Minimalism. Complexity of the Essential.
When I was 9 years old, I remember being paralyzed in front of my parents' television. A huge black-and-white box spoke to me in a sinful way. What I heard I have never forgotten. It was as if the world opened up for me a secret and magical universe that invited me to its encounter. Always in search/creating everyday fantasies.
[Celebrating the 10-year anniversary of Leonardo Gell's MinimalPiano concert, I share the notes I wrote for his concert, this time translated into English.]
By Julián De La Chica
Sol LeWitt: Wall Drawing #370
Courtesy by the MET
Reflections/Anecdotes on Minimalism (Notes from Leonardo Gell's Concert)
I
I called my piano teacher and asked her to tell me about what I was hearing on that TV. Her response was quite straightforward: "It's monotonous, boring, and repetitive. It lacks intellectual depth and complexity." I never forgot those words, especially because at the age of 9, they felt like a mental disturbance. I kept pondering while still being mesmerized. I thought that, despite my teacher's impressive academic credentials that are revered in our scholarly societies, and despite her entirely respectable opinion, I would follow my "less intellectual" and "less profound" instinct towards what had captivated me. I have never conditioned anything or anyone based on third-party criteria, even if they come from almost pontifiable figures.
II (Years went by)
I was in an old theater in Rome. I leave the Santa Cecilia Conservatory and on my way, I come across two movie premieres: Chicago (The Musical) and The Hours. Both at a similar time. Captivated by Meryl Streep's gaze, I decided to opt for Stephen Daldry. Minutes later, I was once again entranced, just like when I was 9 years old... Who was that composer who could silence a shy boy with concentration and attention problems? His name was Philip Glass.
III (Continuation)
In 2004, I presented Corrida Musical, one of my many musical failures. In the middle of the bullring at Hacienda el Pórtico, a wonderful Steinway piano awaited. It was the bull waiting in the arena and I, the matador. (I know it sounds dreadful - I know) The difference? There was no blood here. Only love. I emerged riding an Andalusian horse, and the repertoire, for the most part, was from traditional Spanish composers. Many people liked the concert, one of my many experiments with electronic music, drums, and fusion with other artists. Each piece had a purpose. The concert was modestly accepted, although one of the pieces caused a great stir with a critic from my beloved Bogotá (halfway through the concert, I closed the piano lid and stood still). For more than 3 minutes, the sound of that night had taken center stage, which I had wrested from it; this was for me, the prelude to my experiments on the music that encapsulates apparent silence. Later, I discovered that this idea was not so crazy and that decades ago, the great John Cage had already caused a stir with his masterful 4:33. (Support is not always found when you seek paths different from the established ones).
IV
I am working with music producer Tato Lopera. We finished one of the sessions, and he asks me, "Do you know this movie? (Koyaanisqatsi)" — I said no. "I recommend it to you," he replied. That same night, when I put the movie on at home, I returned to my childhood. Just like in Ratatouille when the critic sits at the table and a first bite takes him back to his mother's house, that's how I felt; there I was, standing in front of that huge black and white box. That was Mom.
My love affair with Philip Glass continues unabated, and with him, I immersed myself in a fascinating world, which some define as minimalism. An infatuation that led me to cohabit with Terry Riley, Steve Reich, John Cage, La Monte Young, Yann Tiersen, Michael Nyman, Steve Martland, Ligeti, Henryk Gorecki, Arvo Pärt, Björk, Wim Mertens, John Tavener, etc...
Minimalist music is more complex than one might think and encompasses a wide range of musical worlds. The term "Minimalism" has been known since the 1960s and emerged, among other places, in alternative spaces in San Francisco and New York, stemming largely from the development of electronic music and, to a large extent, as a response to the proposal of modern music at the time: a certain "ugliness" that arose from the works of Schoenberg, where discourse and concept seemed, according to some, to be entirely lost and/or finished. (According to Paco Gómez Martín- Polytechnic University of Madrid and his writing "Minimalism and Mathematics: Clapping Music" "Indeed, whereas modernism is resolutely atonal, minimalism is clearly modal or tonal; whereas modernism is aperiodic, fragmentary, minimalism is characterized by great rhythmic regularity; and whereas modernism presents a great complexity of structure and texture, minimalism is simply transparent").
