The Sonorous Universe of Eduardo Morales-Caso

Cuban born composer Eduardo Morales-Caso is an artist of exceptional talent and one who has made a significant contribution to the world of modern classical music. He has written many attractive works for numerous instruments and pairings of instruments; from large symphonies to choral music, solo works for the piano, clarinet, voice, guitar, and a large portion of his musical output also includes chamber music, concertos as well as opera.

Morales-Caso’s music is deeply expressive, imaginative, and rich in rhythmic complexity. He is able to uniquely exploit the sonorous nature of the instruments in which he is writing for, and the result is the creation of these incredible tonal and harmonic atmospheres that are distinctly all his own.

There has been a growing demand for his guitar music since his piece El Jardin de Lindaraja won first prize in the XIV Andres Segovia international composition competition for classical guitar in 2001, and since then he has contributed many important virtuosic works to the guitars repertoire.

Eduardo recently sat down with us to discuss the guitar, music composition, his relationship with Anton Garcia Abril, the future of classical music, and much more.

Eduardo Morales-Caso (Photo: Mercedes Rodríguez)

Brad:  How would you describe your musical voice? 

Eduardo: One of the most conclusive definitions which sums up the essence of my musical style is that which was published by the musicologist Victoria Eli in her article dedicated to my CD “The Ship of Fools” (“Exceptional compositional invention”, Sibila 25, October 2007) in which she asserts: “In Eduardo Morales-Caso’s style there is a wide level of choices which toast his great creative freedom, where influences and references are nothing more than the artist’s capacity to receive and select the sonorous surroundings of the landscape which feed his exceptional compositional invention.”

Brad: Where do you draw upon for all of your creativity? 

Eduardo: The most significant factor which compels me in compositional creation, without a doubt, is the urgent, pressing and inextinguishable need to constantly create. Discipline, vocation and the exceptional artistic technique of the performers for whom I write, authentic virtuosos without technical limitations are the constant propellers of this creative voracity which is also without limits, and also from reflection and knowledge of the exhaustive and profound interpretative perspective of my work, from the rigor and the talent contributes to project the veracity and communicative eloquence of my sonorous universe. The individual nature of each instrument, of each instrumental combination or vocal-instrumental, elements out with music such as literature and art acquire a revealing presence throughout my creative journey. In fact, one of my recent works, Tres retratos (Three portraits) is the result of a commission by the National Orchestra of Spain and the National Institute of Scenic Arts and Music for the bicentennial celebration of the National Prado Museum. The work was premièred by the SONOR ENSEMBLE, under the direction of Luis Aguirre in the auditorium of the Prado. 

Brad:  What first inspired you to write for the guitar? 

Eduardo: In the fruitful process of cultural interaction and feedback between Spain and her colonies, the classical guitar, a distinctive icon of Spanish musical culture, evolved significantly enough so as to remain as attribute, essence and characteristic of these cultural links and exchanges/returns. These resonating identities transported me to the Andalusian legacy, to Granada and the “Tales of the Alhambra” by Washington Irving leading to the conception, in 1999, of my first work for guitar, El Jardín de Lindaraja (The garden of Lindaraja). To my (extremely grateful) surprise, this fantasy won the First Prize in the XIV International Competition of Composition for Classical Guitar “Andrés Segovia”, in La Herradura, Granada in 2001. In fact, I wrote this fantasy specifically to participate in that important competition. That was the first motivation and impulse to write for classical guitar. El Jardín de Lindaraja is possibly my most performed work within the international guitar panorama, including your extraordinary performance in 2006.

I am not a guitarist, but I discovered the technical recourses of this fascinating and extremely complex instrument through my very close friends and exceptional guitarists Pedro Rodrigo-Roldán, liana Matos, René Mora, Gabriel Estarellas and Luis Malca Contreras. They taught me from different directions about the true essence of this special instrument. Quickly, I was able to understand the complexity of this singular sonorous universe. Sometimes I think that in a previous life I may have been a guitarist, but who knows?

Brad: What have you learned about the guitar from writing for it? 

Eduardo: I have learned to understand, in depth, its nature, the characteristics which identify and differentiate it; the subtle details and specifics which make it such a fascinating instrument. Throughout my learning of this instrument, from the extraordinary and undeniable legacy of my predecessors, I have tried, in each and every work, to develop and encourage new technical- expressive skills according to the individualized demands of my writing. The virtuoso prominence of the thumb, accompanied by new combined designs of arpeggios which break with formal blueprints imposed upon us by tradition, open sonorities, resonance as a determining timbral factor in my discourse, metric displacements, purposeful gestures which are distinct to the joints, and the search for new textures and sounds among other details- these are the essential peculiarities which distinguish my discourse. The final objective: to achieve a greater sonorous effect and an impressive virtuosity with which the guitar can say “Here I am!” 

