Invitación by I. Cervantes is a short attractive musical work. This intermediate level arrangement from PlentyMusic for wind quartet is in the key of Am and features the Cuban habanera pattern. The arrangement is scored for flute, oboe and clarinet in Bb and bassoon. The music has been transposed from the original key of E minor to A minor. Individual parts for the wind instruments are appended to the full music score. It is an excellent piece for ensemble players to help their tuning and intonation by listening to both their own playing and the playing of others. The chromatic notes and modal shifts also make it challenging to play absolutely in tune. The music editor suggests that it is the ideal competition or test piece. The rhythmic patterns need to be secure and possibly learnt by clapping and tapping drills particularly in the context of an ensemble performance. There is surprising intensity in the music of Cervantes created by the tonal/modal ambivalence and by the many accidentals in the strong contrapuntal lines. Where appropriate some octave transpositions have been made in the lines to keep to the best and most appropriate range of the instrument. Most of Cervantes movements are very short and benefit from being played through twice. The music editor has not actually made use of repeat signs in the music scores that have been prepared. The tempo of the score is marked Moderato with the movement able to be played at a range of tempi from around 64 to 76 quarter note (crotchet) beats to the minute. In this arrangement the realisation plays back at 66 quarter note beats to the minute. The performance practice of the music of Cervantes varies particularly with regard to tempo and the use of rubato (speeding up and slowing down) and does not benefit from the same tradition of playing as movements by more mainstream composers. The advice is simply to listen and learn from the recordings that are available. Whilst there is the scope for more flexibility in performance than demonstrated by the realisations the music editor suggests the avoidance of any exaggerated playing. Ignacio Cervantes was born in Havana, Cuba and composed many short pieces for the piano most of which are imbued with the rhythms and colour of his homeland. The habanera rhythmic pattern features strongly in his music. Should some re-scoring be required please advise the PlentyMusic Office. Please do let us hear and share your live performances which can be forwarded as mp3 and mp4 files to the PlentyMusic Office. Just advise us by email that you have a recording to share.