Its prelude is attributed to "Serialism," a twelve-tone musical trend that repeats pitches in the same octave position and to mono/structuralism, which works on static works that create a sound effect, called by some as pointillism. "Minimalism" is built from few ideas (minimal), the constant use of the same theme, and according to John Adams: 1. a perceptible pulse, 2. emphatic tonality within a relatively slow harmonic rhythm and 3. a repetition of small cells or motives, which over time create larger architectonic structures.
Many composers make minimalist music, but this does not mean they are minimalists. So, what is minimalism then? The correct use of few elements? The repetition and series of structural and harmonic elements over unimaginable times? The play and clash of rhythms that produce displeasure, largely due to their collateral effects? Minimalism, at least for me, proposes a complex look inward: Silence the noise, to hear what remains, even if it continues to be noise. This is indeed truly complex.
Minimalism has been crucial in the development of the emerging electronic universe. Its current prominence is evident in genres such as pop, vocal/electronic, hip hop, and rap. (That's without mentioning its presence in other fields of the arts such as painting, sculpture, and architecture). Minimalism has represented, since its inception (and here I am NOT referring to music and ancestral eastern currents, nor to its presence in many ethnic cultures), a constant individual search that clashes with a collective market; over time, it becomes a trend, and that quest and/or trend for the minimal, the basic, the essential (now saturated, largely from social networks and/or media), has generated stylistic facets that converge within a whole current of current life.
Leonardo Gell | MinimalPiano
Poster from 2014
Today, Cuban concert pianist Leonardo Gell proposes us to look beyond an apparent recital program. MINIMALPIANO From Bach to de la Chica, proposes, in addition to the sound experience, to reflect on the very roots of minimalism from Gell's interpretive vision. Personally, I believe that before being a theory about minimalist creators, Gell offers us an experimental journey through the music of composers who, as in the case of J.S. Bach (a composer who was part of a period as particular and as antagonistic to minimalism as the Baroque period) offers a timeless vision of what we could consider minimalism today according to an interpretation. Let us not forget that there are those who claim that Bach himself, Satie, and Ravel, to name just a few, proposed this process in many of their works. Cyclical movements, rhythmic games between voices, and evolution and growth of the mono/structure that becomes poly-structure (Does anyone else remember Renaissance music and the basso continuo? (I will soon also share my experience of recently listening at the MET to the New York Philharmonic performing Ravel's much-acclaimed Bolero).
Minimalism largely recovers a proposal that contradicts tonal exhaustion. The harmonic-melodic rebirth in a formal and academic context. We open up to new determination and a neo-tonality, leading to a new scale of post-modernism in our current music. Minimalism, therefore, does not mean the absolutism of nothingness, nor everything that is poor in ideas and development; minimalism is built from a basic experience and cell (note, not a simple cell. "Basic" is necessary as a structural element, "simplicity" is only superficial. A minimalist cell can be basic and very complex or basic and very simple) with a constant and repeated use of its structural elements (rhythm, melody, and harmony) "DISCOURSE," producing a sound experience that leads the listener to a new internal space of their musical consciousness. In conclusion, minimalism encompasses an immense universe of proposals, which grows largely from the compositional tools of the creators; however, minimalism not only refers to arpeggios, polyrhythms, or extensive silences. Its essence is extensive and, I reiterate, by no means new, although we have only officially heard of minimalism since the 20th century.
It will take a long time to resolve many of the concerns contained in minimalism. Surely, like everything in the history of the arts, it will take centuries and much study of the music created today to understand its complete essence. I have no doubt that its musical development subjugated by a previously studied mathematics leads to results (in this I agree with Nico Muhly), even physical ones, something undoubtedly disturbing, which will be the subject of study in perhaps, not too distant future.
