Estación del Frío

Poetry: Claudia Meyer

Tenor solo & Piano

Program Note

The Song Cycle “Estación del Frío” was commissioned by the Salvadoran Renal Foundation in New York, to be premiered during one of their fundraising events. 

I knew Claudia Meyer from the days I worked as Assistant Conductor and Pianist for the Choir of Dr. José Matías Delgado’s University. I was told by our friend Mauricio Iglesias that Claudia will be publishing a book of poetry soon. I came to her looking for inspiration and she kindly agreed to share with me the then unpublished manuscript of the book and I was fascinated and inspired by her work.

I chose three poems and started working on the music immediately. The first to be completed was “Yo te amé como nunca” I compare the music as a great flow of emotions like to be in love. The second song to be completed was “Estación del Frío” I finished this song in just 4 hours using themes from the previous song to create unity and consistency. The music reflects the idea of being in a lonely place surrounded by cold creating a dramatic effect on the listener. For the ideas in the third one “Concebir el Laberinto” I was inspired by the idea of a labyrinth. The music will guide the listener through different places and emotions ending with the hope that something different is coming.

All three songs are connected and the work reflects a journey from the solitude of the cold to the warmth of being in love and expecting something better for the future.

  • Juan Guerra González

Poems

Claudia Meyer, poet

Estación del Frío

La vida se aprecia por los sentidos. Es la estación del frío. Percibo ahora la vida por los matices de la omisión.

 

  • Claudia Meyer

Life is seen by the senses. It is the season of cold. Now I perceive life through the nuances of the omission.

Yo te amé como nunca

 

Yo te amé como nunca. Viví tus ojos de pájaro salvaje, tu desnudo de sombra cálida.

Tu nombre era aire
que llenaba el silencio, eras carne, delicado enjambre de vida detonando en mi crepúsculo, catarata de alegría entre mis manos.

Eras tibia mirada que recogía las caricias esparcidas por las
habitaciones.

Contigo era posible la luz, el torrente de luceros fluyendo por las venas, como el brazo de espuma que navegaba entre las
sábanas cada mañana…

 

  • Claudia Meyer

I loved you as ever. I lived your wild bird eyes, your warm naked shadow.

Your name was air that filled the silence, you were meat, delicate swarm of life detonating in my
twilight, waterfall of joy in my hands.

You were warm caresses look collecting scattered around the rooms. With you light was possible,
the torrent of stars flowing through the veins, such as foam arm sailing between the sheets every morning…

Concebír el Laberinto

 

No usé el beligerante escudo del sol para conquistar fronteras, ni fundé otra patria más allá de mi labor; la flecha de mi brazo fue hermana de la caza, no del imperio donde el sol no se oculta.

Mi crimen fue concebir el laberinto y el de los pájaros el de darme uno a uno el tornasol de sus alas.

Otros tejan con sangre y oropel sus victorias, yo me quedo con un puñado de arena, contigo y esta playa.

 

  • Claudia Meyer

I did not use the belligerent sun shield to conquer frontiers, nor founded another country beyond my work; the arrow of my arm was sister of the hunt, not from the empire where the sun does not set.

My crime was to conceive the labyrinth And of the birds giving me the litmus of their wings one by one.

Other weave their victories with blood and tinsel, I am left with a handful of sand, you and this beach.

Copyright © Claudia Meyer. 

For more information on Claudia’s book visit the following link.