The Spanish composer Carlos Suriñach (1915-1997) migrated to the U.S. Unlike Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Suriñach (who changed his surname to Surinach) used an openly Andalousian idiom for his Via Crucis: A cycle of fiteen Saetas (1970) and his Sonatina (dedicated in 1959 to Andrés Segovia). Both composers—who would become American nationals—portrayed in their music the passion and fervour of the Spanish Holy Week. Castelnuovo did so in the central and most substantial movement of his Romancero Gitano – Procesión, paso, saeta (Procession, float, saeta)—and Suriñach in his Via Crucis, a depiction of the Fourteen Stations of the Cross, during the Passion of Christ. Saetas are improvised songs typically performed a cappella by a singer from a balcony. They are dedicated to a particular image of Christ or the Virgin, represented by a float carried during Holy Week processions. There is no more spine-chilling moment during a procession than when an impromptu saetero bursts into song: the whole procession comes to a halt, and the singer—in a state of semi-trance—spins his deep and plaintive song. Suriñach depicts this trance—perhaps toying with minimalism—with small melodic cells in the choir and the use of repetitive flamenco rasgueado chords in the guitar.

from notes by Carlos Fernández Aransay © 2008

El compositor español Carlos Suriñach (1915-1997) emigró a los EE.UU. A diferencia de Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Suriñach (que cambió su apellido a Surinach) empleó un idioma claramente andaluz en su Via Crucis: Un ciclo de quince saetas (1970) y en su Sonatina (dedicada en 1959 a Andrés Segovia). Ambos compositores—los dos acabarían por adoptar la nacionalidad estadounidense—retrataron la pasión y el fervor de la Semana Santa española en su música. Castelnuovo lo hizo en la pieza central y más sustanciosa de su Romancero Gitano – Procesión, paso, saeta—y Suriñach en su descripción de las Catorce Estaciones de la Pasión de Cristo. Los saeteros siguen hoy día improvisando sus cantos a las vírgenes y cristos de las procesiones andaluzas, entrando casi en un estado de trance. Algo que Suriñach describe, por medio de un minimalismo muy personal, con los repetitivos rasgueados de la guitarra y las pequeñas células melódicas del coro.

extraído de las notas de Carlos Fernández Aransay © 2008