I have never been able to understand from a rational and objective perspective, those guitarists who insist on transcribing and making changes to the repertoire of the piano, principally that of Chopin, for the guitar. They don’t seem to realize that they are making the differences even more prominent and the limitations, belonging to their own instrument, very real. On not being able to resolve the differences- because it is impossible to reconcile the challenges of the physical-acoustic essences present- to transfer elements and ideas from one medium to another, the musical result, and even more so the artistic one, practically becomes an unfortunate caricature. How should we go about resolving the depth of the prolonged pedals of the piano, the density of the sound, the wide ranges, and the expressivity of the melodic lines? Everything can be simulated, but the objective is to convey the original conception of the work, the true essence of the composer. In reality, they are questions which cannot be resolved, if we truly wish to do justice to the integrity of the work. Dedicating oneself to performing transcriptions of Chopin is, in my humble opinion, an authentic sacrilege, when there are so many exceptional composers in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries who have dedicated significant space in their catalogue of work to the classical guitar. 

Brad: Adam Levin is a fellow Chicago native and an incredible champion of your work, how did this relationship begin? 

Eduardo: In 2008 Adam Levin contacted me by email to ask me to write a work dedicated to him as part of his Fulbright Scholarship obligations. It was the beginning of our deep, solid and great friendship. Adam Levin is an exceptional artist on all fronts. His unconditional loyalty and deep respect for my music is very significant for me. He is a true friend! I’m deeply grateful to him for playing my works around the world. His interpretations of my repertoire for classical guitar are an obligatory reference to understand my creative language for this wonderful instrument. 

Adam Levin with Eduardo Morales-Caso

Brad: Were you close with Anton Garcia Abril?

Eduardo: Working under his guidance in the Superior Royal Conservatory of Music in Madrid in 1996 was one of the most extraordinary experiences of my career as a composer. Every word, gesture, piece of advice, recommendation and help holds a special place in both my memory and heart, and resonate through my actions. His wife, the pianist Áurea Ruiz, an extraordinary and deeply generous human being, who sadly passed away a few years ago, was an incalculable moral support during my time as a student under the tutelage of my dear Maestro Antón García Abril Further away from the more speculative musical tendencies happening in the second half of the 20th century and with a solid aesthetic ideology free from events generated by coincidence, García Abril champions a profound language in emotions; sensitive and eloquent, capable of touching and implicating the receiver in his discourse. After dedicating my work for soprano and piano, A orillas del mar (At the shore of the sea), with a text by Luis de Góngora, to him, the Maestro referred to me in his note of thanks: “Only art which awakens strong emotions within us will live on”. 

Brad: In your catalogue of works there is a fantasy for piano and guitar: Invisible words., what is your experience with trying to balance these two very different, but somehow similar instruments?

Eduardo: As I said before, the piano and the guitar are of two completely different natures, therefore it was a significant challenge to integrate them into a single discourse. The equilibrium of the sonorous balance in this work is exhaustively calculated to conform to a whole, the result of the effective integration between guitar and piano. In this complex and unusual instrumental combination it is impossible, if you are a serious and responsible composer, to project the great piano sounds of a Rachmaninov or a Bartók. Quite the contrary! The piano in Invisible words takes on the function of color, elaborated by a subtle and delicate treatment in which its resonances sustain the intimate and poetic character of the guitar.  This work was premiered at the XXXII International Festival of Contemporary Music of La Habana by the extraordinary Cuban performers Zuleida Suárez (guitar), and Marita Rodríguez (piano). The setting of the premiere was extremely beautiful: The Marquis de Arcos Palace which was constructed in 1741 in Old Havana. 

Brad: Can you give a glimpse into your writing process?

Eduardo: The process of creation, as you well know being a composer yourself, is essentially sustained by a solid technique and by the culmination of experiences acquired by each creator throughput his compositional journey. In my case, the beginning of development and elaboration of motif are the procedures which rule this process. I split a small rhythmic and thematic cell which I elaborate upon in various directions until I come to the ideal variant for my discourse. I am extremely careful with individuality, the essence and the particular characteristics of each instrument, instrumental combination or vocal-instrumental. Literature, visual arts, are elements out with music itself which contribute, in a large part, to the genesis of my works. As well as this, I am very fortunate because the majority of times, I write for specific performers who have exceptional technical and expressive resources, and this permits me to develop a discourse without limitations. 

Brad:  Is a piece ever finished, do you ever hear something from a few years back and think this or that needs to be changed? 

Eduardo: Usually, when I have finished a work I don’t like to make significant changes to it. Each composition in my catalogue of works responds to a specific moment in my creative career. 

An excerpt from the manuscript of Fleeting Reminiscenes

Brad:  What is a typical working day like? 

Eduardo: It’s a wonderful madness! From the piano to the computer, from the computer to the piano. Various pencils prepared so that I don’t lose the impulse of the ideas, and the eraser for rubbing out: the most important instrument in making good decisions! Like the majority of composers, I am also a teacher which is why I try to make the most of my creative space and compose every day with rigor and discipline. 

Brad:  What is one thing an aspiring composer can do to help in their development? 

