Caprichos Enfáticos: Los Desastres de la Guerra

Emphatic Caprices: The Disasters of War

Caprichos Enfáticos is a concerto in 8 movements for piano/keyboard and percussion quartet composed by Martin Bresnick. It was commissioned by Meet the Composer for Lisa Moore, pianist, and So Percussion. The 8 movements are accompanied by interpolated DVD projections, created by Johanna Bresnick based on Francisco Goya’s book of etchings Los Desastres de la Guerra. Konrad Kaczmarek was the technical consultant.

The titles of the 8 movements are either by Goya himself, or suggested by his ideas. A farándula, or farandole, was a chain dance popular in Provence, although it’s origins are much older. The dance is often in 6/8 time, with a moderate to fast tempo. In modern Spanish, a farándula is a company of actors.

Farándula simple (Farandole simple)

Farándula de charlatanes – No saben el camino (Farandole of charlatans – They don’t know the way.)

Estragos de la guerra (Ravages of war)

Farándula de políticos – Contra el bien general (Farandole of politicians – Against the common good.)

Farándula de populacho  (Farandole of the rabble)

¡Extraña Devoción! (Strange devotion!)

Farándula de creyentes – Nada. Ello dirá (Farandole of believers – Nothing. It will say.)

Farándula doble (Farandole double)

Martin Bresnick