Melanie Mitrano
Desafío
Year: 2015
Duration (in minutes): 3'34;
Difficulty: Medium (college/community)
Category: mixed instrument trio
Publisher: Ivy Cottage Press
Score PDF: el_desafio_full_score-5.pdf
Description: This piece is a rumba that is meant to emulate a Latin jazz trio, with the piano functioning as the rhythm section. The piano essentially replicates a comping jazz piano or guitar, underpinning the harmonies and keeping the groove locked in. The piece should be counted off like a Latin jazz tune; the tempo is set from the beginning and does not waver throughout.
The flute and violin have long been integral instruments in Cuban music. Here, they take on the role of duet soloists, maintaining a conversation throughout the piece.
El Desafío means "challenge" or "dare" in Spanish. My challenge here as a composer was to replicate the sound of Cuban jazz without guitars or drums, but rather within a strictly classical framework. The same challenge is posed to the performers in the piece's execution.