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Composer Alberto Ginastera.
Alberto Evaristo Ginastera (April 11, 1916 –
June 25, 1983) was an Argentine composer of classical music. He is considered one of
the most important Latin American classical composers.
Biography
Ginastera was born in Buenos Aires to a Catalan father
and an Italian
mother. He preferred to pronounce his surname in its Catalan
pronunciation, with an English J sound
(IPA: [dʒinaˈsteɾa]) rather than a Spanish J
sound (IPA: [xinaˈsteɾa]).
He studied at the conservatory in Buenos Aires, graduating in
1938. After a visit to the United States in 1945–47, where he
studied with Aaron
Copland at Tanglewood, he returned to Buenos Aires and
co-founded the League of Composers. He held a number of teaching
posts. He moved back to the United States in 1968 and from 1970
lived in Europe. He died in Geneva at the age of 67.
Among his notable students were Ástor Piazzolla
(who studied with him in 1941), Waldo de los Ríos, and Rafael
Aponte-Ledée.
Music
Ginastera grouped his music into three periods: "Objective
Nationalism" (1934–1948), "Subjective Nationalism" (1948–1958), and
"Neo-Expressionism" (1958–1983). Among other distinguishing
features, these periods vary in their use of traditional Argentine
musical elements. His Objective Nationalistic works often integrate
Argentine folk themes in a straightforward fashion, while works in
the later periods incorporate traditional elements in increasingly
abstracted forms.
The progressive rock group Emerson, Lake & Palmer
brought Ginastera's attention outside of modern classical music
circles when they adapted the fourth movement of his first piano
concerto and recorded it on their popular album Brain Salad
Surgery under the title "Toccata". They recorded the piece
not only with Ginastera's permission, but with his endorsement. In
1973, when they were recording the album, Keith Emerson met with
Ginastera at his home in Switzerland and played a recording of his
arrangement for him. Ginastera is reported to have said,
"Diabolical!". Emerson misunderstood Ginastera's
meaning: Ginastera spoke almost no English and meant that their
interpretation was frightening, which had been his intent when he
wrote it; Emerson, being British, took it to mean "awful". Emerson
was so upset that he was prepared to scrap the piece until
Ginastera's wife intervened saying that he approved. Ginastera
later said, "You have captured the essence of my music, and no
one's ever done that before." This experience is detailed in the
liner notes to Brain Salad Surgery. Emerson would later go
on to release an adaptation of one of the pieces from Ginastera's
Suite de Danzas Criollas entitled "Creole Dance".
"Toccata" also gained fame as the theme to the New England cult TV
show Creature Double Feature.
Italian neo-classical electric guitarist Alex Masi has also recorded an adaptation of
"Toccata," one strongly based on the aforementioned ELP version,
rather than the original orchestral piece. It can be found on
1989's "Attack of the Neon Shark".
A portion of Ginastera's Sonata For Piano is performed
in the movie The Competition, and the
piece is included in the movie soundtrack.
Works
Julián Aguirre Conservatory of Music, founded by Ginastera in
1951.
Opera
- Don
Rodrigo, Op.31 (1964)
- Bomarzo, Op.34 (1967), banned in
Argentina until 1972
- Beatrix
Cenci, Op.38 (1971), based on the play The Cenci
(1819) by Percy Bysshe Shelley
Ballet
- Panambí, Op. 1 (1934–1936)
- Estancia, Op. 8 (1941)
Four Dance from "Estancia" were transcribed for symphonic wind
ensemble by MSgt Donald Patterson, and recorded by Colonel Michael
Colburn and "The President's Own" United States Marine Band. This
arrangement was also recorded by the Marine Band live in concert
led by guest conductor Jose Serebrier (available on the Naxos
label).
Orchestral
- Overture to the Creole Faust (Obertura para el "Fausto"
criollo) , Op.9 (1943)
- Ollantay: 3 Symphonic Movements, Op.17 (1947)
- Variaciones concertantes, Op. 23 (1953)
- Pampeana no.3, Op.24 (1954)
- Concerto for strings, Op.33 (1966)
- Estudios Sinfonicos, Op.35 (1967)
- Popol Vuh, Op.44 (1975)
- Glosses on themes of Pablo Casals, for strings, Op.46
(1976)
- Glosses on themes of Pablo Casals, for orchestra, Op.48
(1977)
- Iubilum, Op.51 (1980)
Concertante
-
- 1. Cadenza e varianti
- 2. Scherzo allucinante
- 3. Adagissimo
- 4. Toccata concertata
- Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 39 (1972)
-
- 1. 32 variazioni sopra un accordo di Beethoven
- 2. Scherzo per la mano sinistra
- 3. Quasi una fantasia
- 4. Cadenza
- 5. Finale prastissimo
- Violin Concerto, Op. 30 (1963)
- Cello Concerto No. 1, Op. 36 (1968)
- Cello Concerto No. 2, Op. 50 (1980)
Piano
- Danzas Argentinas Op. 2
(1937)
- Milonga for piano Op. 3
- Three pieces Tres Piezas Op. 6 (1940)
- Malambo Op. 7 ( 1940)
- "Little Dance" for piano from Ballet " Estancia " Op. 8
- Twelve American preludes Doce preludios americanos Op.
