Lelia Doura for Seldom Sene Recorder Quintet
Lelia Doura is based on a 13th century cantiga de amigo by Pedr’ Eanes Solaz. Cantigas d’amigo are songs typical of Galician Portugese poetry. In these poems the person speaking is usually a young maiden although the troubadours who sang the cantigas were all men. The Arabic words lelia doura (it’s my turn) form the poem’s refrain and gave me the inspiration to use Arabic dance rhythms and a melodic mode or maqam Sikah which is related to love.
The maqam is introduced during the opening solo improvisation and the music that follows the structure of the poem, creating a repetitive structure which develops in a subtle way. The final climax corresponds to the desperate obsessive repetition of the works leli (my night) and lelia doura (it’s my turn) in the last verses.
poem by Pedr Eanes Solaz
translation by Rip Cohen 2010
The piece reached this year the 30 performances in five countries in Europe.
