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Description: Excursión a la Montaña tells the
story of the first excursion of a child to the top of a little mountain.
Stylistically, the piece is inspired by the music of Debussy and Prokofiev.
In addition to impressionistic harmonies, it incorporates elements of Mexican
music and Spanish Flamenco music. This piece was originally written for a
friend of the composer, flutist Kim Sopata. This piece has been championed,
in particular, by flutists Orlando Cela and Sefika Kutluer,
who have performed it extensively around the world.
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Premiere: This piece was
premiered by Kim Sopata on April 17th, 1995 at Northwestern University in
Evanston, Illinois. The orchestra version was created especially for Turkish
flutist Sefika Kutluer and was performed for the
first time in her album “Latin Romance” by Sefika, accompanied by the
Bratislava Strings Orchestra, conducted by Marian Lejava. The recording took
place on 2013 in Slovakia.
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Program Notes by José Elizondo:
“Excursión a la Montaña”
(Excursion to the Mountain) is one of the earliest compositions by José
Elizondo. Originally written for unaccompanied flute, it was inspired by the
beautiful performances of Debussy’s “Syrinx” by Elizondo’s friend, flutist
Kim Sopata Fleuchaus.
This composition is a simple and straightforward
programmatic piece that narrates the story of a child’s first excursion to
the top of a small mountain. The introduction evokes bucolic images of a
sunny mountain landscape. The flute melody then transitions to a playful and
rhythmically fluid motif, reflecting the child’s joyful journey up the
mountain—skipping, running, and occasionally rolling down. The music slows
down at times, allowing for contemplative moments when the child stops to
admire the beautiful scenery or listen to the birds’ songs. Alongside
impressionist-influenced harmonies, the piece incorporates elements of
Mexican and Spanish Flamenco music, particularly in the more reflective
sections.
The piece premiered on April 17, 1995, at
Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, performed by Kim Sopata Fleuchaus. In 2013, an orchestral version was created
especially for Turkish flutist Sefika Kutluer and
was featured on her album “Latin Romance,” accompanied by the Bratislava
Strings Orchestra, conducted by Marian Lejava.
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