Liner Notes
  Cat. No. NWCR725
    Release Date: 1996-01-01
Catherine Schubilske, violin; Scott Tisdel, cello; William Helmers, clarinet, bass clarinet; Shawn Mauser, bassoon; Dennis Najoom, trumpet; Stefanie Jacob, piano; Thomas Wetzel, percussion; Neal Gittleman, Conductor
Whether classic montuno or contemporary salsa, vibrant or serene, the beat of Roberto Sierra's music is unmistakably Latin American, specifically Puerto Rican. “The montuno rhythm is an inevitable inspiration for me,” says Sierra. “Because I am Puerto Rican, my music is Puerto Rican. Always. The wealth of images I have I mind refers to that place where I grew up, to the sounds, the colors, the sunshine, the Puerto Rican sky. Even the more abstract music has an accent that points to where I was born. Then again, Puerto Rico is part of the world and, like the rest of the world, it eventually merges into something larger. There may be other sources of inspiration for me, of course,” he adds, musing on examples of Norway's fjords to Cayuga Lake, New York. “But the integral part would still be Puerto Rico.”
This is not to say that Sierra means to either reproduce or emulate local color. Although he has been called the Aaron Copland of Puerto Rico - and like Copland, he certainly evokes sylvan pleasure from a most urban point of view - Roberto Sierra remains an original. “I am not a modernist, and I don't want to be a minimalist. Not that there is anything wrong there: an artist has the right to do whatever he or she wants to do, to belong to a school or to have no school at all. I have no school. None. It's wonderful. I just want to be my own musician, whatever that may be.”
This title, originally issued on the CRI label, is now available as a burn-on-demand CD (CD-R) or download in MP3/320, FLAC or WAV formats. CD-Rs come in a protective sleeve; no print booklet or jewel case included. Liner notes are accessible via the link above.
Whether classic montuno or contemporary salsa, vibrant or serene, the beat of Roberto Sierra's music is unmistakably Latin American, specifically Puerto Rican. “The montuno rhythm is an inevitable inspiration for me,” says Sierra. “Because I am Puerto Rican, my music is Puerto Rican. Always. The wealth of images I have I mind refers to that place where I grew up, to the sounds, the colors, the sunshine, the Puerto Rican sky. Even the more abstract music has an accent that points to where I was born. Then again, Puerto Rico is part of the world and, like the rest of the world, it eventually merges into something larger. There may be other sources of inspiration for me, of course,” he adds, musing on examples of Norway's fjords to Cayuga Lake, New York. “But the integral part would still be Puerto Rico.”
This is not to say that Sierra means to either reproduce or emulate local color. Although he has been called the Aaron Copland of Puerto Rico - and like Copland, he certainly evokes sylvan pleasure from a most urban point of view - Roberto Sierra remains an original. “I am not a modernist, and I don't want to be a minimalist. Not that there is anything wrong there: an artist has the right to do whatever he or she wants to do, to belong to a school or to have no school at all. I have no school. None. It's wonderful. I just want to be my own musician, whatever that may be.”
This title, originally issued on the CRI label, is now available as a burn-on-demand CD (CD-R) or download in MP3/320, FLAC or WAV formats. CD-Rs come in a protective sleeve; no print booklet or jewel case included. Liner notes are accessible via the link above.
Roberto Sierra: Piezas Caracteristicas
MP3/320 | $17.00 | |
FLAC | $17.00 | |
WAV | $17.00 | |
CD-R | $17.00 |
A *.pdf of the notes may be accessed here free of charge.
Track Listing
Piezas Caracteristicas: I. Segundas Menores - Agresivo y atriculado
Roberto Sierra
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Buy
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Piezas Caracteristicas: II. Segundas Mayores - Suave
Roberto Sierra
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Buy
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Piezas Caracteristicas: III. Breve Interludio en Curatas - Rápido
Roberto Sierra
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Buy
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Piezas Caracteristicas: IV. Terceras Mayores - Sereno
Roberto Sierra
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Buy
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Piezas Caracteristicas: V. Teceras Menores - Rítmico
Roberto Sierra
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Buy
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Ritmorroto: I. Con absoluta precisión rítmica
Roberto Sierra
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Buy
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Ritmorroto: II. Con calma
Roberto Sierra
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Buy
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Ritmorroto: III. Agresivo
Roberto Sierra
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Buy
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Tres Fantasias: I. Montuno - Con gusto
Roberto Sierra
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Buy
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Tres Fantasias: II. Coral - Espacioso y sereno
Roberto Sierra
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Buy
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Tres Fantasias: III. Doce - Agresivo y ritmico
Roberto Sierra
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Buy
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Cinco Bocetos: I. Preludio
Roberto Sierra
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Buy
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Cinco Bocetos: II. Canción del campo
Roberto Sierra
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Buy
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Cinco Bocetos: III. Interludio nocturno
Roberto Sierra
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Buy
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Cinco Bocetos: IV. Canción de la monta̱a
Roberto Sierra
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Buy
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Cinco Bocetos: V. Final con pájaros
Roberto Sierra
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Buy
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Con Tres: I. Pasacallejera
Roberto Sierra
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Buy
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Con Tres: II. Adagio Lírico
Roberto Sierra
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Buy
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Con Tres: III. Un motivo para establecer algunas diferencias
Roberto Sierra
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Buy
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