Eduardo: My advice to the new generations of composers is, through my more than thirty years of creative experience, is to nourish yourself with the largest quantity possible of resources and technical procedures. Study the works of the great composers of all times, leave behind as quickly as possible the microforms so that you can penetrate and develop through larger structures. And one very important detail: be aware that no single direction or path in compositional creation exists; that in the world of knowledge, research and creation there are infinite possibilities, and that each composer should aspire to be their own centre- this universe which both identifies and differentiates you. 

Brad: In a faster paced world, will there be time to digest classical music?

Eduardo: To answer your second question first, yes, more than ever, to counteract the unheard-of situation through which we are currently living, is the role which music plays in all its forms and manifestations. The pandemic has confirmed its significant role as a necessary tool in the uplifting of the spirit, culture and knowledge of all dimensions. 

The margins of freedom and coexistence of diverse aesthetic directions which converge through the artistic creation of the twenty-first century is extraordinary. History will, once again, reaffirm in all its wisdom, its validation and make permanent the best of each creative period. 

Brad: In your piano music (Las Sombras Divinas) I hear a little Debussy in the harmony?

Eduardo: Debussy, immersed in the search for his own language, was without a doubt, one of the most significant restorers and innovators in the history of western music; being one of the precursors of the new sounds which occurred in the twentieth century. The extensive compositional legacy which history has bequeathed to us is a reality. And, of course, there are many influences which can be found in the creative work of a composer, it is just that some disappear, some remain, and some evolve. 

Las sombras divinas, a fantasy for piano which I wrote specifically to participate in the First International Competition for Piano Composition ILAMS (London, 2000), and which was awarded first prize in the competition, indeed contains resonances of impressionist influence and a marked rhythmic vitality which looks back on the striking character of toccata, recurrent in the piano repertoire of the twentieth century. 

The timbral elaboration and the subtle refinement of the French impressionists, the extreme expressivity from the inside out of the Vienna School, the creative ingenuity and investigative richness of Bartók, the Russian period of Stravinsky so unwaveringly rooted in the thousand-year tradition of Russia, the perfect Prokofiev, the socialist realism of Shostakovich, and many others, have been references which have influenced my compositional range.  

Looking back and pausing in these decisive references with regards to the crystallization of my creative identity, I would like to refer to a profoundly wise quotation by the Hungarian (art) historian Arnold Hauser, in which he asserts that: "no single step allows the direction of all subsequent steps to be deduced, no step is explicable without knowledge of all the preceding ones, and none can be predicted even on the basis of this knowledge." 

After the concert with conductor Luis Agurre at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, San Fernando, Madrid

Brad: The artwork for your editions is quite fitting of your work. You must also have a close relationship to the visual arts?

Eduardo: Since my youth I have always been surrounded by friends who are painters, which has stimulated my passion for this marvellous art form. In fact, I have a collection of paintings by the family D’Lázaro, a family of exceptionally talented Cuban painters and sculptors; and other creations by dissimilar modern artists, which in the same way I have linked to the front page which illustrate the publications of MORALES-CASO Editions and also of my monographic CDs. One of the most imaginative paintings, which illustrated the front cover of the monographic CD by the exceptional guitarist, Adam Levin, dedicated exclusively to a selection from my catalogue of works for guitar, is “Fuego de la Luna” a work of the same name by a great friend and extraordinary sculptor, Leo D’Lázaro. A powerful painting which describes, with great ingenuity, my fantasy for guitar of the same name and is the title of the CD by Adam Levin. 

Brad: Are there any new projects on the horizon that you would like to tell us about? 

Eduardo: The most immediate Project which I can reveal to you, is the release and presentation in April or May of the CD “Adam Levin: 21st Century Spanish Guitar- Vol.4”, in which the first recording with a professional orchestra of my second concerto for Guitar and Symphony Orchestra: Concierto de La Herradura appears. It is an impressive sound recording in which Adam Levin demonstrates his exceptional artistic technique with an impressive virtuosity and a marvellously expressive charge, accompanied by the powerful sound of the Symphony Orchestra of Extremadura. Currently, Adam Levin is one of the most significant guitarists in the international guitar panorama. I have to say that this work of great magnitude requires and demands rigor, a solid technique and extraordinary artistic talent from the performers. This work was premiered and recorded live in 2012 by one of the most extraordinary guitarists of her time, the Sevillian María Esther Guzmán, accompanied by the Granada University Orchestra in the XXVIII International Competition for Guitar “Andres Segovia” (La Herradura, Granada). It was the obligatory concerto in the final round of the XXX Anniversary of said competition in 2014. 

 Another project which has been in the pipeline for a few years, a complex proposal which requires almost exclusive dedication (I need 48 hours in a day!), is my Opera. The libretto, a story of love gone awry, extraordinarily and profoundly dramatic which takes place in 1936; just at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War and was written by the dramatist Javier Moreno Barber. In tandem, I am working on current and immediate commissions which shall be premiered in the near future- such as Wonderment (a fantasy for bassoon and cello, dedicated to my good friend and extraordinary bassoonist Reynold Cárdenas), as well as a new fantasy for guitar, also dedicated to a dear friend and brilliant guitarist, Iliana Matos Vega.