Julio Cortázar’s 1963 novel Rayuela (Hopscotch) is a landmark of Latin American literature, famous for its non-linear structure. The author famously offers two ways to read the book: a traditional sequence through the first 56 chapters, or a "hopscotching" path through all 155 chapters (including the "expendable" ones) based on a Table of Instructions. This first book of preludes translates Cortázar’s sprawling, episodic urban-scape into a series of musical commentaries.

Chapter 1: “¿Encontraría a la Maga?” (“Would I find La Maga?”) 

The opening musical gesture mirrors the novel’s famous first question. Constant motion evokes the narrator’s search through Paris, while rolled chords over an undulating accompaniment suggest fleeting glimpses of a lover across a bridge, ultimately building to a suspended, elusive resolution.

Chapter 34

In this chapter, Cortázar juxtaposes a classical text by Pérez Galdós with the cynical, distracted thoughts of his protagonist. To mirror this, the prelude presents two simultaneous musical strains: the middle staves play a significantly slowed version of Erik Satie’s First Sarabande, while the outer staves represent an impatient internal monologue. New motives emerge and gather momentum while the Satie remains an undisturbed shadow.

Chapter 109: Interludios

These two interludes function as a musical experiment in reshuffling.

• Interludio a: 

A mosaic of snapshots and "inconclusive transitions," resembling the imaginary cities of the character Morelli.

• Interludio b: 

A complete reorganization of the first interlude. Without adding a single new note, I have shifted octaves, dynamics, and articulations. The resulting city feels entirely different, though the fundamental building blocks remain the same.

Chapter 7: “Toco tu boca” (“I touch your mouth”)

A lyrical prelude inspired by Cortázar’s celebrated and sensuous depiction of a kiss.