Chamber
Chamber music
N. Works written before 1989 have been withdrawn by the composer
TRIO BASSO – A R. H. R. 1988/89
for viola, violoncello and double bass
première: 24/04/1989, Odeon Theater, Vienna / Austria. Klangforum Wien
• Ariadne Verlag
NEL SUONO INDICIBILE – A LUIGI NONO 1989/90
for bass-clarinet / double bass-clarinet, alto saxophone/ tenor saxophone, violoncello and live-electronics
première: 23/04/1990, Sezession, Vienna / Austria. Ernesto Molinari (clarinet), Marcus Weiss (saxophone), Lucas Fels (violoncello) Sound director: Peter Böhm
• Ariadne Verlag
CHEZ SOI SANS SOI 1991
for 2 flutes, sound carrier and live-electronics
première: 20/01/1992, Wiener Konzerthaus, Vienna / Austria. Eva Furrer, Sylvie Lacroix (flutes)
• Ariadne Verlag
MEMORIÆ. Escritura interna sobre un espacio poético de José Ángel Valente 1994
for violoncello and double bass, 12’
commissioned by: Centro para la Difusión de la Música Contemporánea (CDMC) for the Festival Internacional de Música Contemporánea de Alicante 1994
première: 23/09/1994 Auditorio de la Caja de Ahorros del Mediterráneo, Alicante / Spain. Rohan de Saram (violoncello), Stefano Scodanibbio (double bass)
• Universal Edition UE 30230 (1994)
ANIMALES CELESTES 1995
for 1,2,3 or 4 violoncellos, 4-12’
commissioned by: Centro para la Difusión de la Música Contemporánea (CDMC) for the Aula de Música de la Universidad de Alcalá de Henares
première: 05/12/1998. Alcalá de Henares / Spain
• Quodlibet, 3 (october 1995) / Universal Edition UE 30363 (1996)
DE MAGIA 1995
for alto or tenor saxophone, percussion and piano,14’
commissioned by: Kultursministerium Württenberg
première: 01/02/1996, Stadt Galerie, Saarbrücken / Germany. Trio Accanto [Marcus Weiss (saxophone), Christian Dierstein (percussion), Yukiko Sugawara (piano)]
• Universal Edition UE 30253/30254 (1995)
NADIE 1995/97
for cantaora (ossia contralto), saxophone, percussion and piano. 11’
commissioned by: Verano Musical de Segovia
text: José Ángel Valente
première: 11/07/1997, Iglesia de San Juan de los Caballeros, Segovia 7 Spain. Esperanza Fernández (cantaora), Trio Accanto [Marcus Weiss (saxophone); Christian Dierstein (percussion); Yukiko Sugawara (piano)]
• Universal Edition
PECES DEL AIRE 1999
guitar and violoncello. 20’
commissioned by: Saarländischer Rundfunk
première: 04/06/1999 Funkhaus Halberg, Saarbrücken / Germany. Stefan Schmidt (guitar), Ramón Jaffé (violoncello)
• Universal Edition
CABALA DEL CABALLO 2000
for guitar and harpsichord. 9’
commissioned by: Elisabeth Chojnacka and Radio France
première: 07/02/2000, Maison de Radio France, Paris. Stefan Schmidt (guitar), Elisabeth Chojnacka (harpsichord)
• Universal Edition
COMO EL OSCURO PEZ DEL FONDO 2001
for alto flute, percussion and sound carrier ad libitum.12’
commissioned by: Institut Valencià de la Música
première: 04/05/2001 Centre del Carme, Valencia / Spain. Roberto Fabbriciani (flute), Miguel Ángel Orero (percussion). Sound director: Mauricio Sotelo.
• Universal Edition
DEGLI EROICI FURORI. STREICHQUARTETT N. 1 2002
for string quartet. 17’
commissioned by: Internationale Beethovenfeste Bonn
première: 24/09/2002, Beethoven-Haus, Bonn / Germany. Artemis Quartett
• Universal Edition 31995 (2002)
ARTEMIS. STREICHQUARTETT N. 2 2003/04
for string quartet. 23’
commissioned by: BBC Radio 3
première: 24/09/2004, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester / UK. Artemis Quartett.
• Universal Edition UE 32960 (2004)
New version with voice:
AUDÉEIS 2004
for voice (cantaor) and string quartet. 20’
commissioned by: Fundación Caja Madrid
première: 27/10/2004, Auditorio Nacional de Música, Madrid. Artemis Quartett, Arcángel (cantaor)
• Universal Edition
TISRA KLAVIERTRIO N. 1 2006
commissioned by: Trío Arbós. 12’
première: 16/12/2006, Lodi / Italy. Trío Arbós [Miguel Borrego (violin); José Miguel Gómez (violoncello); Juan Carlos Garvayo (piano)].
