Nocturno(2021)
Baritone and Piano
Poetry by Ruben Darío (texts in the original Spanish)
14 minutes
Commissioned by Brooklyn Art Song Society. Premiered April 1st, 2022 by baritone Jesse Blumberg and pianist Mike Brofman.
Further performance at the Brooklyn Art Song Society in February, 2024 by the same performers.
I. Tarde de trópico
II. Vesperal
III. Nocturno
IV. La dulzura del ángelus
Program Notes:
Nocturno is a cycle that traces the progression from late afternoon to morning. Ruben Darío's powerful imagery makes for a journey filled with emotions, surprises, and elegiac beauty. Beginning with late afternoon, and ending with early morning, Nocturno traces a metaphorical journey form darkness to light, not unlike the one the world went through during the Covid-19 Pandemic. From distant murmurs, to Caribbean grooves, to ecstatic climaxes, Nocturno aims to emcompass the world awakening into existence in the way that Ruben Darío's own words marked the beginning of a new era in Latin American letters and culture.