Río de llantos (River of Laments) began as a work for flute and guitar in 1993, under the title ‘Sonata-Fantasia On a Traditional Spanish Song’. In 1998, I recast the piece for the present ensemble, in which guise it was premiered at UCLA by Sheridon Stokes, flute, Mark Kaplan, violin, Evan Wilson, viola, Barry Gold, cello, and Walter Ponce, piano. Following its first performance, I made a few cuts and revisions, and, in the run up to tonight’s performance (and recording), a few more. The work’s sister (Sonata-Fantasia On A Spanish Song), a re-casting of the original version of the work for two guitars and flute receives its premiere performances and recording in Georgia this fall.

The work comes squarely from my ‘Spanish’ period, and is steeped in flamenco, Spanish folkloric idioms, cante jondo, Lorca, and, of course, the guitar. In this respect, the work has much in common with my earlier works Tientos (1991) for flute and string trio, and Bulerías (1989) for guitar quartet. The entire piece is based upon Lorca’s catchy setting of the traditional folk-song ‘Los cuatro muleros.’ The work is not a traditional ‘variations’ structure in the old manner, but rather an extended fantasia on elements taken from the melody, its rhythm, and even the simple, but effective accompaniment that Lorca provided. Truly every essential idea in this work is derived from the deceptively simple melody, which, though accompanied in an incessant 3/8, is really often in 3/4, providing a springboard of rhythmic permutations that I had great fun with. From time to time the melody bubbles to the surface in a recognizable manner but often in dark transformations – sometimes inverted! It is true, after all, that the true meaning of these songs is often ambiguous and illusive; the seemingly cheery surface of much Spanish popular music distracts from a deeper, darker meaning. In the present song, for example, where a young woman confesses her inner passions to her mother, it is not entirely clear which of the four handsome young mule drivers is the true object of the young wife’s affections…