Jesus Rodolfo TRANSFIXING METAMORPHOSIS

“Once upon a time, in a hidden part of France, a handsome young prince lived in a beautiful castle. Although he had everything his heart desired, the prince was selfish and unkind. He demanded that the village fill his castle with the most beautiful objects, and his parties with the most beautiful people...”

The magical music that accompanied the story of Beauty and the Beast was what aroused in me, aged 4, the love of music. From that moment, my life events had a soundtrack that would shift like a kaleidoscope. Nearly 30 years later, it feels like looking through the glass of that kaleidoscope again, and a new soundtrack plays in my head describing each of the three decades of my life. 

Just as it is when we go for a walk, Bach’s Adagio from his Solo Violin Sonata No. 3 builds, step by step, towards noble and divine harmonies. Like any prince, my childhood was spent chasing my dreams; in my case, learning the works of Bach, as well as conveying the beautiful message of faith through music. At this time of life, creativity is limitless, bold and innocent, and this sonata not only communicates that spirit but also delivers a message of hope for the future. 

Paul Hindemith was Germany’s “enfant fatale”, and although very conservatively rooted in Baroque techniques of composition, he strove for the more modern and avant-garde. When this Sonata for Solo Viola, Op. 11, No. 5 was written, Hindemith was undergoing his final and definite transition to becoming a fully- edged viola player, establishing himself as the most famous violist and composer for viola in music history. In a similar way, my teens were a period of blossoming creatively, musically and personally. I felt like a warrior defending my identity and developing who I envisioned I wanted to be. 

My 20s were a time of extremes at every level: the biggest challenges and most fulfilling accomplishments. Ligeti’s Viola Sonata is also a work of extremes, renowned as the hardest solo sonata ever written for the instrument, encapsulating his compositional techniques in just one piece. And so, when I least expected it, the transformation happened. These experiences coalesced and, all of a sudden, I realised I was an adult. I am nothing but the result of what has been learned during those different phases of my life, paired with the beautiful dreams, experiences and wishes that brought about the metamorphosis of these reminiscences, producing who I am today, as an individual and as a musician.  (Jesus Rodolfo)