Notas de programa para Poema XXXII, Trilce de César Vallejo

POEMA  XXXII,  from TRILCE by Marianella Machado

For mixed chorus a capella

Performers: Indiana University Contemporary Vocal Ensemble, Carmen Téllez, conductor

Trilce, Poem XXXII, written by the Peruvian poet César Vallejo, appeals to the sounds of words and onomatopoeic expressions (rather than to their actual meaning) to both move and shock the listener and make him/her aware of the particular situation the work presents. The extensive use of nonsense words and harsh sounds makes this work very difficult, if not impossible, to translate without altering the effect of the poet’s intention.

Two opposite dimensions are dealt with in the poem. The first, reality or the outer world, is symbolized by heat and warmth. It expresses chaos, oppression, injustice, and the absurd through harsh sounds and nonsense words. As opposed to this, the inner world, represented by ice and air, expresses a dimension of ideals, justice, balance, and order, all within a framework of frustration.

In the choral setting of the poem, made by Marianella Machado, these two worlds are portrayed by the soloists and the chorus, respectively. An ironical and satirical approach to singing characterizes the soloists’ representation of reality whereas, the choral part, with its different expressive resources, meter changes, and parlato sections, depicts the ideals and frustrations of the inner world.