Cinco

The works that make up this album are the result of a project that linked five composers, the Ónix group, the Michoacán University of San Nicolás de Hidalgo and the Urtext Digital Classics label.

Because initiatives of this type are not common in our country, carried out thanks to the disinterested effort of the parties, it seemed to me worthwhile to sketch a brief synopsis of their process.

In early 2001 I met Gerardo Sixtos, who then held the position of director of the School of Fine Arts UMSNH, of which I am a teacher, to solve some aspects of our propóisito to invite Ónix to collaborate with the university as a group in residence. It was agreed that the first residence of Ónix would take place in November of that year and would include various artistic and academic activities such as teaching master classes for instrumentalists and composers, a series of lectures on instrumental techniques of XX century and a concert closing.

Also, at the initiative of Gerardo, there was talk of the possible recording of an album that would include a work of mine, written ex profeso. The recording project was received with enthusiasm by Alejandro Escuer, flutist and artistic director of Ónix, who contributed significantly to its purging. So, we decided it would be actractivo the disc gather works by Mexican composers of our generation, written for the same instrumental endowment: the mixed quintet Ónix adopt in academic residence UMSNH composed for flute / alto flute / bass flute, clarinet / bass clarinet, piano, violin and cello.

Naturally and almost immediately, the names of Ignacio Baca Lobera, Luis Jaime Cortez, Armando Luna and Jorge Torres emerged, composers for whose work Alejandro and I have always felt a deep admiration. Five composers writing for five instruments, it really was a tempting idea, although it still lacked the final ingredient. This one was revealed to us when considering the possibility that each composer conferred a concertante, that is to say, musically outstanding role, to one of the instruments in particular (same that would have to be different in each piece). Now a really interesting, flexible proposal with a great creative potential and its own personality arose.

The composers accepted the additional challenge that the choice of the concertante instrument was decided on the siesta. So, if we are to be faithful to the Greek tradition, the dice determined that Jorge Torres take charge of the flute, Ignacio Baca Lobera the clarineta, Luis Jaime Cortez piano, Armando Luna violin, and cello. The five quintets were premiered by the Ónix ensemble in November 2001, within the framework of the XIII Morelia International Music Festival. Since then they are part of the group’s repertoire.

Hebert Vázquez