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Alberto Ginastera

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Oxford Grove Music Encyclopedia:

Alberto (Evaristo) Ginastera

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(b Buenos Aires, 11 April 1916; d Geneva, 25 June 1983). Argentinian composer. He studied at the National Conservatory (1936-8) and made an early reputation with his ballet Panambí; (1940). Another nationalist ballet, Estancia, followed in 1941, when he was also appointed to the staff of the National Conservatory. During an extended visit to the USA (1945-7) he attended Copland's courses at Tanglewood; thereafter his life was divided between Argentina and abroad, his travels sometimes necessitated by changes of government. In 1971 he settled in Geneva.

Until the mid-1950s his music was essentially nationalist in a manner comparable with Bartók, Falla and Stravinsky, but he moved towards an atonal expressionism that has links with Berg and Penderecki: this made possible his late emergence as a composer of highly charged opera in which magic and fantastic elements are prominent (Don Rodrigo, 1964; Bomarzo, 1967; Beatrix Cenci, 1971). Other works include two piano concertos (1961, 1972), the Cantata para América mágica for soprano and percussion (1960) and three string quartets (1948, 1958, 1973).


Gale Encyclopedia of Biography:

Alberto Evaristo Ginastera

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The composer Alberto Evaristo Ginastera (1916-1983) employed both national idioms of his native Argentina and a variety of avant-garde techniques in developing a unique style.

Of Spanish-Italian ancestry, Alberto Ginastera was born in Buenos Aires on April 11, 1916. At the age of five, he became frustrated when he was unable to play his country's national anthem on a toy flute, because the instrument's range was too narrow. His musical talent was recognized early on, and he entered the Williams Conservatory in Buenos Aires to study music at age 12. He graduated from the National Conservatory of Music with honors in 1938, and three years later he returned to the conservatory as professor of composition. Ginastera set extremely high standards for himself, destroying some of his early compositions because he wanted to be remembered only for his best work.

Not Always Politically Correct

In his early years, Ginastera was not widely known outside Argentina, and even there, his political views sometimes got him into trouble with the country's leaders. The composer was particularly critical of the country's military governments, which he felt inhibited artistic expression. Twice, he was forbidden to teach, even at a music school he had founded, the Conservatory of Music and Scenic Arts at La Plata.

Ginastera's three Danzas argentinas for piano and the one-act ballet Panambí date from 1937. A second ballet, Estancia (Ranch), was commissioned by the American Ballet Caravan in 1941. His first symphony, Sinfonia porteña (1942), established him as a leading Latin American composer.

During an extended stay in the United States on a Guggenheim fellowship Ginastera's Duo for Flute and Oboe (1945) was premiered. Returning to Argentina, he organized in 1948 the Conservatory of Music and Scenic Art of the province of Buenos Aires. Later he became dean of the faculty of arts and musical science of the Catholic University of Argentina. In 1962 he was named director and professor of composition at the Latin American Center for Advanced Musical Studies in Buenos Aires.

Identified as Musical Nationalist

Ginastera was early identified with musical nationalism. Such works as Overture for the Creole Faust (1943), Pampeana No. 1 for violin and piano (1946), Pampeana No. 2 for cello and piano, Pampeana No. 3 for orchestra (1954), as well as his piano pieces and Argentine songs, reflect national characteristics.

However, the First String Quartet (1948) and the popular Variaciones concertantes for chamber orchestra (1953) are more formal and nonassociative. The Sonata for Piano (1952) employs polytonal and twelve-tone techniques. Extensive serialism is found in the extraordinarily difficult Violin Concerto (1963) commissioned for the opening of Philharmonic Hall at Lincoln Center. With the opera Don Rodrigo (1964) and the cantata Bomarzo (1964), commissioned by the U.S. Library of Congress, he emerged as one of the leaders of the avant-garde, making effective use of microtones, aleatory passages, and electronic effects.

