Each year, after the All Japan Band Competition concludes, ensembles performing my works gather for a post-event celebration known as "Team Amano." In the midst of last year's gathering (2007), a single decisive remark came from Seiji Sagawa, a distinguished senior figure from Akita, Japan:"Amano~ write a Spanish-style piece for next year~."
Well... as you might imagine, one simply cannot disobey a senior's request.

And so I found myself compelled to write a Spanish-style work. Only then did I realize just how difficult it is to write something that does not already exist within oneself. If it were merely a matter of creating something "Spanish-flavored," I could have completed it easily enough using a kind of film-music approach. But since this was a request from Mr. Sagawa, it had to include not only "love," but also an element that would "make Sagawa cry." Under those conditions, I could hardly throw together a superficial "Spanish-style piece."

I wrote and erased-over and over again-yet no divine inspiration came. In desperation, I seriously considered escaping to visit a friend in Barcelona, and the moment I booked my flight, the long-awaited revelation finally descended from the heavens. Ah... the sardines of Barcelona, the jamon, the Rioja wine...

This work is infused throughout with an unmistakable Espanol flavor. Drawing inspiration from traditional rhythms and folk materials incorporated by composers such as Falla, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Ravel in their respective works, I have included these elements while trying not to diminish the character of their original essence. I encourage you to listen to these captivating traditional Spanish musical forms as they appear in the original works of those great composers.

When you do, you will notice that within this piece, the Espanol flavor coexists with another, entirely different element. That other element is the expression of "love," the eternal theme of Seiji Sagawa.

(Masamicz Amano)