Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Sonia Megias Lopez interview with BMD


Sonia Megias Lopez recently completed a residency at the Basically Modern Arts Sanctuary where she composed ‘White Doll’ for the Basso Moderno Duo. During her stay here she was interviewed by Kristen Williams.


Tell me about the work you completed at the Basically Modern Arts Sanctuary.

I just completed a new work for the Basso Moderno Duo. The work's title, "White Doll" comes from a very beautiful choral habanera, "Black Doll". I've sung this habanera with the "Entredós" choir in Madrid. The work is an intimate wink to my friend Patricia, a woman whose presence has encouraged and helped me a lot. "White Doll" is organized in more of a process than a structure. This process begins with unpitched (non-harmonic) sounds, continues with pitched (harmonic) notes in central section, and returns to unpitched sounds to finish the work. Theatrically, this process is represented by a white cloth doll's actions: she starts sleeping (inside the piano, over highest strings, then stopping their sound), wakes up (noise lightly becomes sound), goes out from her bed and remains out for a while (beautiful melodies and harmonies) to finish returning to her bed (unpitched sounds). This work has been easy to write for Basso Moderno Duo because they are always opened to theatricality and high beautiful melodies in the double bass, both qualities not easy to find in a music group.

What inspires you?

My inspiration in fact comes from a lot of things and feelings. Inspiration depends each time on what I have around me. In some of my works I focus my whole attention on the commission characteristics: what kind of music are the performers used to playing (what are their limits). Where is the piece going to be performed (acoustic, room), how long does the work need to be, what kind of audience ... etc. In some other works I feel really free and I ask myself: "what do I need to hear?" What do I need to feel from a stage?” I leave my mind work from my deepest feelings and my childhood. In some works, I combine both aspects: commission + myself.

How do you get your ideas?

My ideas depend on what mood I have. When I am inspired and full of energy, ideas come in a very fluid manner. My friend Joaquín Martínez Oña, a magnificent music teacher, posed to me the possibility that composers are simply mediums that sends the ideas to us as a superior being. He continues by saying that our mission in life is to give the ideas a development and shape and then to transmitting them to the listener.

What guides your work?

My work is guided by creative impulses. As a good Gemini, one of my two personalities is impulsive, obstinate and very demanding. It is concerned with "pulling the wagon" in my projects. What gives shape to those starting ideas are reflected in the kind of performers and audience that I imagine the work will have in most of its performances and specifically the premiere.

What do you hope for the future?

Who knows! Life brings so many choices. I would like to continue composing and teaching, and I'd also like to live in contact with the nature.

You love to travel, where will you go next?

At the moment, I'm returning to Spain in order to rehears my next premiere and to see my family and friends whom I miss a lot.

Thank you for sharing this with us.