Commissions
La Vida es Bella
A Spiritual Merengue
Composer: Darwin Aquino
Arranger: Not Applicable
Publication: No Information Available at this Time
http://darwinaquino.com/works/
Duration: 7:41
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Program Notes:
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.
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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 Benedetta 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.
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- notes by Darwin Aquino
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Score Sample:
Voicing:
SSAA with Soloists
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Accompaniment:
Piano, Cello, and Interactive Percussion
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Themes:
Lyrics:
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Gabriella Mistral
Life is Beautiful
The beauty you create
shall rise
as compassion
The beauty from your heart in song
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The beauty you create
shall be known as compassion
and shall console the hearts of men.
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You shall create beauty
not to excite the senses
but to give sustenance
to the soul
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You shall love beauty
shall rise from your heart in song.
You shall love, you shall rise
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Beauty shall rise from you
you shall love beauty in song
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I just know
that you are beauty.
Thanks!
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La Vida es Bella
Belleza, amaras la belleza
subira
compasion
subira de tu corazon al canto
Creando belleza
para los sentidos
y como alimento
del alma
Tu belleza
subira de tu corazon
consolara el corazon.
Tu belleza subira
de tu corazon al canto
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Yo solo se que tu,
se que tu eres belleza.
Mucha gracia!
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