Tania León - Toque
October 18, 2023
Ben Bolter conducts the Contemporary Music Ensemble in Tania León’s Toque. León was awarded the Bienen School of Music’s 2023 Michael Ludwig Nemmers Prize in Music Composition. This performance took place during her first Nemmers Prize residency at Northwestern.
About this Work
The word “toque” in Spanish means “touch” and is used not just for physical touch, but also to signify playing an instrument, playing a game, sounding an alarm, or giving something a finishing touch. This composition is inspired by a famous Cuban dance tune (or danzón) called Almendra, which means “almond” in English. Almendra was composed in 1938 by the Cuban band leader Abelardito Valdés. León explains that this tune is so well-known that a Cuban needs to hear only two notes of it to recognize the piece. Danzón is the official dance music of Cuba, and is based on European ballroom dancing. It is elegant and virtuosic and generally has a light and sprightly feel.