The San Francisco Symphony, led by Venezuelan conductor Rafael Payare, recently debuted a new monochrome film by Alberto Arvelo that was specifically crafted to accompany their performance of Cantata Criolla by Antonio Estévez.

The orchestra performed the piece alongside the film at Jacobs Park in California on May 26 and 27, 2023.

Cantata Criolla is based on a Venezuelan folk legend featuring Florentino, a singing cowboy who engages in a musical duel with the devil. The libretto for the cantata was written by Alberto Arvelo Torrealba, the grandfather of filmmaker Alberto Arvelo.

Payare and Arvelo crossed paths while Arvelo was working on a documentary about Venezuela's renowned public music education program, El Sistema, in which both Payare and Gustavo Dudamel had participated as students.

Arvelo expressed his personal connection to the poem, stating, "I have a deep bond with this poem, not only because my grandfather wrote it but also as a Venezuelan. It embodies our culture and our relationship with the natural landscape."

"Both Rafa and Gustavo are exceptional conductors, and they share an emotional connection with the cantata," Arvelo continued. "Rafa desired something distinctive. He was fascinated by the clash between good and evil and how the music portrayed that. So, I created his version in black and white. In a way, it evokes a more primal essence."

Payare added, "What the audience will witness, particularly at the conclusion of the concert, is extraordinary. Assembling that part was tremendously challenging, but watching it is an incredible experience. I am eagerly anticipating sharing this with everyone."