Tactus 2003

Tactus is based on a tongue twister of Tanzania (Chim-pwa-pwa Chim-pwi-te) from the Nyimboza wadodo (songs and games) repertoire of Wagogo children in Tanzania. 

Its palindromic structure revolves around the figure 5, from which the piece develops as a «theme with variations». It shows the rhythmic, sonic and expressive possibilities that congas offer depending on how they are used: brushed, rubbed, struck, torn, struck … with hands, fingers, nails, and wooden or rubber-headed drumsticks. The palindromes as well as the mirror and the symmetry are the basis of this construction, which are reminiscent of his travels through Africa.

The six drums are tuned following the range of hexatone scales, always in ascending order from low to high. The tuning must be as warm as possible trying to achieve a natural watery, round and clear sound. Drumsticks should have one end made of wood and the other end covered with a rubber-like material.

The tempi indicated by the author are indicative and therefore flexible. Rigor in freedom expresses the author. Tactus is characterized by the compositional resource of the mirror, strongly influenced by traditional African music and polymetric presence.

Polo Vallejo

Ethnomusicologist, pedagogue and composer from Madrid born in 1959. Doctor of Music Sciences. Internationally recognized in the field of experimental ethnomusicology for his research carried out in Africa since 1988, among which the detailed study of the vocal polyphonies of the Wagogo of Tanzania stands out. Scientific and artistic advisor to the Carl Orff Foundation (Munich, Germany) and the National Folklore Center of Tbilisi (Georgia), he teaches specialized music courses on five continents.

Visiting professor at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki (Finland), the Mozarteum University in Salzburg (Austria), the McGill University in Montreal (Canada) and Princeton University (USA), among others. He is also professor of Musical Pedagogy in the Master of Interpretation of the Reina Sofía School of Music (Madrid).

Currently, and since 2006, he has been conducting research in Georgia (Caucasus) on secular polyphonies. Responsible for projects that link research, creation and musical education, in 2019 he has published a CD-book «Kédougou: Bedik, Bassari and Malinké children’s repertoires of Senegal» and prepares the publication of educational materials developed during 30 years of teaching experiences throughout the world.

Presenter of educational concerts and collaborator-trainer in socio-musical projects that interrelate creation, education and research, Polo Vallejo is co-founder of the Swanu Books publishing house, with which he received the Award for Best Book Edited in 2017 («Art Books» category) , Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports, for the book «It ends when I arrive» (Cuadernos de campo, Tanzania 1995-2015). He is currently preparing a DVD devoted to his work for percussion together with the Drumming Grupo de Percussâo from Oporto (Portugal).

Luna Nueva 2000

This is a work that reveals the freakiest side of Jesús Rueda, his bizarre part. Towards 1999 a more urban idea of ​​percussion, drums, tires, scrap metal, etc., in an irresistible attraction for garbage or for the apparently discarded. The title New Moon responds to the ritual part of the work, mystery of the dark night, the poetic meaning that a night without a moon is present in this piece.

The work immerses itself in the search for sounds, timbres and rhythms beyond the traditions of cultured music. Make an approach to pop without fear of transferring part of its languages ​​and forms to auteur music. The composer, needing to break away from symphonic instruments to arrive at a more urban, more radical sound, leads the score with the phrase

Discovering the possibilities of a drum

As almost always in Jesús Rueda’s music, the search for symbols and representations goes beyond the music itself. In this case, the recurring idea is that of a «distant howl on a moonless night», with allusions to plastic art, like some drawings by Paul Klee. It is curious how in Rueda we also find certain plastic similarities with the most schematic and abstract works of the painter, especially in the first sketch on graph paper of Luna Nueva. Ritual idea, instrumental ara, tribal extasy through repetition.

In the work there are two differentiated sections, the first one entrusted to two oil drums, of different sizes with which a percussion space is created, delimited with three touch points on each drum a wooden platform between them, forming a kind of ara. In the displacement generated by the movement to reach these specific points, a kind of ancestral dance is generated. It is an ecstatic and cathartic movement, which is sped up and ritually charged. The second section is announced by the sounds of metal instruments, prolonged, stopped. They are like warning chimes generated without bells.

The instrumental template does not have a fixed scheme but is a suggestion for the interpreter based on the timbral, color and height, giving the percussionist freedom to create their own set, as long as it responds to the needs raised. On a continuum of fusas, ostinato, the speech is fragmented without losing the pulse of fusas. It is a tour de force in which time and sound events accelerate.

«One of the most attractive authors of his generation» AUDIOCLASSIC December 2011

«Rueda is much Rueda and his music does not go unnoticed. […] It is true that Rueda takes his time, but in his case the wait is always worth the regret. […] His musical talent is exceptional «Juan Ángel Vela del Campo from EL PAÍS.