• Universal Edition UE 33675 / 33676a-c (2006)
VENTA VARGA 2007
piano trio
première: 29/11/2007 Musikverein, Vienna / Austria. Wiener Klaviertrio: Wolfgang Redik, vl; Matthias Gredler, vc; Stefan Mendl, pn
• Universal Edition
LA MÉMOIRE INCENDIÉE. STREICHQUARTETT N. 3 2007/09
for string quartet. 18’
commissioned by: Centro para la Difusión de la Música Contemporánea (CDMC) and Quatuor Diotima
première: 23/09/2009, Teatro Arniches, Alicante / Spain. Quatuor Diotima
• Universal Edition
LUZ SOBRE LIENZO 2011
for violin, bailaora, percusssion and electronic. 40’
commissioned by: Acción Cultural Española for the 200th Anniversary of the Constitution of 1812
première: 03/12/2011 Auditorio 400, Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid / Spain.
Patricia Kopatchinskaja (vl.), Fuensanta “La Moneta”, (bailaora), Agustín Diassera (perc), Fernando Villanueva (electronics)
• Universal Edition
AZUL DE LONTANANZA 2012
for string sextet. 10’
commissioned by: Instituto Italiano de Cultura de Madrid
première: 05/ 05/ 2012. Teatro alla Scala, Milano / Italia
10. 05. 2012. Auditorio Nacional de Música. Madrid /España
Sestetto d'archi dell'Accademia del Teatro alla Scala
• Universal Edition
BLANCA LUZ DE AZAHAR 2016
for viola and Piano. 14’
commissioned by: CNDM
première: 30/11/2016. Auditorio Nacional. Madrid/ Spain. Isabel Villanueva (va.) Thomas Hoppe (pno)
• Proyecto Sotelo SL
EL CELLO LA GUITARRA Y EL MAR 2016
for cello and guitar. 14’
commissioned by: XLIV Festival Internacional Cervantino de Guanajuato.
première: 19/10/2016. Festival Cervantino. Guanajuato /Mex. Rohan de Saram (vc.) Magnus Andersson (guit.)
• Proyecto Sotelo SL
PLAZA ALTA 2016
for ensemble [Fl., Clar., Alt-Sax., Vl., Vc., Pn., Perc.] 5’
commissioned by: Sociedad Filarmónica de Badajoz/CNDM
première: 17/10/2016, Badajoz. Sonido Extremo/ Jordi Francés
• Proyecto Sotelo SL
RED INNER LIGHT-VIITASAARI NIGHT 2016
for ensemble [Fl., Vl., Va., 2 Pno., Perc.]. ca. 8’
première: 10/07/2016. ‘Time of Music’, Viitasaari/Finland. P. Mauricio Sotelo-Romero (vn), Liza Reid (va), Maria Lund (fl), Irene Bianco (perc), Magdalena Cerezo (pno), Jana Luksts (pno).
• Proyecto Sotelo SL
UN MAR DE TIERRA BLANCA 2017
for guitar quartet. ca. 14’
commissioned by: Aleph Gitarrenquartett
première: 04/01/2019 Lausanne/Switzerland; Aleph Gitarrenquartett
• Proyecto Sotelo SL
QUASALS VB–131. Streichquartett Nr. 4 2017
for string quartet. 11’
commissioned by: L’Auditori de Barcelona/CNDM
première: 04/10/2017. Wigmore Hall, London/ GB. (Tournee: Philharmonie Berlin, Konzerthaus Wien, Baden–Baden, Luxemburg, Torino, Firenze, Barcelona, Madrid, Granada…) Cuarteto Casals
• Universal Edition
(Cuarteto CASALS, live)
(Quatuor DIOTIMA, live)BULERÍA ARBÓS: RITUAL 2017
for cantaor, violin, cello and piano. 12’
commissioned by: Trio Arbós
première: 25/10/2017. Auditorio Nacional de Música, Madrid/Spain. Trio Arbós (Cecilia Bercovich, José Miguel Gómez, Juan Carlos Garvayo)
• Proyecto Sotelo SL
D’IMMENSO…LIBRO I 2018
for flute and accordion 12’
première: 03/12/2018. Firenze/Italia. Roberto Fabbriciani (fl), Francesco Gesualdi (acc).
commissioned by: GAMO / Amici della Musica Firenze
• Proyecto Sotelo SL
A MITAD DEL CAMINO DE LA VIDA 2020
Fragments from Dante’s Comedia traslated by José María Micó.
commissioned by: CNDM
première: 10/5/2021. Auditorio 400 Reina Sofía. Madrid/ Spain.
