The bucare tree (Erythrina fusca), characterized by its coral-red flowers, is widely grown for various purposes throughout the tropical regions of the Americas. In Central America there are a number of commonly used names for this tree; in Venezuela, for example, it is known as the arauco. This same word, however, is also used in reference to one of the old creeks that feed the Guaire River, which flows through the valley in which Caracas is located.
This work was intended as a mental journey to the composer’s hometown, to revive its sounds, colors and smells, from the hectic daily routine of cosmopolitan Caracas to the calm, fresh, humid and moonlit evenings that can be seen from the hills that surround the city. This notwithstanding, the work is not programmatic; rather, the composer has written a work that for him serves as a personal reminded of the nicer things he experienced many years ago.
An array of fifths, sixths and thirds, as well as ostinatos and unusual rhythms build the horizontal material that populates the ecosystem of the piece. These elements are disseminated throughout the score regardless of whichever section in which they may be found, thus creating a bursting blend of textures that helps to create the soundtrack for that mental trip to wherever makes you happy... and, in the end, the mixture of techniques and expressions recalls the end of that nostalgic moment, sprinkled with the floating echoes of the main rhythmic motif.
