2013 Brian M. Israel Prize
At a glance
INSTRUMENTATION
vln, cl, vc, pno
YEAR COMPOSED
2011
DURATION
22'
AWARDS
2013 Brian M. Israel Prize
PREMIERE
May 18, 2011. Wild Beast, California Institute of the Arts; Valencia, California, United States. Inauthentica Quartet.
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Program Note

On November 23, 2010, fifteen teenagers were brutally murdered at a birthday party in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. The inspiration for Silencio en Juárez (Silence in Juárez) came from this tragic event. The first movement, “Madre Dolorosa” (“Sorrowful Mother”), is written from the perspective of one of the mothers who lost her child in the massacre. The movement is a musical portrait of the Stabat Mater Dolorosa Catholic hymn that meditates on the suffering of Mary during Jesus Christ’s crucifixion.
The second movement is a sarcastic setting of a corrido, a traditional genre from northern Mexico that is driven by an accordion-based polka and praises local drug criminals. “Corrido” musically portrays a recollection of memories from one of the witnesses to the killings. A folk tune is interlaced among flashbacks of gunshots and desperate cries for help.
“Liturgia” (“Liturgy”), the third movement, evokes a Catholic mass. The introductory church bells in the piano lead to the priest’s recitation of the Eucharistic Prayer, heard in the opening violoncello line. Afterward, the clarinet, violin, and violoncello each offer eulogies to the victims of the tragedy.
The finale, “La Injusticia” (“The Injustice”), is a crude reflection of the reality that Mexico is facing. Acts of violence are regular occurrences throughout the country, while citizens pray for a season of peace. Toward the end of the movement, the victims are lovingly remembered in a lyrical and nostalgic passage. This music eventually transports us back to reality, a reality assuring us that if murders continue at this rate, there will be nothing left but an eternal Silence in Juárez.
—Juan Pablo Contreras
Reviews
“Silencio en Juárez is masterfully written chamber music – it won the 2013 Brian M. Israel Prize – but more than that it is an honest attempt by the composer to deal with deeply troubling issues in contemporary society.”
“Silencio en Juárez by Juan Pablo Contreras was a very powerful and moving composition. This poignant work was inspired by the 2010 tragedy wherein 15 teenagers were murdered in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. The horror of the event and the pain that followed was captured with a lilting folk tune abruptly interrupted by gunshots and desperate cries for help and families mourning their lost loved ones.”
“From its sorrowful opening with echoes of Messiaen, to the rhythmically punchy finale, “Silencio en Juárez” pays homage to an event no one wants to remember—but needs to.”
“Cast in four movements, “Silencio en Juárez” is emotionally charged and filled with catholic references such as the sorrowful mother and the liturgy. Inspired by the 2010 massacre where 15 teenagers lost their lives in Ciudad Juárez, the work represents Contreras’ introspective vision of a dark subject matter, like Messiaen’s in his Quartet for the End of Time.”
“Juan Pablo Contreras is a Mexican composer who has revolutionized classical music. One of his most important works is “Silencio en Juárez,” which pays homage to 15 teenagers that were murdered during a party in this violent city.”