Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout (2001)

Leyendas draws inspiration from the idea of mestizaje as envisioned by the Peruvian writer José Maria Arguedas, where cultures can coexist without the subjugation of one by the other. As such, this piece mixes elements from the western classical and Andean folk music traditions. 

“Toyos” depicts one of the most recognizable instruments of the Andes, the panpipe. One of the largest kinds is the breathy toyo which requires great stamina and lung power, and is often played in parallel fourths or fifths. 

“Tarqueada” is a forceful and fast number featuring the tarka, a heavy wooden duct flute that is blown harshly in order to split the tone. Tarka ensembles typically also play in fourths and fifths.  

“Coqueteos” is a flirtatious love song sung by gallant men known as romanceros. As such, it is direct in its harmonic expression, bold, and festive. The romanceros sing in harmony with one another against a backdrop of guitars which I think of as a vendaval de guitarras (“storm of guitars”). 

-Gabriela Lena Frank

Gabriela Lena Frank is an American composer and pianist born in Berkley, California in 1972. She is of Lituanian/Jewish and Peruvian/Chinese ancestry, which she draws from as inspiration for much of her music. Frank has frequently collaborated with Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road ensemble, the Sphinx Organization, and is currently Composer in Residence with the Philidelphia Orchestra. She established the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music to mentor and promote emerging composers. Frank recently received the Heinz Award for Arts and Humanities for her work breaking gender, disability, and cultural barriers in the classical music industry.