Perhaps one of the most magical aspects of art is the process by which an idea transforms into a reality. We achieve this mainly through the interpretation of a written text: we produce an acoustic reality from a score. For this reason, the work of composers is of essential value to performers, and we want to fully support their incredible efforts.
The genesis of Selkie, a unique composition by our dear friend and extraordinary musician Brais González (Vigo, 1987), was born from our curiosity to explore stage movement and go beyond the formal conventions of classical music. The initial inspiration led us to envision an opera for a saxophone quartet, an idea we presented to Brais in our first meeting with him. From the very beginning, it was clear that he was the ideal person to bring this project to life. Not only were Brais’s enthusiasm and dedication outstanding from the start, but the final result perfectly matches what we had imagined.
With this interview, we want to give visibility to his admirable work, full of inspiration and passion, which shaped, colored, and expanded a simple concept in a sublime way. The final outcome of this experimental project—which is also our commissioned project and premiere of an original work for saxophone quartet for the year 2024—will take place at the Auditorio de Torroso on December 17. Here is the interview. Thank you, Brais!
Our idea of a piece with a strong scenic component for a saxophone quartet was born in July 2023. It was at that moment when we witnessed the final of the Juventudes Musicales de España competition in the chamber music category and the incredible performance of our friends from the Dianto Reed Quintet. The inspiration that came to us at that moment was just a shapeless idea until you showed your enthusiasm to make it a reality. How did you receive our proposal to compose this piece at the beginning of 2024? What made you want to be part of this project?
I have had the luck to meet, at different times over the past few years, three members of the quartet (Sira, Jaime, and Hugo) through my work as an accompanying pianist. Moreover, last year, I joyfully received Jaime's proposal to compose a piece for his final graduation recital—a rather unusual piece for saxophone, Galician bagpipe, and traditional percussion.On the other hand, since the premiere of my first opera in 2022 ("Loba Branca"), I discovered my passion for scenic projects and music serving a narrative. It is a completely different creative and compositional approach. With all these factors, it was clear that the only answer to your proposal had to be a "yes"!
You have defined your creation as a scenic tale for saxophone quartet. What characteristics would you say this type of artistic work has? Do you think it introduces new elements compared to other similar formats like opera or musicals? Do you think this format could have a future in the chamber music scene in the coming years or decades?
Selkie undoubtedly moves in a hybrid realm, drawing on various influences, from musical theater and opera to Japanese noh theater, while also taking as a starting point other musical tales with narration. Fortunately, in the last decade, many chamber ensembles are embracing scenic formats and projects that undoubtedly come to bring something new to a landscape (that of chamber recitals) that is in need of new forms of expression. The fact that these formats are still not standardized and are in an exploratory phase gives composers and ensembles a unique creative freedom to innovate and continue seeking new paths for concert music.
Creating a piece like this is a very complex process: not only did you have to compose the music, but you also devised the narrative thread, wrote the libretto, planned the staging, and solved technical challenges. How was the creative process? What were the steps you followed to compose an artistic piece with so many elements?
As with any commissioned piece, the first step is always to put on paper what the institution (or in this case, the ensemble) commissioning the work contributes. Knowing you in advance (both personally and the work you’ve been doing with Lítore in recent years) made the process much simpler. I knew it had to be a piece with four characters. On the other hand, the connection that we all have, in one way or another, with the sea (even present in the group’s name!) led me to look for a story related to the marine or aquatic world. From there, I started a process of searching and filtering through various traditional legends from different parts of Europe until I found the story of the “Selkie woman.”
Once the story was chosen, the longest part of the process was, without a doubt, writing the script. Once finished, the writing of the musical part was relatively quick and simple, as during the scriptwriting I had accumulated many musical ideas and sketches that emerged as I wrote the narrative part.
Tell us how the idea of Selkie came about and your inspiration for the narrative background of the story. What are the values that this story hides?
The legends about selkie women are abundant in various parts of Northern Europe (Ireland, Scotland, Norway...). I began by referencing a traditional legend from the Faroe Islands. However, in February, a trip to northern Scotland changed my perspective; I had the chance to speak with several fishermen from some fishing villages in the Aberdeenshire region and even spent several hours alone surrounded by a group of seals on a beach in Newburgh. After that trip, I decided to adapt the Scottish legends and set the story in some of the locations I had visited: the town of Stonehaven and the beaches and cliffs of Dunnottar.
For me, there is something very interesting in adapting traditional stories and legends, and that is being able to expand their narrative arc to allow me to talk about themes that touch all of us today. Selkie is a story that talks about transformation, being trapped in a foreign body, patriarchal power, and the boundaries of love and respect. It was really difficult to bring all these elements together and give the libretto its final form.
Each of the 4 members of the quartet is a different character in the story. How did you distribute the characters? Is it related to the type of saxophone each one plays?
The traditional Selkie legend has only two characters: the seal woman (Ailsa) and the fisherman (Duncan). But from the very beginning, I saw clearly that there were two other characters who were going to be fundamental to the story: on one hand, a male seal that would serve as a link to Ailsa’s former life in the sea, and on the other, a bird, in this case, a northern fulmar (a small bird from the gull family), which has the power to fly over both the sea and the village, thus connecting the two worlds in the story.
Obviously, not only is each saxophone but also each member of the quartet directly connected with each of the four characters in the story.
Define Selkie in 3 words.
Sea, pain, and freedom.
In August, we had an interesting joint work session when the piece was still in the composition process. How did this work between performers and composer influence the final result of the piece?
The meeting we had in August was not only tremendously fruitful, despite its brevity, but it also proved decisive in completing the work. At that moment, I was stuck on several of the final scenes because I didn’t like the first ending I wrote for the piece, so I went back to an initial point in the story to almost start over. Being able to work with you, trying out some small scenic movements, was practically a revelation that suddenly clarified many things in my mind about how to finally end the story.
What is it like to work with a saxophone quartet? What do you think of this ensemble as an instrumental group? How is it to work with Lítore Quartet?
I have a sister who plays the saxophone, so I’ve been surrounded by saxophones for many years, through my work as an accompanying pianist. It’s a versatile instrument with enormous timbral possibilities, and that is always an incredible creative tool for a composer to develop their ideas.
It seems that, probably due to this versatility, the saxophone quartet is becoming the great ensemble of the future for academic concert music. Additionally, I believe that the fact that they are relatively young formations and still far removed from the rigidity of the canonical ensembles of classical music favors a higher degree of innovation and experimentation, often fostered by the groups themselves.
Knowing Jaime, Hugo, and Sira beforehand, I had no doubts about how working with you would be. I won’t lavish too much praise on you because I want to save some for after the premiere, but during these months working with you, I’ve seen discipline, seriousness, perseverance, and a very good work environment. Frankly, I’m delighted.
What are your dreams or goals as a composer? What gives you a sense of fulfillment in your professional life as a musician?
There are two things that make me feel especially good about my profession: on one hand, the indescribable feeling when someone premieres one of your works, of having a group of people sacrificing and giving their all to bring something to life that was previously only in your head. It’s a very beautiful feeling.
On the other hand, the audience. I’ve always understood music (and therefore, art) as something social, as something that connects us with the community, and I continue to believe that we have a big responsibility as a collective to bring people beautiful, stimulating things that make them think. For me, the audience remains the most important link in the entire chain of music. So, leaving a concert and being able to move the people who were there is what most comforts me as a composer. And it always remains my main goal!
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