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Crónicas de Ultrasueño

Sergio Barroso

Programme notes

Crónicas de Ultrasueño (Chronicles from Beyond Dreams) was inspired by the poetic musicality, unreality, and polylyricism of the unique Catalan and major Hispanic writer JV Foix (1894-1987). The title was borrowed from his last work Croniques de l’ultrason (1985). Scored for solo oboe and keyboard controlled FM synthesizers, the piece was conceived in three uninterrupted sections that seek to bind together with a strong introspective flavor such opposites as concrete and abstract, old and new, reality and unreality. A demanding oboe part interplays with the polymicrotonal sound colours of the live electronics along a linear path of increasingly complex drama.


Crónicas de Ultrasueño was realized at Ireme Studio in Vancouver (British Columbia, Canada) in 1992 and was commissioned by Uruguayan oboist León Biriotti with support from the Canada Council for the Arts (CCA). Crónicas de Ultrasueño premiered on June 1992 by León Biriotti in Vancouver. A later version for B-flat clarinet and tape, requested by Vancouver performer François Houle, has been often performed. Two further versions were written in 1995 for Adele Armin (violin and tape) and Laura Wilcox (viola and tape). The piece has been recorded by Canadian oboist Lawrence Cherney and myself on the Centerdiscs label (CMC CD 4793) in 1993. Crónicas de Ultrasueño was selected at the 5th International Rostrum of Electroacoustic Music (IREM) in Helsinki (Finland, 1994).

Premiere

  • June 1992, León Biriotti, oboe • Concert, Vancouver (British Columbia, Canada)

About this sound recording

This version was recorded at Ireme studio in Vancouver (British Columbia, Canada) between June 1994 and February 1995 — sound recording: Sergio Barroso; with the assistance of Michael Maguire. Neuman and AKG microphone were used for reciding the acoustic instrument.

  • Composer(s): Sergio Barroso
  • Year of composition: 1992
  • Duration: 12:51
  • Instrumentation: oboe and keyboard-controlled synthesizers
  • Commission: León Biriotti, with support from the CCA
  • ISRC: CAD509612040