Luis Serrano Alarcón: SPANISH DANCES - I. PETENERA. Vanderbilt Wind Symphony - Thomas Verrier, Cond

Vanderbilt Wind Symphony
Thomas Verrier, Conductor
College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA)
National Conference - February 16, 2023
SPANISH DANCES (Book I)
Spanish Dances (Book I) is the first installment of a larger suite that will explore the rich and varied traditions of Spanish music. These settings are not intended as authentic presentations, rather the composer has taken the essence of each style (rhythm, tempo, melodic character, structure, etc.) as inspiration to ex¬plore its possibilities through his own language and musical aesthetic. Inspired by Issac Albeniz's masterpiece Iberia, this suite will eventually consist of twelve pieces separated into four books with three pieces in each. Spanish Dances (Book I) was recognized as a finalist in the NBA William D. Revelli Composition Contest in December 2022.
I. PETENERA
The Petenera is a flamenco palo with a 12-beat measure, similar to other styles of Andalusian popular music such as Bulerias or Alegrias. In each of the measures of the Petenera, the accentuation occurs in beats 1, 4, 7, 9, and 11. This is represented in the score, generally, with a simple alteration of 6/8 and 3/4 measures. There are different versions of the cante: the old and the modern, and these in turn can be short (chica) and long (grande). The so-called Petenera Grande is not danceable, unlike the shorter version, which is intended for dance accompanied by clapping. The tempo of the sung Petenera is usually slower than its danced variant.
In this movement, the Peterna maintains the rhythmic essence, as well as the characteristic use of the Phrygian flamenco mode in the melodic lines, but it also presents important modifications with respect to the more conventional version of the dance. The tempo is faster, thus giving the music a vigorous and frenetic character, and the alternation of 6/8 and 3/4 meters is not always strict. The use of the hemiola is frequent; there are sections of the ensemble that are in binary meter while others are in ternary. The composer considers that in this way the conductor has greater flexibility when deciding how to approach each passage and thus provide a more personal perspective to the performance.
Born in Valencia in 1972, Luis Serrano Alarcon is a Spanish composer and conductor. His works have been performed in more than 30 countries and he has been invited to conduct his own music in Spain, Italy, Singapore, USA, Colombia, Japan, Mexico, and Hong Kong. In 2012, the Southeastern Conference Band Directors Association commissioned the composition of his first Symphony for Wind Orchestra, and in 2017 he wrote the second of his symphonies commissioned by the University of Saint Thomas. His latest projects includ his Cello Concerto and the commission of a consortium of 13 North American universities for the composition of his First Book of Spanish Dances.

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