THE GLITTERING WORLD

Juantio Becenti
(b. Aneth, UT, Navajo Nation, 1983)

Composed 2022; 16 minutes

Juantio Becenti writes: “The Glittering World is based on the mythological narrative of how the Navajo People came to be. According to the Navajo origin story, proto-humans emerged from a genesis-like void (described as little more than mist) and ascended from various mono-colored underworlds. With each migration, these beings became increasingly more complex and ‘more human,’ forced to deal with their own nature as they moved from world to world. Each previous world they survived was destroyed by some facet of their own nature that they had to reconcile with and overcome, or, likewise, also be destroyed. Each world is represented by a single color until these proto-humans, now demi-gods with their accumulated knowledge, emerge into the ‘Glittering World’ or ‘The World of Many Colors.’ These precursors of the ‘Surface Dwelling People’ (Navajo People) were tasked with laying the ceremonial groundwork with which to guide the Navajo People in their pursuit of harmony and beauty in all things in this current world.”

“In The Glittering World, I am attempting to highlight the idea of a diminishing world moving into the next by using various musical languages that, while in the moment may seem different, even incompatible, are fundamentally related. Each movement, or ‘world,’ gradually disintegrates into the next with their own various themes. Throughout the piece, works from various composers who have influenced me are quoted – some overtly, and some less so. I have always felt that using musical languages in this manner propels the music forward in ways it otherwise wouldn’t, in essence a reflection of a Glittering World. The ensemble is contrasted by a solo violin which, while not properly pitted against the larger ensemble as in a concerto, does add color and contrast and even commentary, almost like an individual witnessing these various changes.”

Photo Credit: Donovan Quintero, Navajo Times

“Writing music is an intuitive process,” says Diné (Navajo) composer Juantio Becenti. “You can study it all you want, but if you don’t intuitively know what works, and what doesn’t, you’re never going to write anything good.” Becenti came to this conclusion after two unproductive semesters of formal instruction. Nevertheless, the need to create was there from the start. “It’s really strange. I just had that desire, almost since I can remember,” Becenti told the Navajo Times a decade ago. The technique to put the inspiration down on paper was kindled from an early age by music theory books from the school library, by after-hours piano practice on the school piano, subscriptions to CD-of-the-month clubs and by much listening while following music scores. Becenti’s first commission, a string quartet, came at age 15 from the Moab Music Festival. Other commissions followed, with performances by Dawn Avery, the St. Petersburg String Quartet, Chatter and Claremont Trio among others. Tonight’s performance is a new commission premièred this past spring by A Far Cry.