Tumbaos for orchestra (2007)
Commissioned and premiered by the Syracuse University Symphony Orchestra, James Welsch, conductor.
The two main musical ideas of Tumbaos are derived from a a series of short impromptu works, Divertimenti, that I composed during the summer of 2006 in California and Colombia. The first idea, a fanfare, opens and closes the piece with a prominent participation of the percussion and the brass. The second idea is based on a number of rhythmic patters from Afro-Cuban music (Bembé) and Colombian music (merengue Colombiano). These patterns or ‘tumbaos’ are presented in different intrumental combinations while they are also constantly transformed and developed in a sequence of multi-layered textures. Tumbaos was commissioned by James Welsch and is dedicated to my partner David.
James Welsch and Diego Vega after the premiere of Tumbaos in Syracuse
This recording: Syracuse University Symphony Orchestra, James Welsch, conductor
Orchestration: [2-2-2-2][4-2-2-1][timp-4 perc][piano][strings]
Duration: 4’30 min.