"Responsorio in Memoriam Rodolfo Halffter" for Bassoon and Percussion by Mario Lavista (Mexico) *English Version.
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Hi everyone! Today we will travel to a distant town in Mexico, today our visit will be of farewell, behind the town band we will accompany maestro Mario Lavista to his last resting place, where music creates a bridge between the soul and the body.
"Responsorio in Memoriam Rodolfo Halffter" is the second funeral piece written by the maestro Mario Lavista, with great influence on medieval and renaissance music, this work is presented in a totally ceremonial style, the same composer makes a significant reference to the medieval concept of speculative music, which defines music not as an activity to be practiced but as an object of contemplation.
It begins the work with a solemn song of the bassoon that immediately transports us to a religious space, next with subtlety the bass drums accompany this expressive song, which little by little is modified with small ornaments and its presence in the space is increasingly noticeable, The effect of an empty room makes the resonance of the bassoon harmonics contribute significantly to the piece.
A great pause creates an expectation of development in the work, the use of multiphonics makes the difference, but without modifying the ceremonial style, the tubular bells and bass drums transport us to a Catholic procession, and the bassoon is a lament that accompanies us until the end of the ceremony, the composer in this work gives us a great musical description of a Latin American funeral tradition which consists of accompanying the deceased to his last resting place.
The responsory is dedicated to the memory of the maestro Rodolfo Halffter, who was his professor at the National Conservatory of Music in Mexico City, the work was written in 1988; the composer Lavista points out that thanks to the classes of maestro Halffter from musical analysis, he knew the music of composers like Anton Webern, which was fundamental in his musical thought.
"Responsorio" is a piece of chamber music for bassoon, two drums, and four tubular bells, this work awakens us an imaginary space, with a totally descriptive concept that transports us to a specific time and space such as a ceremonial ritual corresponding to the catholic church.
Mr. Lavista explained about his piece "In this work, I tried to create aurally the image of the memory that I keep of some funerals in remote towns of Mexico, in which a small band of music guides the coffin to the cemetery, the bass drum or some another drum marks the funeral rhythm, and the church bells sound as the procession passes to summon contemplation and ward off evil spirits. "
We can admire the fascination of the maestro Lavista for the music of a religious character in his 17 written works that are divided between funeral pieces and pieces inspired by religious themes, the foray into this compositional genre came through his funeral pieces in memory of his three professors Raúl Lavista, Rodolfo Halffter, and Gerhart Muench, about his work expressed "I am a believer, perhaps more for aesthetic reasons, but I am very far from the Catholic Church".
Mario Lavista
Composer
Maestro Lavista was born in Mexico City in 1943, and passed away on November 4, 2021; he studied composition with professors Carlos Chávez, Hector Quintanar, Rodolfo Halffter, among others.
In 1967 he was awarded a French scholarship to study with Jean-Etienne Marie at the Schola Cantorum, attended courses taught by Henry Posseur, and in 1969 he studied with Karlheinz Stockhausen at the Reininsche Musikshule in Cologne.
He also did graphic-musical work with the painter Arnaldo Coen, and wrote music for various films; Maestro Lavista won the 2013 "Tomas Luis Victoria" award, the highest award granted by the General Society of Authors and Editors of Spain to musicians from Spain and Latin America; The work of the composer Mario Lavista is so extensive that this is a small summary of his musical career.
Maestro Mario Lavista left us deeply saddened by his recent departure at the age of 78, but he gave us a great musical legacy, he has been cataloged as one of the most relevant composers of the music of the middle of the 20th century and the beginning of the century XXI.
Wendy Holdaway
Bassoonist
Ms. Holdaway was born in the United States, studied at the New England Boston Conservatory, where she obtained her master's degree in bassoon, has worked at the Boston Opera and Houston Pops in Texas; Maestra Holdaway has lived in Mexico since 1982, currently, she is the principal bassoonist of the National Symphony Orchestra of Mexico, in recent years she has dedicated herself to chamber music, has played with the best orchestras in the country and has participated in several recordings.
Currently, in Mexico she enjoys great recognition as a bassoon interpreter and professor; It's worth mentioning her collaboration in the dissemination of the works of the maestro Lavista, this piece was dedicated to her, as well as we can stand out the participation in the work "Plegarias for bassoon and electroacoustics" composed in 2009 of which we have spoken previously and you can read it in the following link:
Thank you very much for joining me in this small homage to maestro Mario Lavista, discovering his great work and his extensive musical legacy!.
Mario Lavista (1943- 2021).
See you soon Fagoteando por America!
Jonaira Rosero
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