• Simon Holt
  • Piano trio: Los Ojos (2007)

  • Chester Music Ltd (World)
  • pf/vn.vc
  • 13 min

Programme Note

I finished writing 'Piano trio: Los Ojos' in early May 2007. It's approximately 13' long and has a three movement structure of essentially two slow movements separated by a central fast section. The final slow movement is a variation of the opening movement ending with a 'toy' a thing defined by Thomas Mace (a contemporary of William Lawes) in his 1676 book, 'Musicke's Monument', as a light-Squibbish Thing, only fit for Fantastical, and Easie-Light-Headed People; and are of any sort of Time'.

The Machado poem behind the piece, 'Los Ojos' (the eyes), is about a widower who has locked himself away, but after a year begins to wonder about the colour of his beloved's eyes. He is horrified that he can't remember. One spring day, he leaves the house and just happens to glimpse a flash of eyes through a window and instantly recalls the colour; '¡Como esos!'; 'Like those!'. The three movements have the titles: 1] 'su memoria y el espejo' ('his memory and the mirror'); 2] ¿Como eran? ('How were they?'); 3] '¡Como esos!' (Like those!).

SH
7th August 2013