Espejos (1967), by Juan Carlos Zorzi. An approach to its genesis, analysis and possible influences

Abstract

In 1965, with a scholarship from the Fondo Nacional de las Artes, Argentinian conductor and composer Juan Carlos Zorzi relocated to Italy to deepen the musical training he obtained in Argentina. After his European sojourn he produced three pieces: La sonrisa de Hiroshima, Ognuno sta solo, and Espejos, which was the launchpad to the development of what he called the “sistema de los espejos interválicos” (“interval mirrors’ system”). This article offers an overview of the genesis, musical analysis, and possible stylistic influences of Espejos as a way of accessing an initial theorization of his system, method which was a foundational part of Zorzi’s compositional language and a staple in most of his music production. Furthermore, because of the scarcity of biographical studies, we begin with a brief review of his career.