Tiempo de Reflexión/Time for Reflection
Francisco estévez
Commissioned by the Center for Latter-day Saint Arts as part of the Art for Uncertain Times.
To view the score (85 pages), select the image, above.
To listen to a synthesizer-generated audio file (12’ 35”), select here.
I live in Madrid (Spain), and unfortunately we have been alarmingly invaded by the Covid-19. The helplessness of not being able to do anything in the face of government mismanagement and confinement, along with the call to my daughter as a health worker (she is a nurse) to the nerve center of contagion in the largest hospital in Madrid, made me fall into depression and in a state of terrible anxiety. Thanks to prayer, fasting, and trust in our Heavenly Father, I was able to turn that bad state into the opposite: calm and good spirits, and I started to turn my thoughts and feelings into a musical composition during this confinement. The fruit of these reflections was a first work for a double string quintet entitled “Time for Reflection,” a work that I would like to present to you as a sample of my moments of reflection and meditation during this time.—Francisco Estévez, 2020
Francisco estévez
I was born in 1945 in Dakhla (Africa). I received my musical studies at the Royal Conservatory of Madrid, graduating in Composition an Conducting. I continued my Composition studies at the Robert Schumann Institut of Düsseldorf (Germany) under the direction of Milko Kelemen and Gunther Becker. During my stay in Germany I attended different Compositions Courses With Olivier Messiaen and Brian Ferneyhough, among others,. I also studied Electronic Music at the University of Utrecht 8Netherland) and at the Hochschule Für Musik in Essen Werden.
In Spain I was teacher for several years in the Electronic Music Center of the Cuenca Conservatory and also in the “Amaniel” Conservatory in Madrid teaching Harmony and Counterpoint, Fugue and Musical Acoustic. I have been fortunate to receive several Composition awards throughout my life.
I have been a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for 35 years.