Jesús Rueda

Jesús Rueda was born in Madrid in 1961. He studied piano with Joaquín Soriano at the Royal Superior Conservatory of Music of the Capital and Armonía with Emilio López. Later he studied composition with Luis de Pablo (1980-1984) and with Francisco Guerrero. He has also expanded his studies with Manzoni, Gentilucci and Luigi Nono on a scholarship from the Granada Festival (1985-88). He has worked on electroacoustic music with Horacio Vaggione at the Cuenca Electroacoustic Music Cabinet. He has also given various conferences on his music both in Spain and abroad. He is the 2004 National Music Prize awarded by the Ministry of Culture of Spain.

He has been Composer in Residence for the Young National Orchestra of Spain (JONDE) in 97-98 and has represented Spain in the European Variations for all the Young Orchestras of Europe organized by EFNYO (Amsterdam) in 2000 with his Symphony I. » Labyrinth».

He has received commissions from the CDMC (Ministry of Culture of Spain), Ensemble InterContemporain de Paris, Biennale di Venezia, ONE, Universidad Complutense de Alcalá, Novecento Música de Milan, Archbishopric of Milan, Ensemble L’Itineraire de Paris, JONDE, Niewe Muziek de Middelburg (Holland)

Among the musicians who have performed his music are the Ensemble InterContemporain, Arditti String Quartet, Ananda Sukarlan, Miquel Bernat, L’Itineraire, Orquesta Nacional de España, Orquesta Filarmónica de Strasbourg, Orq. of the Hermitage Theater, Orq. from Cadaqués, Xenakis Ensemble, Divertimento Ensemble, Freon, Angel Luis Castaño, Ricardo Descalzo, Miguel Ituarte, Modus Novus, etc.

He has won several composition awards, among others:

1st Prize of the Madrid City Council 1989, 1st Prize of the General Society of Authors of Spain 1990 and 1991, 2nd Prize ICONS of Turin 1991, Prize Forum Junger Komponisten (WDR) of Cologne 1992, IRCAM Reading Panel 1995 (Ensemble InterContemporain commission), Prize of the College of Spain of Paris 1996.

Vivencia 1970

Composed in Pontevedra-Spain 1970 by order of the Directorate General of Fine Arts of the Ministry of Education and Science to be premiered at the First New Music Week in Madrid, cataloged as Op. 11 and dedicated to Antonio Iglesias (1918-2011), Vivencia is the only work for percussion in Bertomeu’s catalog, who explained the reasons for his interest in composing for this unusual staff in Spain: “[…] in these years, writing for percussion was a novelty. All the new ideas came from outside and percussion was booming at the European level.

 In this score we are faced with harmonic fields arising from controlled intervals that are strongly linked to the physical characteristics of percussion instruments of a certain height.

Many concerts were held with percussion as an outstanding instrument. ”3 However, Bertomeu’s catalog does not present a polarization around the percussion family within the solo genre but rather towards an orchestral use of it. In his catalog, a more relevant use of the family of percussion instruments can be found a few years later, in the period 1976-79, where works such as … and after4 (1976) for clarinet and percussion appear; Remembering Ramón Gómez de la Serna (1978) for soprano, clarinet itself, cello and a percussionist; and Improntu5 (sic) (1979) for five percussionists, the latter dedicated to the Madrid Percussion Group (Llorens, 2019, p.129).

Agustí Bertomeu I Rafal-Alicante I 1929

He studied composition with Tomás Blanco, and at the Real Conservatorio Superior de Música de Madrid with Conrado del Campo and Julio Gómez and Orchestra Conducting with Pérez Casas. In 1955, he entered the Army as Director of Music through competitive examination. In 1963 he attended the Musical Composition Course taught by Boulcz and Stockhausen in Darmstadt. He was Director of the Palma de Mallorca Chamber Orchestra of Musical Youth and, later, from 1968 to 1976 Director of the Polyphonic Choir of Pontevedra.

His works have obtained awards and mentions in compositional competitions among which are: International Prize of the Ministry of Information and Tourism 1968, the International Society of Contemporary Music (SIMC) selects two of his works to represent Spain at the Warsaw World Festival 1968 and London 1971. Honorable Mention at the 1968 International Oscar Esplá Award, Honorable Mention at the 1972 Prince Pedro de Monaco International Award, 1974 National Show Syndicate Award, 1974 National Ministry of Education and Science Award, Golden Harp in the VI Composition Contest of the Spanish Confederation of Savings Banks 1980, VII International Prize of Musical Composition Reina Sofía 1989.