V (Any given day)
BAM, Brooklyn, NY. The theater in silence. The synthesizers start. Philip Glass's Einstein on the Beach. Hours and hours of apparent repetition. My brain convulsed, and my insides fell silent... I rediscovered a sound experience that I had never lived before. Later, I understood part of that philosophy, the one I had always been looking for but couldn't find. A dense darkness that eclipses your senses, your reason, and leads you to think, if everything was irrelevant, perhaps empty, or if you had visited that Dantean hell that we all keep. In any case, something that never goes unnoticed.
Many attribute my experiments to minimalist creations. I only echo the voices of everyday life. But at night, after communing with the noise of my fears, I think of that day (when I was 9 years old) and the discovery of that unusual place where the minimal resides. A new sound experience? Some call it minimalism, I see it as a form and experience of existence.
Julián De La Chica LIVE at NYC Piano Week!
Save the date! On April 18th at 8:00 PM, I’ll be performing my piano cycle Op. 10, “Voyeuristic Images,” as part of the “Piano Week” festival at 100 SUTTON STUDIOS. This piece, known for its distinct “NY” vibe, also served as the soundtrack for my award-winning film Agata.
Info:
Experience the pinnacle of piano performance at PIANOWEEK, where New York City's most exceptional talents gather for a week-long extravaganza of music and artistry. From April 15th to April 21st, immerse yourself in the captivating sounds of over 50 brilliant pianists, including renowned artists like Michelle DeAngelis, Sean Spada, Satoko Mori, Julian De La Chica, Cas Weinbren, and many more.
Tickets here
Bandsintown
About the music:
Award-winning soundtrack alongside acclaimed motion picture, Agatha, both by composer/filmmaker Julián De La Chica. Featuring solo piano with exposed, dissonant harmonies and fragile melodic lines, it is a vital component to the film’s exploration of the psyche of loneliness, and its unapologetic narrative simplicity.
Julián De La Chica wins Best Historical Fiction Novel at ILBA 25th Edition
I am thrilled and deeply honored to share some incredible news with all of you. My book, God's Punishment, has achieved a remarkable feat by being recognized as a “double winner”. It has secured the prestigious AWA (Award-Winning Author) award for Best Novel—Historical Fiction (English), and it has also received an Honorable Mention for Best LGBTQ+ Theme Book at the 25th edition of the International Latino Book Awards 2023 (ILBA). This year, with over 3,000 books in contention from around the world, a panel of 220 jurors made their selections, making this achievement truly remarkable.
I would like to dedicate this recognition to the wonderful people of Agua de Dios. This book was written by them and for them. It is a tribute to their spirit, stories, families, and ancestors.
The award ceremony is scheduled for October 21st in Los Angeles, where the book will compete for the gold, silver, or bronze medal. My gratitude goes out to each and every one of you for your unwavering support and encouragement. Congratulations to all the winners and honorable mentions for their outstanding contributions.
Julián De La Chica
Photo courtesy by IGM
God’s Punishment depicts the human rights violations from a dark chapter in Colombian history and culture, whilst underlining the power of music.
Russian Mezzo Yana Mann releases new video
Music like from another world. Mystical, profound and chorale-like. Although Yana Mann was trained as an opera singer, the young mezzo-soprano does not live up to the clichés. On her debut album “Poemas De Bar” she dedicates herself to intimate stories about love, death and loss, which are only uttered in the familiar room of the corner pub. The album will be released on May 21st. The new single "El Amor" will be released on April 23rd.
Music like from another world. Mystical, profound and chorale-like. Although Yana Mann was trained as an opera singer, the young mezzo-soprano does not live up to the clichés. On her debut album “De La Chica’s Poemas De Bar” she dedicates herself to intimate stories about love, death and loss, which are only uttered in the familiar room of the corner pub. The album will be released on May 21st. The new single "El Amor" will be released on April 23rd.
Yana Mann releases new single and video "Ella"
Sadness and pain. Love and separation. Loss and hope. These are some of the themes running deeply throughout Dubai-based mezzo-soprano, Yana Mann’s debut studio album.
