La Vida es Bella - A Spiritual Merengue

World Premiere Performance by the Women's HOPE Chorale

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Based on Gabriella Mistral's poem "Decalogue of the Artist"

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"La Vida es Bella" (Life is Beautiful) was specially composed to celebrate love, women, beauty and art. Inspired in the invigorating rhythm of the Merengue (the national dance of my country, the Dominican Republic), this music brings to life Mistral's sensitive texts concerning the existence of an Artist.

The piece starts with an extremely calm and flexible atmosphere announced by the Triangle, where the Piano extends our perception of time, accompanying an expressive Violincello solo with sustained sonorities. Two mezzo soprano solos open a soft dialogue with the poem main words, as a preamble to the first "a cappella" intervention of the Chorus.

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From here the music builds continuously in excitement, passion and energy, incorporating some Caribbean percussion instruments like the Claves and Pandero con Parche (Tambourine). A ravishing "Jaleo" (main section of a Merengue) brings us to the culmination of this dance, now revealing the original song in which the work is inspired. It is the Merengue I danced with my beloved wife BenedetNot Applicableta Orsi on the day of our wedding in the Dominican Republic. This music is dedicated to her honoring all the beauty that she has brought to my life.Not Applicable

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