LA NEVADA SILENCIOSA

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Winter can be a polarizing season – you love the cold or you don’t.  Within the season there’s an immense amount of beauty.  A fresh and untouched field of snow, silence, magnitude, and yet somehow, sadness.  De Unamuno’s poem captures the duality of the snow’s beauty and also strength.  Like the snow falls and covers fields delicately, he likens it to also falling on his feelings and covering up the sadness he feels.  I believe we can all relate to moments where all we wanted was to not be so caught up in our emotions, as healthy and valid as they are.  We can sometimes feel out of control or not like ourself, particularly in winter when many people experience Seasonal Affective Disorder.

 

I wanted to capture the simplicity of the snow through a simple melody – a scale, while simultaneously stirring up passion to overcome grief and emotion, searching for clarity.  In the middle of it all a blizzard breaks out, blinding with flashes of frost. 

 

Miguel de Unamuno’s poem is beautiful and haunting.  I felt that the best story to tell utilized portions of the poem and not the entirety of the work.  I would invite you to read the entirey of the poem to gain a complete picture of the de Unamuno’s intention.

 

Text                                                                                   Translation

La nevada es silenciosa,                                              The snowfall is so silent,

cosa lenta;                                                                       so slow,

poco a poco y con blandura                                       bit by bit, with delicacy

reposa sobre la tierra                                                  it settles down on the earth

 

Ven y abriga mi tristeza                                            Come and cover over the sadness

la que descansa en razón.                                        that lies always in my reason.

 

Posa la nieve callada                                                 The silent snow comes down

blanca y leve;                                                               white and weightless;

la nevada no hace ruido;                                          snowfall makes no noise,

copo a copo.                                                                flake after flake.

 

Abriga blanda a los campos                                   It covers the fields gently

cuando el hielo los hostiga;                                   while frost attacks them

con sus lampos de blancura;                                 with its sudden flashes of white;

 

Cubre a todo con su capa                                       Covers everything with its pure

pura, silenciosa;                                                         and silent covering;

 

Nieve, blanda nieve,                                                 Snow, delicate snow,

la que cae tan leve                                                    that falls with such lightness

sobre la cabeza,                                                         on the head,

sobre el corazón                                                        on the feelings

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Voicing: SSATB, piano

Status: Premiered 12/9/2024 by the Richland HS Chorale, Texas