August, but this will be my last semester at The University of Arizona. I will be transferring to the University of California Los Angeles in the Fall, where I will be studying Music History and Industry at the Herb Alpert School of Music. I feel completely lucky to conclude my time at The University of Arizona with such an intellectually, creatively, and personally stimulating and fulfilling project. I feel as though I was a part of something that was larger than myself, and I’m honored that my response will be remembered along with this premiere as an archival document for eternity.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my letter, and I will hopefully get to see you soon.

Sincerely,

Jack Zager