Impresiones de la Puna
  Our next piece is for flute and string quartet, written by a famous composer from Argentina named Alberto Ginastera (JEE-nah-STEH-rah). He wrote it in 1934 when he was 18 years old. He named it Impresiones de la Puna because he wanted to describe life in the puna, the high mountain valleys of the Andes Mountains in Argentina.
THE FLUTE is a member of the wind instrument family. The flute you will see played is made from African Blackwood and has sterling silver keys. Most flutes are all metal. The sound is made by blowing across a hole near the end of the flute. Holding down the keys changes the pitch.
There are three parts or movements in this piece. Quena, named after the native flute of Argentina, Canción, which means song, and Danza, or dance.
 LISTEN to Danza Click the back browser button to return to the Exploration.
What do you think life in the puna is like after listening to this piece?
Could you hear the gauchos (cowboys) galloping across the pampas, the treeless grassy plains? 
How do composers paint pictures in your mind with music? |
