{"id":10643,"date":"2018-08-14T16:16:17","date_gmt":"2018-08-14T23:16:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/classicalguitarmagazine.com\/?p=10643"},"modified":"2018-11-05T09:58:33","modified_gmt":"2018-11-05T17:58:33","slug":"method-leo-brouwers-challenging-and-modern-danza-caracteristica","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/classicalguitarmagazine.com\/method-leo-brouwers-challenging-and-modern-danza-caracteristica\/","title":{"rendered":"Method: Leo Brouwer’s Challenging and Modern \u2018Danza Caracteristica\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
BY RHAYN JOOSTE | FROM THE FALL 2018 ISSUE OF CLASSICAL GUITAR<\/em><\/h6>\n

Danza Caracteristica<\/i>, by Leo Brouwer (b.1939), portrays a quintessential <\/span>Afro-Cuban dance through the idiom of modern guitar. This lesson will explore coordination, artificial harmonics, and 20th century Cuban music.<\/p>\n

OVERVIEW<\/span><\/h5>\n

Brouwer is a conductor, arranger, guitarist, and arguably the foremost modern Cuban composer. He composed his first pieces in 1954 at age 15. Since that point he has produced a steady flow of music that has included solo and chamber pieces, film soundtracks, concertos, electric music, ballet scores, and more\u2014with the guitar ever present. <\/span><\/p>\n

Two core elements evident in much of Brouwer\u2019s writing style are Afro-Cuban music influences\u2014especially Yoruba rhythmic patterns\u2014and the European classical idiom fused to popular expression. Danza Caracteristica<\/i>, a challenging work in dropped-D tuning, was composed in 1956, and is dedicated to Brouwer\u2019s guitar teacher, Isaac Nicola. Within it, Brouwer explores the rhythmic \u201ccharacteristics\u201d of a particular Cuban dance: the conga<\/i>. He also exploits a melody from a popular tune called Qu\u00edtate de la Acera<\/i> (Get Off the Sidewalk<\/i>). Even though it was composed at a time when there was a movement in Latin American music toward nationalism, we can also see in it hints of Brouwer\u2019s later musical inclinations.<\/span><\/p>\n

RIGHT HAND<\/span><\/h5>\n

Throughout this piece you will find rhythmic cells derived from the habanera<\/i> (see Fall 2017 \u201cMethod\u201d), one of which is the tresillo<\/i> (triplet) cell in the bass part. This cell requires a confident level of fine control for its syncopation to stand out. <\/span>Micro Study 1<\/span><\/strong> is an amalgamation of the three main ostinato riffs, with Brouwer\u2019s various accents, from Danza Caracteristica<\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The main aim is to practice thumb control with slurs, RH independence, and barres. The piano up-pedal symbol\u2014an asterisk*\u2014illustrates the dampening made explicit by Brouwer\u2019s use of rests in the original. The goal is to dampen the first bass note, after playing a rest stroke on the accented note, dampen that, and then play the third\u2014all the while keeping the in-between notes even and running. It\u2019s not easy, so take it slow.<\/span><\/p>\n

RIGHT HAND AND LEFT HAND<\/span><\/h5>\n

Danza<\/i> will test your coordination skills. <\/span>Micro Study 2<\/span><\/strong> (derived from bars 19 and 20), has been designed to bring to light the conga<\/i> rhythm. The aim is to play the first chords together, and afterward strum the chords marked rasg<\/i>. Then shift the LH down and back up with a 2nd-finger guide, all the while controlling the strings with both hands\u2014a host of coordinated events which will bring your Cuban conga<\/i> to life; try not to \u201cjust strum\u201d these chords.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Micro Study 3<\/span><\/strong> is for practicing artificial harmonics (AH), and it utilizes parts of the Qu\u00edtate<\/i> melody. Again, there\u2019s a coordinated action between hands: The LH frets the notes normally, while the RH points to (and plucks) the harmonic node\/fret an octave above\u2013frets 15 and 17 respectively. The micro study progresses from basic AHs to the prerequisites for Danza<\/i>\u2013AHs with bass notes. This is achieved with RH finger independence: i<\/i> finger marks the node, a<\/i> finger plucks the string behind i<\/i>, while p<\/i> plucks the bass. Again, a series of fine synchronized movements where it is best to \u201cchunk\u201d (divide) the information: Work on the p<\/i> bass pluck (with a<\/i>) finger pluck, then add in the a<\/i> (with i<\/i>) finger pluck.<\/span><\/p>\n

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LEFT HAND<\/span><\/h5>\n

Danza Caracteristica<\/i> is notated in an open\/atonal key (no sharps or flats) with three key centers: D minor, G minor and E minor. It can be partitioned into the following sections: A B (A1 A2) C, with a short coda of A2\u2019s material. The A sections are marked by the opening ostinato rhythm, bar 1, which is literally transposed into D minor (bar 25) and then E minor (bar 41). Section B (bar 15) utilizes the cinquillo<\/i> cell, into a direct statement of the conga<\/i> rhythm with chords (bar 19). Section C (bar 54) is an AH quote of the original Qu\u00edtate<\/i> melody, in deliberate bin<\/span>ary contrast to the rest of the piece.<\/p>\n

There are two main LH slurs found in this piece: single slurs off a barre (which are challenging for the
\nlittle finger), and double slurs on open strings\u2014which require accuracy. Micro Study 4<\/span><\/strong>, broken into two sections, is aimed at improving both techniques. The first is an adoption of an idea for strengthening the LH fingers which Brouwer shared in a master class. Aim to slur cleanly while maintaining a barre chord. The second idea, based on bars 68\u201369, is for practicing the double hammer-ons and pull-offs. Aim for striking the strings accurately, fingers together, with a solid tone. Practice the pull-offs\u2014technically a pull down<\/i> movement\u2014in one fluid motion together. Again, chunking the actions into sections will help. Concentrate on the harmonization of the LH fingers first, then synchronize the pull-offs. Bear in mind that a certain level of left and right coordination will be required to get it zinging at speed.<\/p>\n

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LANGUAGE<\/span><\/h5>\n

The musical language that Brouwer utilizes in this piece is full of colorful aural clashes\u2014the opening 9th interval, the prevalent flatted 5th interval, etc. Each is used across Danza<\/i> to great effect. Brouwer also cleverly employs two diminished 5th diads as a maj7 b<\/span>5 sus4 chord, chromatically up the fretboard (bars 33\u201335 and 49\u201352), with the first cell of the conga<\/i> rhythm. This is the start of the language that Brouwer would develop further during his avant-garde era and beyond. The ending is Brouwer manipulating time (bar 102 onwards), so mark the rests carefully. And he finally closes with what must be a joke, a clich\u00e9d V-i.<\/p>\n

FINAL REFLECTION<\/span><\/h5>\n

Composing, for Brouwer, is sometimes analogous to filmmaking: It is possible to zoom in on subjects, pan across them, or slow down and alter scenes. And Danza Caracteristica<\/i> is an excellent piece with which to come to grips with his unique language. From the Cuban tresillo<\/i> bass syncopation to the cinquillo<\/i> cell, from binary ideas to a popular (humorous) song\u2014all are part of Brouwer\u2019s Afro-Cuban-style traits.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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