Tiento Nupcial sobre A y E

2007

Organ

UA: 31/3/2007 (Barcelona, Catedral Santa Maria del Mar), Jordi Armengol Puig (organ)

This tiny piece has been composed for the very special occasion of the marriage of my Spanish nephew Alexander and his bride Elisabet.

As the Tiento is one of the numerous forms of what later on became the Fugue, I introduced two themes in that piece: the melody of an old (1860) American song which has been usurpated by Elvis Presley as “Love me Tender…” and a motive from Robert Schumann (“Lass mich Dir am Busen hangen, Mutter, Mutter, lass das Bangen”).

It was a quite strange event: a completely atheist composer being performed in one of the oldest gothic christian Cathedrals. After it all was over, we had an absolute incredible marriage party near Barcelona (organized by Alexanders parents Bernd and Ulrike) where nobody was able to count the bottles of wine or other drinks.

I learnt much of Latin pleasure in life during that long night. And I am still grateful to Bernd who – late in the night – offered me an immense (Cuban?) cigar which I am still smoking.

You can download the score here: TientoNupcial.pdf