Most of Ginastera's major works were commissioned. These include the Second String Quartet (1958), Piano Concerto (1961), Concerto for Harp and Orchestra (1965), and the Cello Concerto (1968). The Juilliard String Quartet performed his Second String Quartet in 1958 at the International American Music Festival in Washington, D.C. This was the first major serial composition from Ginastera and did much to establish his international reputation. Critic Howard Taubman said Ginastera created "an original and exciting synthesis of contemporary trends … employing polytonality, serial technique, and a variety of novel timbres with compelling naturalness." Aside from the perseverance of certain Argentinian rhythmic patterns, there is little that might be labeled either traditional or ethnic in the composer's mature works. They established him not only as a master craftsman of great originality but one uncommitted to any particular "school" of contemporary music.

Second Opera Made Headlines

Ginastera's second opera, Bomarzo made headlines upon its international debut in Washington, D.C., in 1967. Like the composer's first opera Don Rodrigo, it was atonal, but there the resemblance ended. The story line for the second opera was based on the final 15 seconds of life of the Duke of Bomarzo and featured scenes of sex, voyeurism, impotence, violence, and nudity. The opera was a stunning success in the United States, but Argentina banned its performance in that country until five years after its U.S. premiere, citing the composer's "obsession" with sex.

Ginastera often found inspiration in literature for his musical works. His cantata for soprano and orchestra, Milena was based on the letters of Franz Kafka, while Pablo Neruda supplied the text for another vocal work called Serenata. Of the importance of the classics of art, literature, and music to his own work, Ginastera once said, "I think that when an artist feels lost with too much speculation, he should re-read the works of Shakespeare, look at Fra Angelico's paintings or listen to Beethoven's symphonies, and then I am sure he would return to the right path."

Ginastera first married in 1941, wedding Mercedes de Toro. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1969 and produced two children, Alejandro and Georgina. In 1971, Ginastera married again, this time to Aurora Natola. The couple moved to Switzerland shortly after their marriage, but the move did little to alter the basic character of Ginastera's music. In 1980 his symphonic piece Iubilum, written to mark the 400th anniversary of Buenos Aires' founding, was first performed. Three years later in Geneva, Ginastera died at the age of sixty-seven on June 25, 1983.

Further Reading

A doctoral dissertation by David Edward Wallace, Alberto Ginastera: An Analysis of His Style and Techniques (1964), is available in duplicated book form. David Ewen, World of Twentieth Century Music (1968), has a short biography of Ginastera and a valuable analysis of 11 compositions. Otto Deri, Exploring Twentieth Century Music (1968), evaluates the composer's contributions. Suggestions for further investigation are in Gilbert Chase, A Guide to the Music of Latin America (1945; 2d ed. rev. 1962).

Further information about the later years of Ginastera's life can be found in The Annual Obituary 1983, edited by Elizabeth Devine and published by St. James Press, Chicago and London, in 1984. The entry on Ginastera also contains a brief appraisal of his life's work, as does Britannica Online's entry on the composer, which can be found at http://www.eb.com.

Columbia Encyclopedia:

Alberto Evaristo Ginastera

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Ginastera, Alberto (älbār'tō hēnästā'rä), 1916-83, Argentinean composer, b. Buenos Aires. Ginastera is considered among the most prominent comtemporary Latin American composers of the 20th cent. His early works used Latin American folk material; later compositions were less nationalistic and utilized serial techniques (see serial music). Among Ginastera's best-known works are the ballets Panambi (1940) and Estancia (1941); a piano sonata (1952); the Variations Concertantes for orchestra (1953); piano, violin, harp, and cello concertos; and the operas Don Rodrigo (1964), Bomarzo (1967), and Beatrix Cenci (1971).
AMG AllMusic Guide to Classical Music :

Alberto Ginastera

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  • Genres: Ballet, Chamber Music, Choral Music, Concerto, Keyboard Music, Orchestral Music, Vocal Music

Biography

The distinctive music of Alberto Ginastera (1916-1983), one of the major Argentine composers of the mid-20th century, has enjoyed broad international popularity. His early works were influenced by Argentine folk music and had a strong populist flavor, but in the late '50s he began to adopt serial and experimental techniques. Ginastera's mature music is characterized by a sophisticated synthesis of the avant-garde with Argentine folk traditions and is often strongly lyrical and rhythmically energetic. His major works include the ballet Estancia, the First Piano Sonata, Variaciones concertantes for chamber orchestra, the First Piano Concerto, and the controversial opera Bomarzo. ~ Stephen Eddins, Rovi
Wikipedia on Answers.com:

Alberto Ginastera

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Alberto Ginastera.

