Javier Zalba

Rastro y Belascoaín

This quartet has been composed for and, with great affection, been dedicated to the Havana Conservatory of Music in Cuba, where I myself work as a teacher. This composition aims at reflecting an ordinary day filled with everyday activities, revealing different states of mind - with high spirits prevailing -, dynamism as well as unusual noises such as car horns, which I have tried to reproduce, for instance, in the final notes in bars 40, 41, 43 and 45. What mainly manifests itself throughout this work is a spirit of jazz (a genre that is very popular among music students, especially here at our conservatory). A correct execution of the off-beats and syncopations is of great importance, particularly with regard to the baritone sax, which occasionally assumes the part of the bass as it does for example in part A and, above all, in part D, where it provides a jazzy accompaniment for the soloists, performing bebop style accents (see bars 31, 32, 131 and 132) and riff-like phrases (as is done as of bar 116). Please note that the saxophonists, according to preference, may take turns in performing the solos; they should, however, be careful not to exaggerate things in order to prevent the baritone from being overstrained.