ENRICO CHAPELA BARBA
COMPOSER
S.O.S.
Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Viola, Cello and Piano
S.O.S. was originally commissioned by Ensemble Onix and revised in collaboration with Ensamble Nuevo de México.
S.O.S. is a Morse code word meaning help, which arose from the fact that it is very easy to express in Morse code, since it is reduced to 3 dots, 3 dashes and 3 dots. The dashes and dots can be interpreted rhythmically in different ways, either as short and long notes, as staccatos and tenutos, or as lack and presence of accents.
In addition to the word S.O.S., I used synonyms for help in six different languages: Spanish, Italian, French, German, English, French, German, Portuguese and Portuguese. Assuming that any word can be interpreted as a number whose base is determined by the total number of letters of the alphabet in which it is found, I elaborated conversion tables of these words to all bases between 2 and 16. These tables allowed me to assign notes to the rhythms extracted from the Morse code, reading the digits as the number of semitones with respect to a pedal, as well as the structure of the dynamic regions and the dodecaphonic sequence that determines the reference pedals.
S.O.S. is a distress call that works very well because it is very easy to identify on the radio or telegraph, which also makes it ideal as a musical theme, since it allows you to keep track of its presentation and development. This piece is not only intended to communicate an aesthetic message, but can be interpreted from beginning to end, note by note, accent by accent, as a coded message, as a plea for help in 6 languages.
DISCOGRAPHY
BITÁCORA
2018
Enrico Chapela Barba
Urtext Digital Classics
PERFORMANCES
S.O.S. – solo piano version
Festival Internacional Cervantino, Guanajuato, Mexico. Mauricio Nader.
Conservatorio Nacional de Música, Mexico City. Mauricio Nader.
San Diego State University, Calexico, California, USA. Mauricio Nader.
Teatro del Centro de las Artes, Monterrey, Mexico. Mauricio Nader.
Casa del Lago, Mexico City. Mauricio Nader.
Casa de la Cultura, Uruapan, Michoacán, Mexico. Mauricio Nader.
Anfiteatro Simon Bolívar, Mexico City. Mauricio Nader.
Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Mexico. Mauricio Nader.
Teatro de le República, Mexico City. Mauricio Nader.
Conservatorio Nacional de Música, Mexico City. Mauricio Nader.
Seminario de Cultura Mexicana, Mexico City. Mauricio Nader.
World Premiere at the Blas Galindo Concert Hall, National Centre of Arts, Mexico City. Mauricio Nader.
S.O.S. – chamber ensemble version
Moores Opera House, Houston, Texas, USA. Aura Contemporary Ensemble.
Festival Internacional Cervantino, Nuevo Ensamble de México, Miguel Salmón del Real, conductor.
Compania Ensemble für Neue Musik, Städtische Bühnen, Kleines Haus, Münster, Germany.
Sala Blas Galindo, CNA, Mexico. Ensamble Nuevo de México, Miguel Salmón del Real, conductor.
St. Stephen's Church, NY, USA. The North/South Chamber Orchestra. Max Lifchitz, conductor.
Sala Carlos Chávez, CCU, Mexico City. Ensamble Nuevo de México, Miguel Salmón, conductor.
The Cornerstone, Hope at Everton, Liverpool, United Kingdom. Ensemble 10/10. Clark Rundell, conductor.
World Premiere at the Manuel Enriquez New Music Forum at the Blas Galindo Concert Hall at the CENART, Mexico City. ONIX ensemble.
October 16, 2006
September 27, 2006
September 7, 2006
September 1, 2006
August 27, 2006
August 18, 2006
August 13, 2006
June 8, 2006
June 6 y 7, 2006
May 31, 2006
May 30, 2006
March 8, 2006
February 20, 2017
October 18, 2012
March 8, 2012
July 15, 2010
June 8, 2010
November 15, 2009
June 10, 2009
May 20, 2006