La Hamaca

Horacio Contreras, cello. Ana Maria Otamendi, piano. Simón Gollo, violin The Reverón Piano Trio Recorded live in recital at the first season of the Celebración de la Música Latinoamericana concert series, April 1st, 2022 "I heard somewhere that music is the language of nostalgia. Whether longing for a loved one, for a time or a place gone, or for what we miss about ourselves, we reconcile with the past through music. La Hamaca, Spanish for the hammock, is no exception. Titled after a painting by Armando Reverón and composed especially for The Reverón Piano Trio, the work is my way to reconcile with my memories of hammocks while growing up in Venezuela. I always thought of a hammock as the staple piece of furniture in Venezuelan culture. Regardless of social or racial background, a hammock will always be present in the lives of Venezuelans. One could see truck drivers laying on hammocks hanging under semis parked on remote highways or displayed almost as sculptures inside homes in affluent neighborhoods of Caracas. As I experienced it myself, remarkable stories could be written about what goes on while laying on a hammock, whether it is swinging, cuddling, goofing off, romancing, reflecting, sleeping, arguing, or just being. – Program Note by Ricardo Lorenz, Michigan State University