Initium

Program Note

Overture for Wind Symphony was born from a commission by my dear friend Esteban Barquero, who invited me to write an opening work for a concert featuring Franz Liszt’s Totentanz as its central piece.

From its conception, I envisioned this work as a vibrant and energetic musical discourse built upon the interaction of three fundamental musical ideas. The first is derived from the Gregorian chant Dies Irae, the celebrated medieval melody employed by Liszt in Totentanz and later revisited by countless composers across different periods and musical styles. The second consists of ascending and descending arpeggiated figures that generate momentum and movement throughout the work. The third is a syncopated theme, first introduced by the saxophone section, whose rhythmic vitality brings contrast and dynamism to the musical development.

From this latter theme emerges a brief two-note motive that assumes a significant structural role. This gesture reappears throughout the composition, functioning as a unifying element that shapes the musical discourse and frames the work from its opening measures to its conclusion.

As the music unfolds, these three materials interact, transform, and intertwine, moving through a variety of tonal centers before culminating in the recapitulation. The result is a compact and cohesive overture in which energy, motion, and thematic unity serve as the fundamental pillars of the musical discourse. Conceived as an opening work, it seeks from its very first measures to establish an atmosphere of vitality and intensity, setting the stage for the musical journey of the concert.

• Juan Guerra González