Anne Lauber’s compositions are “characterized by a desire for expressive clarity rooted in traditional materials and methods of Western classical music.” Lauber is a founding member 1 of Mélodistes Indépendants (1995), a collective of Montreal composers who reacted against what they described as a lack of clear melody, rhythm, and resolution of dissonance in contemporary music. The Mélodistes Indépendants “seek a balance between the [hermeticity] of pompous classical music and the excessive commercialization of popular music.” In the collection Pour 2 l’amour de la musique, the manifesto of the Mélodistes Indépendants states, We identify with music where the melody dominates and takes an essential part in communication. We regard music as progress which tends to sharpen emotions and channel people's awareness through the use of accessible, original, and traditional language… In short, our goal is above all communication, because the reactions of the public are, for us, of prime importance. We are therefore able to innovate while respecting traditions.3 The purpose of this document is to explore how Serenata Espania synthesizes classical guitar techniques with Spanish dance rhythms and various textures to create musical imagery, achieve expressive clarity, and uphold the beliefs of the Mélodistes Indépendants.
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