Musical Journey Through the Contradictions of Our Era
Work: De lo infinito
Composer: Juan Arroyo
Duration: 20 minutes
Instruments: 2.2.2.2/2.2.2.1/4 perc, piano and string quintet
Inspired by a collection of articles published under the title A Paso de Cangrejo by the multifaceted Italian intellectual and novelist Umberto Eco, I conceived a paradoxical and sonorous world, enveloped in the contradictions of our time. Written before, during, and after my stay at the Villa Médicis in Rome, each title evokes certain passages from Eco’s work while each movement attempts to unravel an enigmatic and dreamlike temporal space. De lo Infinito emerges from the profound philosophical reflections that Umberto Eco makes on the state of the world at the beginning of this new millennium.The trajectory humanity is taking paradoxically resembles a backward movement, commonly referred to as the «crab walk.» The ancient territorial conflicts, wars with a crusade-like air, the expansion and acceptance of totalitarianism, racism, and homophobia in multiple forms, confirm Eco’s thesis several years after the first edition of his book. With this work, I pay homage to the writer and his work, a few years after his death, and invite the listener to reflect on our role in the history of humanity.
I. Crepúsculo del inicio This first movement immerses us in a sonic twilight, evoking the beginning of a mysterious and hallucinatory journey. Inspired by Umberto Eco’s reflections, this segment explores the dawn of a new era, where paradoxes and uncertainties shape the landscape of the modern world, seen through an enveloping prism.
II. A paso de cangrejo The second movement takes us on a paradoxical journey, similar to the «crab walk» described so well by Umberto Eco. Humanity seems to move forward by stepping back, revisiting territorial conflicts and ideological wars, while facing the rise of totalitarianism, racism, and homophobia. This musical passage seeks to capture this backward movement and its repercussions on our society, enveloped in a surreal and hallucinatory atmosphere.
III. Retorno a la incerteza del gran juego The final movement evokes a return to uncertainty and the grand game of life. Imagined during my stay at the Villa Médicis in Rome, this segment pays homage to Eco and invites the listener to reflect on our role in the history of humanity. Through this work, we revisit the themes dear to the writer and his philosophical reflections on the state of the world at the beginning of this new millennium, all bathed in a dreamlike light.
Written for orchestra, De lo Infinito lasts 20 minutes and was premiered on November 22, 2019 by the Symphonic Orchestra of Peru, conducted by Fernando Valcarcel at the Great National Theater of Peru. This work was commissioned by the Symphonic Orchestra of Peru.