This composer’s name
is new to me. I am not particularly
in touch with 20th Century Columbian
composers. Obviously I should be as
Escobar was an important and interesting
figure.
This disc consists
of twenty-seven unaccompanied vocal
settings of Spanish and Columbian poetry
some taking on a madrigalian, free and
contrapuntal form and some the more
traditional and slight stylized Cantigas
pattern. The plan of the disc is as
follows. First we have fourteen Canticas,
each numbered but not in any particular
order, and each dedicated to a different
person whose background remains totally
unknown to us. Most are anonymous but
one text is given as by the Columbian
poet Andres Holguin. Then come four
madrigals with a text taken from the
book 'And it was my heart' by the Columbian
poet Jorge Rojas. Two more light if
rather slow canticas follow and then
two madrigal settings of Giovanni Quessop
and four by Leon de Grieff, both Columbian
poets. The final setting is also of
Quessop.
The mood of several
of the texts is sombre. It is also somewhat
difficult to tell whether they are religious
poems as they are addressed beyond human
kind to a distant source which is never
named. But that is not to say that they
are a problem. The ambiguity aids the
composer and for the listener allows
a more general approach. Nevertheless
the often rather dark mood and slow
tempi can become oppressive when too
many follow on from each other. This
is the case with the madrigals.
The CD opens with another
aspect of Escobar's style. This is the
lively and syncopated Escobar; rather
renaissance in influence. The opening
Cantica 'Ma perdoana estas coplas' is
not unlike Juan del Encina (c.1500)
similarly track 6 'Me tope con una nina'
Several settings are
rather hymn-like with plain harmonies;
in fact I must say that sometimes they
are so plain that it is very easy to
forget that it is late 20th Century
music and not mid-19th. One such example
is to be found on track 4 'Dende aqui
te estoy'. Track 9 presents the spiritual
text 'La vida pasa pronto' in which
life passes quickly like the waters
of a river.
Sometimes the harmonies
are quite the opposite, astringent with
unpredictable and disconcerting rhythms
as in the 'De tres amores' (tr. 7) which
stands distinctly apart with its curious
harmonies especially for verse 2. Nevertheless
the overall ‘signature’ of the music
is that of a sensitive composer. In
this the composer is matched by the
performers in this attractive and often
lovely music.
The CD booklet has
all the texts translated although the
occasional verse is missing. There is
a brief essay on the back of the booklet
about the composer as well as 'Thoughts
on Escobar' by Nelly and Cesar Vuksic.
There are biographical notes on the
Americas Vocal Ensemble and on their
conductor Nelly Vuksic but nothing at
all on the work recorded. Theirs however
is an attractive set of voices and they
are ideal for this music.
I must though comment
on the recording. Originally the music
came out on LP in 1982 and the CD has
been made I assume from the taped originals.
This has obviously faded a little over
the twenty years because there is a
considerable amount of tape hiss (listen
to track 11). The sopranos are slightly
distorted and the basses somewhat distant
(this can also be heard in track 11).
Especially with the earlier tracks there
is quite a bit of pre-echo before and
during each track.
Although the music
is attractive and interesting and quite
a curiosity I cannot recommend it for
general listeners. It would however
be just the right choice for anyone
with a quest for the unusual.
Gary Higginson
Americas Vocal Ensemble/Nelly Vuksie 