Rapsodia Caracas

A Rhapsody is a musical form based on fragments of other compositions or popular tunes. Efrain Oscher compiled melodies he had written in the past to create Rhapsody Caracas, a symphonic piece dedicated to his beloved city Caracas. The piece features the popular Venezuela tune “Pajarillo”. This is a Joropo, musical form of the plain lands with syncopated rhythms in a time signature that juxtaposes 6/8 and 3/4.
After seeing a beautiful series of aerial pictures of Caracas, Efrain Oscher depicts in his Rhapsody a rather idyllic view of the metropolis. The introduction portraits the Sunrise, seen from a low flight towards Petare, at the east end of the City; the sunlight outlines the unique topography of the valley. Turning around, with the sun behind, the flight takes us westwards showing Caracas at its best, modern and elegant; spotting the icons of the city and its impressive architecture. There are calm sections of the piece which are contrasted with those of extreme tension, aiming to reflect the reality of Caracas. Although the city has been blessed with some peaceful corners it has the symptoms of any Cosmopolitan city, chaotic and dangerous.
The middle section is based on motives taken from “Pajarillo”, which has been rhythmically modified to fit in 4/4 bar and adopt a light jazzy touch. It opens with a cello solo followed by violin and oboe; clarinet, flute and other instrument join in in a playful counterpoint leading to a great Tutti which turns into a Afro-Venezuelan drumming section. On top of the intricate polyrhythmic appears again the theme of “Pajarillo”, reflecting thus the spirit of a city where many national and international cultures meet and mix.