He andado muchos caminos
for sixteen voices (SSAATTBB+SSAATTBB) and guitar

year of composition

2012

About the work

I have long admired the poetry of Antonio Machado.

He andado muchos caminos is my musical development of that music already latent in all of Machado’s verse. My setting is a multisectional cantata in two broad movements, comprising chorales, recitatives and arias, with interludes for solo guitar.

The recitativo sections (commencing at measures 80 and 212) are presented in the score deliberately without dynamic markings or expressive qualifiers. They are to be treated as recitatives from the high Baroque.

Clear and expressive declamation of the text is the first priority.

For the first sonorous fruition of He andado muchos caminos, so soon after the cantata’s conception, thanks are due to guitarist Alexander Dunn, to the singers of Vox Humana, and especially to their conductor, Brian Wismath.

Audio

• En todas partes he visto... (2nd mvmt.) (performed by Alexander Dunn & Vox Humana, 2012)