Imbricatta

The piece Imbricatta was commissioned by the Family Guth Biasini. The work was the set piece for the International Guitar Competition Maurizio Biasini which took place at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in SF, in January 2016.
The variations form is one of the most ubiquitous in music history. While this form has been used since the 14^th century, the first publication of a set of variations was in the 16^th century: It was called Diferencias and was written by the Spaniard Luis de Narvaez. Since then, most composers have used the form in a variety of guises, including the passacaglia, chaconne, and, of course, the traditional theme and variations. They all share the common idea of introducing the main material (a theme or harmonic progression) to be explored through the development of the piece. When I wrote Imbricatta for the Biasini competition, I started with a theme to be worked in the variation form but instead of following the normal path of introducing a theme followed by a set of variations, I used the concept of the verb Imbricate to approach my set of 10 variations or episodes using a somewhat different strategy. To imbricate means to arrange similar things or (related ideas) in an overlapping manner (like roofing shingles for instance). Instead of beginning with a theme, this piece starts instead with three variations in search of one. The 10 different variations are presented in a way such that each one of the episodes generates new material that is to be explored in the following one. Although the change of moods in the episodes can be volatile, they are nonetheless unified by shared thematic material. The main melodic theme appears complete only twice, strategically inserted in variations 4 and 7. And although the melodic material in these two episodes is the same, they are dressed in contrasting harmonies (tonal and chromatic respectively) and given contrasting individual characters. The 5^th variation is the most elaborate of the set; it consists of a condensed treatment of the melodic material and includes a retrograde presentation of this condensed material in a quasi-improvisatory manner. From variation 8 to the end, the piece becomes increasingly chromatic as it generates even more new material. As the piece closes, the initial theme is both fragmented yet joined to this new material with an increasing use of chordal harmony. In this way, I hope to show that each variation lives in relation to its neighbors, always under one other’s influence.

Partition interactive sur le site de Guitar by Masters:

https://www.guitarbymasters.com/bookprofile/203