By HRJ
At 金瓷 -Golden porcelainMexican composer Cristóbal MarYán musically depicts the creation of porcelain and its fascinating contrast: to achieve such a delicate product requires a dynamic, raw process, "full of feet, hands, rock and fire".
The work will be performed for the first time in Mexico during the eighth program of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería (August 19 and 20 at the Nezahualcóyotl Concert Hall under the baton of Carlos Miguel Prieto) together with Bronze Altar by Gabriela Ortiz and the suite from the ballet Romeo and Juliet by Prokofiev.
On the occasion of the premiere, we spoke with MarYán in this exclusive interview.
1. Porcelain of gold has a conjunctural origin (anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Mexico). How to start from the conjuncture to create a work that has transcended its specific celebratory purpose and is already part of the repertoire of symphony orchestras as important as the one of Minería?
The “how” stems from the support and trust of conductors like Carlos Miguel Prieto, who—in addition to mastering the classical repertoire—have made it their mission to give a voice to the country’s new composers. It is this vision that makes works such as金瓷 -Golden Porcelain to be part of the Minería Symphony Orchestra’s repertoire and reach Mexican audiences.
How is the delicacy and softness of the porcelain creation process represented in your musical world? Are porcelain and talavera (China and Mexico) represented within the orchestra by specific instruments or themes?
I consider porcelain to be delicate, but its creation process is quite the opposite. It is dynamic and raw. It is full of feet, hands, rock, water and fire. It is that dynamism that inspired me to try to represent that world musically.
3. Could you provide a brief description of intentions for each movement?
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Water and Chinese stone
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Clay stamping
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Ceramic modeling
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Fire in the oven
More than movements, I would describe them as sections of the piece. My intention is to communicate the music that, as a result of the process of creating the porcelain, I imagined in my head, as well as the feelings that each part of the creation process provoked in me. The first section is contemplative and delicate; the second is almost graceful, but robust and powerful; the last two are a combination of dynamism and grandeur, for the creative act is always (in my opinion) grandiose.
4. Sur incursion into multidisciplinary installations or music for video games and advertisements evidences your openness to the possibilities of sound articulation. Regarding your symphonic works for traditional instruments, do you have an ideal language? To build your themes, do you use tonality, old modes, dodecaphony to produce atonality, a combination? How do you solve the expressive needs of your symphonic works at a linguistic level?
Each project represents an artistic problem to be solved. I see musical languages as tools to solve that problem. I try to look for a sonic compromise in which:
1) The demands of the part are met.
2) A discourse in favor or against current trends is presented.
3) Artistic risks are taken by trying new things.
4) Some sound accessibility for the general public is sought.
5. You have lived in places like Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi and NY... what influence has immigration had on your art?
Is geographical stability something you long for, and has a certain nostalgia for the idea of a fixed home seeped into some of your work?
Migration and travel have definitely influenced my conception of art and my aesthetic quests. Above all, they have also vindicated my return to traditional Mexican music to find answers during my creative process.
I don't crave geographic stability, but I don't despise it either. I love to travel and reinvent myself. I also like to be in different places for years.
I have not detected whether nostalgia has consciously seeped into any of my works, or whether it has been filtered into the idea of a fixed home. But one thing is clear: I have always wanted to live and settle in Mexico, not outside of it.
How has the process of mounting the work with Minería been? What kind of exchanges does a composer have with the director before the premiere of one of his works? Specifically, what conversations did you have with Carlos Miguel Prieto about Porcelana de oro?
I think the score should be exhaustively clear about the composer's intentions. Therefore, and in general, I try to stay out of the conductor's process, and I'm thrilled that I discover new things that I didn't even know about my own work. Of course, if the director has questions I am always aware and ready to answer. The final details are defined in rehearsal.
There are times when I know that some unusual gesture or technique may raise questions during rehearsal, and waste valuable minutes playing the piece. In that case I communicate directly with the section leader beforehand and usually send a video message of how I want that gesture or technique. In the case of Porcelana de Oro, I sent a video to the Orchestra's concertmaster, Maestro Shari Mason, regarding a very specific gesture on the violin for this piece.
6. What work are you working on now? What are your plans for the rest of the year?
I am working on some arrangements of sones huastecos for string quartet and jarana huasteca, a couple of plays, and I am in the process of planning my next orchestral work. At the moment I am living in China, as cultural attaché at the Mexican Embassy, and I will continue here for the rest of the year. I recently got married and my wife is about to join me in the Asian giant.
