I have been familiar with the Cantiga do Ferreiro (The Blacksmith’s Song) ever since I conducted Haydn’s Symphony No. 104, and someone — I can’t remember who — mentioned that in the final movement, near the end, a short passage used the notes of the Transmontana melody.
When, following an informal exchange of messages, the idea arose to write something for solo viola or with piano for my dear friend António José Pereira (from Trás-os-Montes), the blacksmith’s song immediately came to mind. A short paraphrase, variations without a theme? Or a simple, heartfelt gesture, born of memories of my time as a teacher in Mirandela. Three brief, fleeting moments; three states of mind; three perspectives on the Trás-os-Montes landscape. Perspectives not seen with the eyes, but viewed from the soul. Roberto Pérez
