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JULIÁN FUEYO

Eleventh Heaven

Premiered at Severance Hall by Carlos Kalmar & CIMO 

"[...] the piece blazes into a cosmic tempest"

-- Lisa deBenedictis

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The  Eleventh  Heaven   

Full Orchestra (pgs. 13-34)

FOR ORCHESTRA

CIM 100TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT AT SEVERANCE HALL

NOV. 2015

Premiered at Severance Hall by Carlos Kalmar & the Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra as part of CIM's 100th Anniversary Concert.

"The Eleventh Heaven was a highlight of the evening. [...] the piece blazes into a cosmic tempest until it has no more room to grow and is finally consumed in an explosion of silence — a noiselessness which did not last long due to the roar of the enthusiastic crowd which leapt to its feet for ovation after ovation."

— Lisa deBenedictis at Coolcleveland.com.

About the piece:

Ilhuícatl-Teotlacuauhco, ‘The Heaven Where the Red God is’

In Nahuatl this heaven is called Ilhuícatl-Teotlacuauhco, ‘the heaven where the red god (is).’ Ilhuícatl, heaven; teotl, god; tlacuauhqui, red; co, place.

Specifically, this piece investigates Xiuhtecutli's role in the Nahua creation myth depicted in the Fejérváry-Mayer Codex, a pre-Hispanic sacred manuscript. The codex vividly portrays the four cardinal directions, sacred trees, and night lords, all encircling Xiuhtecuhtli—the god of fire. In his hand, Xiuhtecuhtli holds the 'fire of creation'—the axis that embodies time itself, weaving together the thirteen heavens, eight underworlds, and our plane of existence—-the fire with which he sparked the universe into existence.

Nicknamed the 'old god,' Xiuhtecuhtli's role in Mesoamerican religion faded and transformed as Christianity and subsequent syncretisms developed during the Spanish viceroyal period. This orchestral piece reflects on 'memorability' and the transfigurative/burning force of time. Like Xiuhtecuhtli, not even gods, beliefs, or deities can escape it, as they too change, morph, and sometimes perish in time.

At its core, this piece is about memorabilityidealization, and aesthetic historicism as questions of impermanence—the impermanence of time, of believes, of gods, and of music—become unavoidable.

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    Piccolo

    2 Flute (2nd doubling to Piccolo)

    3 Oboes

    Eb Clarinet

    2 Clarinets in Bb

    2 Bassoons

    4 Horns in F

    3 Trumpets in C (Harmon Mute)

    2 Tenor Trombones (Harmon mute)

    Bass Trombone

    Tuba

    Percussion (4 players)

    Percussion 1: Xylophone, Tambourine, Snare Drum, Glockenspiel

    Percussion 2: Hi-hat, Chimes, China Suspended Cymbal, Vibraphone, Marimba

    Percussion 3: Bass Drum, Maracas, Whip, China Suspended Cymbal

    Percussion 4: Tam-Tam (Large), China Suspended Cymbal, Tubular Bells, Guiro

    Piano (doubling Celesta)

    Harp

    Strings

Instrumentation: 2+picc.3.2+Ebcl.2 / 4.3.2+btbn.1 / 4perc / pn.cl.hp / str

INSTRUMENTATION
Julián Fueyo: El Onceavo Cielo / The Eleventh Heaven • CIM's 100th Anniversary Concert
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