The Motivic Construction in Leo Brouwer's Concerto Elegiaco

Abstract

This article examines Cuban composer Leo Brouwer’s use of the motivic construction in his Concierto Elegíaco. Firstly, the concepts of motif and cell are analyzed based on the definitions proposed by some musical theorists of the 20th century. It is shown that a cell —understood as a minimal musical material— can also be a motif. The term motivic construction is proposed to refer to the process by which a musical work is accumulated with motifs. Subsequently, Leo Brouwer’s use of the motivic construction with some early compositions is analyzed. From the analysis of the Concierto Elegíaco, it is shown that the treatment of its motivic cell (an interval of a second) a) is nourished by Afro-Cuban musical elements, raw material of the Brouwerian aesthetic; b) uses self-citation, a resource with which Brouwer uses fragments of previous compositions to create new works; c) it is part of a compositional stage self-described by Leo Brouwer as new simplicity —contemporary of post-minimalism.