Weaving music, dramaturgy and visual creation in Hallucinations by Rogelio Huguet
On June 27, 2024, I had my final master’s recital. For this performance, I wanted to surround myself with friends and family who could collaborate on my project. I would now like to go into detail about the performance I did with my sister, actress Violeta Sánchez, which was enriched by the audiovisuals created by my uncle Onésimo Hernández.
One of the pieces I was most eager to perform was Hallucinations by Rogelio Huguet i Tagell, a composer who was the main focus of my master’s research, and thus central to my final concert. Before going into further details, I would like to briefly share a summary of the dramatic story written by Huguet for Hallucinations.
An ancient legend from the 13th century in southern Spain tells of condemned heretics who, on the eve of their execution, would be awakened by the tolling of a bell. At that moment, a monk from the Holy Inquisition, followed by the executioner and his assistants, would arrive to take the prisoner to the torture chamber and extract their final confessions. This work portrays a scene from that time: a convict, familiar with the harsh ritual, is overwhelmed by the haunting sound of the bell. In his delirium, he believes he can escape by breaking the bars and walls of his dungeon. Seriously injured by his futile efforts, he dies in fear awaiting the tolling of the bell.
After reading this story, I thought it would be interesting to add a dramatized interpretation to this music. Also, there was nothing I wanted more than having my sister participate in my final exam. To make this possible, she had to come a few days earlier to plan the performance and rehearse it. It was quite a challenge, as we only had 10 days to prepare a proposal, and furthermore, we had never worked together before.
Together, we decided on the moment when the prisoner awakens, the fear that takes over him upon hearing the bell, as well as the most intense points within the piece, such as when he goes mad and tries to escape, or the tragic ending. Thanks to my uncle, we were able to enhance the proposal, as he created a powerful audiovisual using AI. He incorporated the elements of the bell and the prison walls, creating a sense of confinement for the viewer.
We were all very satisfied with the result, as we were able to touch the audience’s hearts, allowing them to truly feel the torment of the prisoner awaiting his inevitable death.