Alberto Evaristo Ginastera (Spanish pronunciation: [alˈβerto eβaˈɾisto xinasˈteɾa]; 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.

Contents

Biography

Ginastera was born in Buenos Aires to a Catalan father and an Italian mother. During the last few years of his life, he preferred to pronounce his surname in its Catalan pronunciation, with a soft 'G' as in 'George' (IPA: [(d)ʒinasˈteɾa]) rather than a Spanish 'J' sound (IPA: [xinasˈteɾa]).[1]

He studied at the conservatory in Buenos Aires, graduating in 1938. As a young professor, he taught at the Liceo Militar General San Martín. 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), Alcides Lanza, Waldo de los Ríos, Jacqueline Nova 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.

Much of Ginastera's works were inspired by the Gauchesco tradition. This tradition holds that the Gaucho, or landless native horseman of the plains, is a symbol of Argentina.[2]

The progressive rock group Emerson, Lake & Palmer brought Ginastera 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".

His Cantata para América Mágica (1960), for dramatic soprano and 53 percussion instruments, was based on ancient pre-Columbian legends. Its West Coast premier was performed by the Los Angeles Percussion Ensemble under Henri Temianka and William Kraft at UCLA in 1963.

A portion of Ginastera's Piano Sonata No. 1 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)

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 (1975–1983, left incomplete at the composer's death)
  • 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

  • Harp
  • Piano
    • Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 28 (1961)
    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 prestissimo
  • Violin
    • Violin Concerto, Op. 30 (1963)
  • Cello
    • Cello Concerto No. 1, Op. 36 (1968)
    • Cello Concerto No. 2, Op. 50 (1980)

Piano

  • Danzas argentinas, Op. 2 (1937)
  • Milonga, Op. 3
  • Three pieces (Tres piezas), Op. 6 (1940)
  • Malambo, Op. 7 ( 1940)
  • "Little Dance" from the 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 argentinas Para los ninos
    1. Moderato for Alex
    2. Passage Paisaje for Georgina
  • Toccata for piano (1970)
  • 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), for voice and piano, Op. 3 (1937)
  • Psalm 150, Op. 5 (1938)
  • Cinco canciones populares argentinas, for voice and piano, Op. 10 (1943)
  • Las horas de una estancia (Ocampo), for voice and piano, 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)
  • Canción del beso robado, for voice and piano (19??, Doubtful work)

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)

Works withdrawn by the composer (without opus number)

  • Argentine Concerto / Concierto Argentino, for piano and orchestra (1937)
  • Symphony No. 1 "Sinfonia porteña"
  • Symphony No. 2 "Sinfonia elegíaca" (1944)
  • 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
  • Canciones y danzas argentinas para violín y piano
  • Incidental music for theater and film and some transcriptions

Discography

  • Cantata para América Mágica, Los Angeles Percussion Ensemble, H. Temianka, conductor, and W. Kraft, director, Columbia Masterworks, 1963.
  • Complete works for piano, Andrzej Pikul (piano), Dux Recording Producers, 2007.[3]
  • Quartet No. 1, Paganini Quartet, Decca Gold Label.
  • 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"
  • Arrangement as "Toccata", Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Brain Salad Surgery, 1973.
  • Complete piano solo and piano/chamber works, Barbara Nissman (piano) with Aurora Natola-Ginastera,(cello) Ruben Gonzales (violin) and the Thouvenel String Quartet, Pierian Records (www.arkivemusic.com)

References

  1. ^ Deborah Schwartz-Kates. Alberto Ginastera. P.20
  2. ^ Alberto Ginastera, Argentine Cultural Construction, and the Gauchesco Tradition by Deborah Schwartz-Katz, The Musical Quarterly, Summer 2002
  3. ^ http://www.dux.pl/catalogue/results/details/?pid=253

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Oxford Grove Music Encyclopedia The Concise Grove Dictionary of Music. Copyright © 1994 by Oxford University Press, Inc.. All rights reserved. Read more
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Gale Encyclopedia of Biography Gale Encyclopedia of Biography. © 2006 by The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more
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Columbia Encyclopedia The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/. Read more
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