Evoking the music of Ecuador's Hatun Puncha-Inti Raymi Festival: A new work for symphonic flute

Abstract

This thesis explores the meaning and context of a newly commissioned work, Gotas de Rocio en la Warmi Rasu, for symphonic flute and orchestra by Ecuadorian composer Wilson Haro. This work depicts the Quechua festival of the Hatun Puncha-Inti Raymi in Cotacachi, Ecuador, in which an Ecuadorian indigenous transverse flute, the flauta, plays a crucial role. Flauta performance practice and indigenous aesthetics are thus integral elements in Haro’s compositional process. Therefore, to provide a context and framework for this new musical work, this thesis draws on multiple sources and investigatory methods, including fieldwork in the indigenous community of Turuku-Cotacachi. After providing a thorough explication of its context, the commissioned work is discussed in terms of compositional style, musical analysis, and symbolism as related to the Hatun Puncha-Inti Raymi and the flauta.