Mark Contreras: Peruvian Fantasy

The Peruvian Fantasy (Fantasía Peruana), by Mark Contreras (born 1995), is a string quartet inspired by the multiculturalism of Peru. In this sense, each of the movements reflects the essence of the three main geographic regions of this nation: the coast, the mountains and the jungle, respectively. The first movement, entitled “Tondero”, refers to a very old mixed couple dance, with a happy and lively rhythm. It is a very expressive dance, which imitates the love ritual of the birds, depicting the detour that the rooster makes to the hen. The agile and graceful movements of the dancers in a small space are combined with suggestive swaggering.

The second movement is "Yaraví", a term that refers to certain sad and romantic songs, cultivated by the mestizos of provincial cities, documented in Peru from the second half of the 18th century. Finally, “Movido”, the third and last movement of this work, brings us closer to a festive dance of great dynamism, related to the tribe of the Peruvian Amazon. This record, performed by the Phoenix String Quartet, was made in the International Composers Competition Bruno Maderna 2020.

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