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Un inverosímil archipiélago

Un Inverosímil Archipiélago is a five-movement work for flute (doubling on bass flute), violoncello and voice inspired by Pedro Mir’s poem Hay un país en el mundo, published in 1949 in La Habana, Cuba. The poem is a beautiful chant to the poet’s homeland (Dominican Republic), juxtaposing the rural realities of the country to the oppressive conditions of the dictatorial regime imposed until 1961 by Rafael Leonidas Trujillo. ​

Throughout the poem, there is constant opposition between the cruel and tragic reality of the people and the beautiful landscapes of the country. It is this polarity that inspired the themes of Un Inverosímil Archipiélago. At first, they are distinctively separated (i.e. first and second movement) but as the piece progresses they start to overlap and ultimately, exist as one.

Un Inverosímil Archipiélago is not intended as a musical translation of Mir’s poem but it does take the poem as a source of inspiration. It translates Mir’s dark but beautiful imagery into a purposefully understated work, which reflects the repressive reality portrayed in the poem. The lack of distinct words heightens this sensation and focuses the listener’s attention on the music’s melodic and intervallic duality.

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