At a glance
ORCHESTRATION
2.2.2.2 – 2.2.0.0 – timp; 2 perc – pno; hp – str
YEAR COMPOSED
2016, Arr. 2021
DURATION
10’
PREMIERE
Listen In
Program Note
Mariachitlán (Mariachiland) is an orchestral homage to my birthplace, the Mexican state of Jalisco, where mariachi music originated. The work recounts my experience visiting the Plaza de los Mariachis in Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco, a place where mariachis play their songs in every corner and interrupt each other to win over the crowd.
In Mariachitlán, traditional rhythms such as the canción ranchera (ranchera song) in 2/4 time (choon- tah choon-tah), the vals romántico (romantic waltz) in 3/4 time (choon-tah-tah), and the son jalisciense (Jalisco song) that alternates between 6/8 and 3/4 time, accompany original melodies inspired by the beautiful landscapes of Jalisco. Mariachi instruments such as the trumpet, harp, and violin are featured as soloists in this work. Furthermore, the strings emulate the strumming patterns of vihuleas, while the contrabasses growl like guitarrones.
Near the end of the piece, a policeman blows his whistle in an attempt to stop the party. However, the crowd chants Mariachitlán, gradually increasing in intensity, and is rewarded with more vibrant music that ends the work with great brilliance.
The original version of Mariachitlán (2016), scored for symphony orchestra, won the 2016 Jalisco Orchestral Composition Contest and was nominated for a 2019 Latin GRAMMY® Award for Best Arrangement.
—Juan Pablo Contreras
May 2021
Performances
Reviews
“A 10-minute mariachi mix, tunes broken up and played together, begins as a kind of Guadalajara take on Ives’ evocation of colliding marching bands but remains more conventional, even slightly Hollywood at the end. The new orchestration brings the score to splendid life.”
“Mariachitlán is considered to be the Huapango (Moncayo) of the 21st century.”
“Mariachitlán is a lush and colorful work.”
“The centerpiece was the U.S. premiere of Juan Pablo Contreras’ Mariachitlán, an 11-minute send-up of the mariachi band tradition. That piece was expertly colored, intricately layered and sometimes delightfully raucous, studded with “wrong” notes, woozy brass, and even a police whistle representing a vain attempt to stop the fun.”
“Mariachitlán is a vibrant and original work that is at times poignantly chaotic. It combines beautiful folk-like melodies with traffic and city sounds. Near the end, a police whistle tries to end the mariachi party, but is unsuccessful.”
