For centuries, animals have been a source of inspiration for composers, from Saint-Saëns and his “Carnival of the Animals” to the “Voice of the Whale” by George Crumb. Insects have also been taken into account. There are legendary works dedicated to them such as The Flight of the Bumble Bee by Rimsky
- Korsakoff, The flight of the Fly by Bandolim and Alberto Valderrama's El Avispero (The wasps' nest).
The Bees, producers of sweetness, could not been left out of the composers' inspiration. The theme “Las Abejas” (The bees), by the Paraguayan composer Agustín Barrios Mangoré, is an original prelude for the guitar, and in this recording, it has been adapted twice, once as a duet and again as a quartet.
The first version enables the flute to intervene in the "arpeggio" fluency of the guitar and later sing like a drunken "trovador" in love. The second version sets the bees flying over a united land between the music of Paraguay and Venezuela, in a rhythm sustained by the maracas and the Venezuelan "cuatro". It is important to mention that Venezuela was the first place where Maestro Mangoré succeeded on the international scene.
Furthermore, he inspired Antonio Lauro to take the guitar seriously. Of the music by Lauro, we play his waltz "Carora", which was dedicated to Alirio
Díaz. This arrangement has no "virtuoso" pretensions; however, it shows the nobility of our music.
The “4 poemas en 1 (entre 2)” (“4 Poems in 1, divided between 2”) by Ricardo Teruel, was composed originally for m'bira and vibraphone. This multi-movement piece has the flavor of the Japanese Haiku. Furthermore, this piece manifests the joy of life with a subtle musical content and themes that evoke the daily "ups and downs" of life with enormous hope, like the constant activity of bees.
“La Fiesta”, by American composer Chick Corea, is an emotive theme, plunged into the fascination for the other, the seductive; and in this case, Spanish music.
In this version, the flute and guitar duet symbolizes a musical celebration with two "soli" that exhibit their heritage almost in a circle, in a connection like Venezuela-United States-Spain-Middle East, where the borderlines are only perceptible by those akin to etiquette.
This Fiesta, so to speak, extends up to December with the advent of the “Precioso Querube” (Precious Child) of Miguel Ángel Bosch and Iván Pérez Rossi. This is a Christmas carol written by two members of one of the most representative groups in the Venezuela's vocal tradition: "Serenata Guayanesa." The only composer still missing in the Fiesta is Pedro Andrés Pérez, and he joins in with two works in the Venezuelan style, both in the spirit of tribute.
“El Encanto” is a merengue dedicated to the "old train" located in Los Teques. It symbolizes those dreams, those travelers wishes for seeing new paths. And Teriyá-keriyá, which portrays the sounding mannerism of "onda nueva" (new wave), a music form that Aldemaro Romero both created and popularized. The double bass is the honored guest in both pieces, which pleasantly surprises us with its capacity to be either soloist or accompanist.
Aboard my train I travel with the fresh rhythm of the onda nueva to a town in Lara, where it is alleged that a big fiesta will be thrown to celebrate the advent of the just born child. On the road, I read some poems about the wonders of life, and I become distracted by the sweet smell of honey, then I close my eyes and allow myself to drift away; I want to be with you.
Javier Montilla.
"La fiesta de las abejas"
01- La Fiesta (Chick Corea)
02- Carora (Antonio Lauro)
03- Las Abejas (Agustín Barrios Mangoré)
4 Poemas en 1 (entre 2) (Ricardo Teruel) (Tracks 04 to 07)
04- Dejándose Llevar
05- Con Una Sonrisa
06- Por El Camino De La Vida
07- Contigo
08- Precioso Querube (Miguel Angel Bosch/Iván Pérez Rossi)
09- La Fiesta De Las Abejas (Agustín Barrios Mangoré)
10- El Encanto (Pedro Andrés Pérez)
11- Teriyá-keriyá (Pedro Andrés Pérez)
Musicians:
Javier Montilla, flute
Pedro Andrés Pérez, guitar
Guest Musicians:
Javier Arvelo, cuatro
Andrés Coromoto Martínez, maracas
Produced by Pedro Andrés Pérez & Javier Montilla
Recorded by Juan Carlos Almao
Mixed by Juan Carlos Almao, Javier Montilla & Pedro Andrés Pérez
Recorded & Mixed at Estudio 1106 (Caracas)
Digital Editing & Mastering: Juan Carlos Almao
Graphic Design: Oscar G. Jiménez - EOS Digital
Photos by Daniel Cohen, Paul Suescum, Rodrigo Benavides & Enver Cuervos
2005
Listen to the full album on YouTube.
Also available on your favorite music app (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, etc.)