• Proyecto Sotelo SL
LUCIFER DEL AZUL: EL MAR 2022
for violin and piano. 9’
commissioned by: XIX Concurso Internacional de Música de Cámara de Arnuero
première: 8/07/2022. Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción. Arnuero / Spain. Alejandro Saiz, violín; Enrique Lapaz, piano
• Universal Edition
Works written before 1989 have been withdrawn by the composer
• Bulería (1984), guitar and violoncello
• Dúo (1984), 2 violins
• Retrato de un andamio (1984), clarinet, trombone y vibraphone
• Soleá (1984), clarinet, horn, viola y vibraphone
• Siete falsetas (1985), brass quintet
• An-Denken (1986), 2 violoncellos
• Streichquartett n. 1 (1988), string quartet
Testimonials
"Mauricio, a great friend and a magnificent artist! What a pleasure to prepare together a new opera! Thanks for your poetry, your invention, your virtuosity." (Madrid, 03 November 2010)
"I know, appreciate and admire Mauricio Sotelo as an internationally recognized composer with a very personal style. He is endowed with a brilliant and sovereign metier in all compositional genres and a universal art-philosophical background. I've been experiencing him since I've known him, with all his structuralist character, as it is ensured not least by his training with Luigi Nono, at the same time stylistically open, definitely not denying his Iberian landscape roots and instead constantly introducing them imaginatively."
When a few years ago I met Mauricio Sotelo, he was just about to familiarize himself with Liszt's Sonata. This not only led to a friendship but also induced the idea of writing a work that would relate both to the Sonata and to our encounter. In the last decades, a number of musical works have emerged that are composed interpretations of older ones. We can regard them as a counter-position to historicising performances that have established themselves in many concert halls. According to Hans Zender, himself a contributor to this new species, the composer "is creator. But he is these days also an interpreter of the past to which he relates - whether seeking to surmount it, or to carry on." Sotelo's work is a confrontation of this kind, an argument dealing with the shape and the material of Liszt's Sonata that has resulted in something personal and spectacular.
Mauricio Sotelo's music is one of the most intense illuminations that, in the air of sounds, can find the semantics of words. I heard about Mauricio from one of the greatest composers of our time, Luigi Nono, who I met in 1988 at the Institut for Advanced Study in Berlin. Luigi was the one who asked me if I knew a young Spanish composer about whom, I confess, knew nothing about. Since then, the admiration I felt for Nono is linked to the person and music of Mauricio. The work of two disappeared friends [Luigi Nono and José Ángel Valente] grows, lasts, illuminates and survives in the prodigious sound universe of Mauricio Sotelo.
Your music shows that twentieth-century anti-tonal academic standards can be shattered, just as the atonal music of the last century shattered nineteenth-century tonal norms. Few operas are successful because there is an insurmountable contradiction between the demands of singing and the straitjacket of norms of the second half of the twentieth century. You use "flamenco" as a crutch to not cut your music from any popular roots nor any expressive cues for the listener. There are other ways with other contemporary composers whom I admire when they are not obsessed with experimentalist temptations and when they remain in love with the voice (there are few) and faithful to the expressive vocation of the "opera" genre. So I rarely enjoy contemporary operas because, as I once replied to another journalist, "I am not interested in 'interesting' music." I was recently moved by an opera by George Benjamin, and more recently by your opera "El Público".
"Mauricio, a great friend and a magnificent artist! What a pleasure to prepare together a new opera! Thanks for your poetry, your invention, your virtuosity." (Madrid, 03 November 2010)
"I know, appreciate and admire Mauricio Sotelo as an internationally recognized composer with a very personal style. He is endowed with a brilliant and sovereign metier in all compositional genres and a universal art-philosophical background. I've been experiencing him since I've known him, with all his structuralist character, as it is ensured not least by his training with Luigi Nono, at the same time stylistically open, definitely not denying his Iberian landscape roots and instead constantly introducing them imaginatively."
When a few years ago I met Mauricio Sotelo, he was just about to familiarize himself with Liszt's Sonata. This not only led to a friendship but also induced the idea of writing a work that would relate both to the Sonata and to our encounter. In the last decades, a number of musical works have emerged that are composed interpretations of older ones. We can regard them as a counter-position to historicising performances that have established themselves in many concert halls. According to Hans Zender, himself a contributor to this new species, the composer "is creator. But he is these days also an interpreter of the past to which he relates - whether seeking to surmount it, or to carry on." Sotelo's work is a confrontation of this kind, an argument dealing with the shape and the material of Liszt's Sonata that has resulted in something personal and spectacular.
Your music shows that twentieth-century anti-tonal academic standards can be shattered, just as the atonal music of the last century shattered nineteenth-century tonal norms. Few operas are successful because there is an insurmountable contradiction between the demands of singing and the straitjacket of standards of the second half of the twentieth century. You use flamenco as a crutch to not cut your music from any popular roots nor any expressive cues for the listener. There are other ways with other contemporary composers whom I admire when they are not obsessed with experimentalist temptations and when they remain in love with the voice (there are few) and faithful to the expressive vocation of the "opera" genre. So I rarely enjoy contemporary operas because, as I once replied to another journalist, "I am not interested in 'interesting' music." I was recently moved by an opera by George Benjamin, and more recently by your opera "El Público".