'Borges y el Espejo' (Borges and the Mirror) is loosely based on a Turkish semi-classical song. I was primarily interested in the rhythmic complexity of melismatic singing in the Ottoman and pre-Ottoman musical traditions of Turkey. In this type of singing, the melisma seems to be the centre point from which repetitive rhythms are triggered and multiplied, creating complex and diverse phrases and yet, retaining a great sense of unity.
In 'Borges y el Espejo', I used the simple repetition of melismatic singing to generate complex rhythms and to create an ever changing perception of pulse.
The Turkish melismatic phrases are copied, repeated and transformed by mirrors which multiply them into the perfection of symmetry or the abysm of obsessive repetition. Mirrors and Islam, two of Borges' favourite subjects and, in a metaphorical sense, the subject matter of this work too.
The text in 'Borges y el Espejo' has little or no semantic meaning. Most of the words are in Turkish and have been re-arranged according to the musical needs of the composition and do not necessarily follow the syntactical rules of the Turkish language. The text is a fiction which I have invented.

Alejandro Vinao (RA), born 1951, studied composition, guitar and conducting in Buenos Aires. Studies at the Royal College of Music and the City University in London. PH. D. in composition at the City University. Commissions from various performing groups and institutions such as IRCAM, commission for KRONOS quartet for the 1994/95 season, MIT, the Ensemble Intercontemporain. “Chant d’ailleurs” won the Ist Prize “Golden Nica ” at Prix Ars Electronica 92.