Contreras, Juan Pablo ( 1987)
Compositor Mexicano nacido en Guadalajara
Bio
http://www.juanpablocontreras.com/bio/
Es autor de
Silencio en Juárez
2011
Violin, clarinete, cello y piano
22 min
Info
http://www.juanpablocontreras.com/works/silencio-en-juarez/
Info CD
http://www.juanpablocontreras.com/discography/
On November 23, 2010, fifteen teenagers were brutally murdered at a birthday party in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. The inspiration for Silencio en Juárez (Silence in Juárez) came from this tragic event. The first movement, “Madre Dolorosa” (“Sorrowful Mother”), is written from the perspective of one of the mothers who lost her child in the massacre. The movement is a musical portrait of the Stabat Mater Dolorosa Catholic hymn that meditates on the suffering of Mary during Jesus Christ’s crucifixion.The second movement is a sarcastic setting of a corrido, a traditional genre from northern Mexico that is driven by an accordion-based polka and praises local drug criminals. “Corrido” musically portrays a recollection of memories from one of the witnesses to the killings. A folk tune is interlaced among flashbacks of gunshots and desperate cries for help.“Liturgia” (“Liturgy”), the third movement, evokes a Catholic mass. The introductory church bells in the piano lead to the priest’s recitation of the Eucharistic Prayer, heard in the opening violoncello line. Afterward, the clarinet, violin, and violoncello each offer eulogies to the victims of the tragedy.The finale, “La Injusticia” (“The Injustice”), is a crude reflection of the reality that Mexico is facing. Acts of violence are regular occurrences throughout the country, while citizens pray for a season of peace. Toward the end of the movement, the victims are lovingly remembered in a lyrical and nostalgic passage. This music eventually transports us back to reality, a reality assuring us that if murders continue at this rate, there will be nothing left but an eternal Silence in Juárez.
