MACHU PICCHU

“Machu Picchu” describes in a fantastic and naturalistic way the legendary Lost City of the Incas. In 2007, the city was named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World and this composition is the first chapter of a series of seven descriptive works written to honor these archeological sites. Machu Picchu (which in Spanish means “old peak”) is called the Lost City and is located in Peru, in the Archeological Park of Machu Picchu (known also as the Peruvian Historical Sanctuary) in the Amazon Forest. Archeologists believe that the city, built by the Incan emperor Pachacútec around 1440, was abandoned in 1532 at the time of the Spanish conquest. The site is strategically located, as it is surrounded by steep slopes that constitute a natural defense and have kept it secretly hidden for centuries. In fact, once it was abandoned, the legendary city remained unknown to the outside world for more than four hundred years. Archeological finds and recent studies of colonial documents show that Machu Picchu was not a traditional city, but rather a summer residence for the emperor and the Incan nobility. It is estimated that no more than 750 people at a time could live in Machu Picchu and that this number decreased consistently during the rainy season or in absence of the nobility. Hiram Bingham, an American historian at Yale University, announced the discovery of the city on July 24, 1911. Machu Picchu, situated on the crest of the mountain, is composed of many structures at different altitudes, separated by deep precipices and steep paths. The city is a site of high architectural value with many sacred buildings characterized by stylistically distinctive stonework altars. More than one hundred flights of stone steps, waterworks, residences, observatories, squares, temples, sighting towers, and the astronomic clock render this city a unique venue. The composition opens with a vision of the city that, enshrouded by mysterious mist, rapidly disappears as though hiding on purpose. Eventually, the clouds clear and let us admire the wonderful “Pyramid of Intihuatana,” whose music, with wide timbric and harmonic leaps, portrays the large steps of the building and becomes a unifying element of the piece. Next, we enter in the city, where the composer visualizes a llama (typical Peruvian animal) that, jumping among the steep paths, magically takes us back to the time when the Incas populated the city. A catchy 7/8 rhythm overwhelms us with cheerfulness and wonder: the popular feast begins. After this fantastic moment of playfulness, we gaze at the austere “Temple of the Sun,” where the initial sweet and smooth sound gives way to a depiction of the majestic building. But here comes a war! This section is an imaginary portrayal of the Spanish conquest of 1532 … These war images do not last long, and we are once again rushed to the past where we take pleasure in the joy of children playing on the large steps of the pyramid. In the “Sacred Square,” we witness an Incan ritual in honor of the Sun God in which the priests balance the negative forces created by humankind on earth with the supernatural forces of the stars. This section features the voice that recalls the sonorous effect of the ancient rite and the theme earlier employed for the war, which portrays the negative energy created by humankind. The llama returns and brings back with his joyful jumping the festive city! The composition ends with a last glimpse at the magnificent site that remains surrounded by mystery and will endure as “The Lost City of the Incas.”