Sadness and pain. Love and separation. Loss and hope. These are some of the themes running deeply throughout Dubai-based mezzo-soprano, Yana Mann’s debut studio album. A collaboration with Brooklyn-based Colombian composer Julián De La Chica, who describes Yana as having, ‘A very intriguing voice. There is a palpable darkness to her that gives the songs that peculiar atmosphere necessary to tell a story’.
“For Mann, the achievement is a remarkable solo debut album that demonstrates not only the natural beauty of her voice but the sustained emotional directness with which she deploys it. Mann accentuates the faintest glimmer of hope in these songs detailing loss and absence with such gentle force that the cycle comes to generate a distinctly up-to-date melancholia.”
— Thomas May
The Music and Myth | Interview with Composer Julián De La Chica
I think this speaks to the relatability of the film. Because, as a viewer, if you go beyond what might be shocking to you, or too candid, or too intense, in the end it’s a film about a basic human experience. Everyone has experienced loneliness and desperation, to varying degrees.
I think this speaks to the relatability of the film. Because, as a viewer, if you go beyond what might be shocking to you, or too candid, or too intense, in the end it’s a film about a basic human experience. Everyone has experienced loneliness and desperation, to varying degrees. It’s also a comment on the nature of objective reality. Who are we when we are alone, when we think no one can see us? And, if someone could see us in those moments of privacy, how much would they know about us? How much would they understand? What kind of story would they tell themselves about what they are witnessing?
Agatha, Finalist at the Lonely Wolf London International Film Festival
You'll soon acquaint yourself with the caliber of our worldwide competition as you venture into this week's festival activities, Lonely Wolf is not easy to champion and this very achievement should not be taken lightly; out of 855 film projects to be exact, you were one of the few that snatched a top rank in the competition, it doesn't get better than that!
Official Press Release:
Via Lonely Wolf team
I am beyond thrilled and honoured to make you and your team aware that you've championed Lonely Wolf! YOU ARE A FINALIST NOMINEE!!
You'll soon acquaint yourself with the caliber of our worldwide competition as you venture into this week's festival activities, Lonely Wolf is not easy to champion and this very achievement should not be taken lightly; out of 855 film projects to be exact, you were one of the few that snatched a top rank in the competition, it doesn't get better than that!
HUGE congratulations! Your film is made of special stuff.
You are an alpha wolf inspiring and teaching our global wolfpack community of filmmakers that independent cinema only has as many obstacles as we decide to impose on ourselves. The level of ambition, sophistication and originality you've exhibited in your work was unparalleled and I'm thrilled to celebrate you with our wolfpack community and the wider industry, for I have a long list of longstanding industry contacts and friends invited into this unique film festival I call 'home'. I hope from today you'll find a family in us and we'll be a film festival you'll keep coming back to for I'm going to be following your film-making career very closely and I can't wait to see what you do next.
Entrevista | Festival De Cine De Bogota
Después de haber sido galardonado con la Mención Especial en la categoría de Mejor Cortometraje Internacional, en la 37 edición del Festival De Cine de Bogotá — Bogocine, el Compositor Julián De La Chica nos habla de su película Agatha, de su experiencia dirigiendo su primera obra cinematográfica y sobre la repercusión que ha tenido la película y que la ha llevado a ganar más de 17 premios, y ser seleccionada en mas de 20 festivales internacionales.
Después de haber sido galardonado con la Mención Especial en la categoría de Mejor Cortometraje, en la 37 edición del Festival De Cine de Bogotá — Bogocine, el Compositor Julián De La Chica nos habla de su película Agatha, de su experiencia dirigiendo su primera obra cinematográfica y sobre la repercusión que ha tenido la película y que la ha llevado, al día de hoy, a ganar más de 17 premios, y ser seleccionada en mas de 20 festivales internacionales.
