Poetic Encounters and Instrumental Affairs

Abstract

Abstract This chapter explores a series of intertextual webs present in a group of chamber pieces Lavista wrote in close collaboration with performers such as Marielena Arizpe, Leonora Saavedra, and Cuarteto Latinoamericano. The creative intimacy Lavista fostered with his collaborators, which started in 1979 and continued throughout the 1980s, was a crucial step in solidifying his compositional style. These pieces, which incorporate extended techniques and an intertextual play with poetic references, are also examples of Lavista’s affective relationship with the literary arts. Whether from his pen or from the writings of others, producing and promoting texts centered around music was another manifestation of his creativity. The journal Pauta: Cuadernos de teoría y crítica musical—founded and directed by Lavista—is discussed as an extension of Lavista’s creativity and his affective relationships with collaborators, music, literature, and the visual arts. Pauta responded to an urgent need for music-centered texts in Spanish and played a seminal role in contemporary music scenes throughout the Spanish-speaking world.