12 (1944)
- Suite of Creole dances Suite de Danzas Criollas Op. 15
(1946)
- "Rondo" on Argentine children's folk-tunes Rondó sobre
temas infantiles argentinos Op. 19 (1947)
- Piano Sonata No. 1 Op. 22 (1952)
- Piano Sonata No. 2 Op. 53 (1981)
- Piano Sonata No. 3 Op. 54 (1982)
- Piezas Infantiles (1934)
- Danzas Argetinas para los ninos
- I. Moderato for Alex
- II.Passage Paisaje for Georgina
- Toccata for piano (1970)
- Ginastera's arrangement of an "Organ Toccata" by Domenico
Zipoli.
Organ
- Toccata, Villancico y Fuga, Op.18 (1947)
- Variazioni e Toccata sopra Aurora lucis rutilat, Op.52
(1980)
-
- Variación 1: Maestoso
- Variación 2: Tempo giusto
- Variación 3: Impetuoso, l'istesso tempo
- Variación 4: Vivacissimo
- Variación 5: L'istesso tempo
- Variación 6: L'istesso tempo
- Variación 7: Sereno
- Variación 8: Estatico
- Variación 9: Quasi allegretto
- Variación 10: Pastorale
- Variación 11: Andantino poetico
- Variación 12: Lento
- Toccata - Finale: Tema
Vocal/choral orchestral
- Two songs, Dos canciones Op. 3 (1937)
- Psalm 150 Op. 5
(1938)
- Cinco canciones
populares argentinas Op. 10 (1943)
- Las horas de una estancia ( Ocampo ) op. 11
(1943)
- Lamentaciones de
Jeremias Propheta Op. 14 (1946)
- Cantata para América Mágica, for dramatic soprano and
percussion orchestra, Op. 27 (1960)
- Bomarzo Op. 32 (1964), a cantata described as "distinct
from the opera" by the Concise Oxford Dictionary of
Music
- Milena, Cantata no.3 for soprano and orchestra, Op.37
(1971)
- Turbae, for soloists, chorus and orchestra, Op.43
(1975)
Chamber/instrumental
- Duo for flute and oboe Op. 13 (1945)
- Pampeana No. 1, for violin and piano Op. 16
(1947)
- String Quartet No. 1 Op. 20 (1948)
- Pampeana No. 2, for cello and piano Op. 21 (1950)
- String Quartet No. 2 Op. 26 (1958)
- Piano Quintet Op. 29 (1963)
- String Quartet No. 3 Op. 40 (1973)
- Puneña No. 2, Op. 45 'Hommage à Paul Sacher' for cello solo
(1976)
- Guitar Sonata, Op. 47 (1976)
- Sonata for violoncello and piano, op. 49 (1979)
Excluding
works by the author (without opus number)
- Impresiones de la Puna - Flauta y cuerdas
- "Amiro canta" - Canción
- Sonatina para arpa
- Canciones infantiles para piano
- "La Cenicienta" - two pianos
- "La moza de los ojos negros" - Soprano and piano
- Argentine Concerto / Concierto Argentino, for piano
and orchestra (1937)
- Canciones y danzas argentinas para violín y piano
- Sinfonia porteña
- Sinfonia elegíaca
- Incidental music for theater and film and some
transcriptions
Discography
- Art Songs of Latin-America, Patricia Caicedo, soprano & Pau
Casan, piano - Albert Moraleda Records, Barcelona, 2001 - Cinco
canciones populares argentinas by Ginastera & Canción al árbol
del olvido
- 2007 - Flores Argentinas: Canciones de Ginastera y Guastavino /
Inca Rose Duo: Annelise Skovmand, voice; Pablo González Jazey,
guitar. Cleo Productions, Cleo Prod 1002. Arrangements by González
Jazey for voice and guitar of: "Cinco canciones populares
argentinas op.10" y "Dos canciones op.3"
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