Julian De La Chica, winner at the Tokyo Film Festival
Since its completion in spring 2020, Agatha has circulated through nearly two dozen international film festivals, and has received numerous accolades for its outstanding cinematography, acting, LGBTQUIA+ significance, bold visual experimentation, and haunting film score.
Since its completion in spring 2020, Agatha has circulated through nearly two dozen international film festivals, and has received numerous accolades for its outstanding cinematography, acting, LGBTQUIA+ significance, bold visual experimentation, and haunting film score.
Recently, the film has been lauded at the Tokyo International Short Film Festival (Best Film Score, Best LGBT Film), the Olso Film Festival (Award of Recognition: Best Foreign Film), and Munich’s New Wave Short Film Festival (Best LGBT Film) in addition to nearly twenty other awards, honorable mentions, and nominations (Best LGBT Film) in addition to nearly twenty other awards, honorable mentions, and nominations.
Julian De La Chica in Bogocine 37
Selected as an official artist of Bogocine 37, composer Julián De la Chica will perform a digital concert of selections from the music of his film Agatha, live from his studio in Brooklyn, New York, on October 22 at 6:30pm Colombia/5:30pm Eastern, which can be streamed through the Festival website.
Selected as an official artist of Bogocine 37, composer Julián De la Chica will perform a digital concert of selections from the music of his film Agatha, live from his studio in Brooklyn, New York, on October 22 at 6:30pm Colombia/5:30pm Eastern, which can be streamed through the Festival website.
Agatha — Winner at the Prague International Film Festival
AGATHA just got “Honorable Mention: Best Experimental Film” at the Venice Film Awards! what an honor! Thank you so much Venice Film Awards & Congrats to all the team!
It is an extreme honor to announce that AGATHA has WON “Best Experimental” as well an “Honorable Mention — Best Cinematography” at the Prague International Film Festival.
Thank you so much Prague International Film Festival & Congratulations to all the team, specially to our talented cinematographer Junting Zhou. Thank you also to all festivals that are supporting our film, Experimental/LGBT/Latino
Agatha, Honorable Mention: Best Experimental
AGATHA just got “Honorable Mention: Best Experimental Film” at the Venice Film Awards! what an honor! Thank you so much Venice Film Awards & Congrats to all the team!
AGATHA just got “Honorable Mention: Best Experimental Film” at the Venice Film Awards! what an honor! Thank you so much Venice Film Awards & Congrats to all the team!
Agatha, winner "Best Picture" at the Florence Film Awards
When you can’t go to beautiful Florence to get your “David”But the “David” comes to Brooklyn! Thank you Florence Film Awards for this award.
When you can’t go to beautiful Florence to get your “David”But the “David” comes to Brooklyn!
Thank you Florence Film Awards for this award — Agatha, winner “Best Picture” it’s really an honor! This award is for all the movie team: Augusto Guzmán Junting Zhou Irreverence Group Music, Altagracia Mecía Pérez and John Gracía.
J
Spotify Classical new releases
Amazing News! Spotify's classical curator added my work Voyeurisitc Images Op. 10, No. , to the Classical New releases playlist.
Amazing News! Spotify's classical curator added my work Voyeurisitc Images Op. 10, No.1 , to the Classical New releases playlist.
Gracias por escuchar!!!!
J
My first Symphony is OUT
Irreverence Group Music presents Julián De La Chica's first Symphony — An exploration of the composer's isolation in his studio in Brooklyn, NY. This work, for an orchestra of synthesizers, rethinks European canonical definitions of genres in a new form of creation during social distancing.
Irreverence Group Music presents Julián De La Chica's first Symphony — An exploration of the composer's isolation in his studio in Brooklyn, NY. This work, for an orchestra of synthesizers, rethinks European canonical definitions of genres in a new form of creation during social distancing. "The glory of chaos. The world without time. The balance is lost and, in its decline, perpetuates our hope. Emptiness." — Julián De La Chica
The album's artwork -collage a0548 - is by Henrik Langsdorf, a German-born visual artist who divides his time between New York and Kinshasa and who De La Chica greatly admires.
