Sensamayá
by Silvestre Revueltas

Notes
The repetition of words and phrases in the poem “Song to kill a snake” by Cuban poet Nicolás Guillén, make the effect quasi hypnotic, and there are few things more hypnotic than the rhythms of African roots or the eyes of that snake that must be killed with its weapons.  Mayombe-bombe-mayombé! It is the fundamental rhythm that moves Sensamayá, which Silvestre Revueltas wrote between 1937 and 38.

From the very beginning of the work, Revueltas establishes the relentless, peculiar rhythmic pattern of 7/8 in the depths of the orchestra where the bass clarinet has paramount all through the piece. 

A tuba presents the first melodic theme on this 7/8 pattern, from then on the rest of the building blocks are very diverse dynamically and, seeming to follow the cadences of the poem. As it is to be expected Sensemayá is full of musical accents but contrary to what would be usual these are not given by the percussion section but by the melodic instruments. Throughout the work the brass plays many of the accents, especially by the muted trumpets that are so characteristic of the music of Revueltas. In the very popular powerful finale, a brief pause seems to tell us that the snake is dead, just as in the poem Guillén says Sensamayá is dead.