CHANFLíN
Frances Zengel, Jerin Fuller, PGE, Octavian Moldovean, Hila Zamir, Otavio Manzano Kavakama,
& Ariel Magno da Costa
Hila Zamir, PGE, Octavian Moldovean, & Ariel Magno da Costa
Chanflín is a micro-opera written for five singers (soprano, mezzo-soprano, two altos, and baritone), flute, bass clarinet, two percussionists, piano and cello. It is set to an original libretto, re-imagined from “Chanflín”, a Dominican folk song.
This fictional story takes place in Gurabo (Dominican Republic) in 1936 and tells the tale of two siblings: Chanflín (14) and her brother Bilín (16), who have been in love since childhood. Chanflín recently learned she is pregnant with Bilín's nephew and knowing he would find a way to keep the child, she plots a way out. She starts an affair with Don Ventura (36), owner of Flor de Oro tobacco factory, and she plans to get caught. On the next morning, the whole town finds out about the affair and people start confronting Don Ventura during Carnival festivities. Soon after, Bilín joins the crowd and they take Don Ventura to jail. Later that day, Bilín gets executed by Don Ventura's entourage. Chanflín's intricate plan works out: she flees town with the desire to abort the baby, and start anew in Tamboril, a nearby town. After Bilín gets executed, a parasite emerges from his body to sing and mourn its dead host. Through song, the parasite embodies the twisted ideas that used to govern Bilín's mind.
The music is the sum of contrasting elements: it combines rhythmic and melodic contours from Dominican merengue with jazz-infused harmonies and atmospheric orchestrations. The ensemble features two Dominican percussion instruments: the tambora, a two-headed drum, and the guira, a metal scraper, which are characteristic of traditional Dominican music. In the middle section, the piano plays tumbaos and the woodwinds and the cello play jaleo passages, typically associated with the saxophone section of a merengue de orquesta.
Due to the twisted nature of this story, the work calls for sinister dramatic devices such as the juxtaposition of perverted situations and the use of adult language, both in English and Spanish. For instance, Bilín and Chanflín sing two joyful Dominican children's songs, but are set in a darker dramatic tone to depict the intricate relationship of these siblings.
Tabitha Miner, Julia Gries, Lucas Lourenco,
& Megan Ahne
Megan Ahne, Lucas Lourenco,
& Tabitha Miner
Alana Jones
& Julia Gries
