Alberto Ginastera

Alberto Evaristo Ginastera Born in April 11, 1916 – June 25, 1983) was an
Argentinian composer of classical music. He is considered to be one of the most
important 20th-century classical composers of the Americas.[1]

Biography[edit]

Julián Aguirre Conservatory of Music, founded by Ginastera in 1951

Ginastera was born in Buenos Aires to a Catalan father and an Italian mother. During
his later years, he preferred to use the Catalan and Italian pronunciation of his surname
– IPA: [dʒinasˈteɾa], with an initial soft 'G' like that of English 'George' – rather than with
a Spanish 'J' sound (IPA: [xinasˈteɾa]).[2]
Ginastera studied at the Williams 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. He held a number of teaching posts. Among his notable
students were Ástor Piazzolla (who studied with him in 1941), Alcides Lanza, Jorge
Antunes, Waldo de los Ríos, Jacqueline Nova and Rafael Aponte-Ledée. See: List of
music students by teacher: G to J#Alberto Ginastera.
In 1968 Ginastera moved back to the United States, and in 1970 to Europe. He died
in Geneva, Switzerland, at the age of 67 and was buried in the Cimetière des
Rois there.

Music[edit]
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.
Many 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.[3]
His Cantata para América Mágica (1960), for dramatic soprano and 53 percussion
instruments, was based on ancient pre-Columbian legends. Its U.S. West Coast
premiere was performed by the Los Angeles Percussion Ensemble under Henri
Temianka and William Kraft at UCLA in 1963.

Works[edit]
Opera[edit]
 Don Rodrigo, Op. 31 (1963–64)
 Bomarzo, Op. 34 (1966–67), banned in Argentina until 1972
 Beatrix Cenci, Op. 38 (1971), based on the play The Cenci (1819) by Percy Bysshe
Shelley
Ballet[edit]
 Panambí, Op. 1 (1934–37)
 Estancia, Op. 8 (1941)
Orchestral[edit]
 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 per corde, Op. 33 (1965)
 Estudios Sinfonicos, Op. 35 (1967)
 Popol Vuh, Op. 44 (1975–1983, left incomplete at the composer's death)
 Glosses sobre temes de Pau Casals for string orchestra, Op. 46 (1976)
 Glosses sobre temes de Pau Casals for full orchestra, Op. 48 (1976–77)
 Iubilum, Op. 51 (1979–80)
Concertante[edit]
 Harp
o Harp Concerto, Op. 25 (1956–65)
 Piano
o Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 28 (1961)
o Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 39 (1972)
 Violin
o Violin Concerto, Op. 30 (1963)
 Cello
o Cello Concerto No. 1, Op. 36 (1968)
o Cello Concerto No. 2, Op. 50 (1980–81)
Piano[edit]
 Danzas argentinas, Op. 2 (1937)
 Tres piezas, Op. 6 (1940)
 Malambo, Op. 7 ( 1940)
 "Pequena Danza" (from the ballet Estancia, Op. 8) (1941)
 12 Preludios americanos, Op. 12 (1944)
 Suite de danzas criollas, Op. 15 (1946, rev. 1956)
 Rondó sobre temas infantiles argentinos, Op. 19 (1947)
 Piano Sonata No. 1, Op. 22 (1952)
 Arrangement of an Organ Toccata by Domenico Zipoli (1970)
 Piano Sonata No. 2, Op. 53 (1981)
 Piano Sonata No. 3, Op. 54 (1982)
 Danzas argentinas para los ninos (Unfinished)
1. Moderato: para Alex
2. Paisaje: para Georgina
Organ[edit]
 Toccata, Villancico y Fuga, Op. 18 (1947)
 Variazioni e Toccata sopra Aurora lucis rutilat, Op. 52 (1980)
Vocal/choral[edit]
 2 Songs, for voice and piano, Op. 3 (1938)
 Cantos del Tucumán, for voice, flute, harp, percussion, and violin, Op. 4 (1938)
 Psalm 150, for mixed choir, children's choir and orchestra, Op. 5 (1938)
 5 canciones populares argentinas, for voice and piano, Op. 10 (1943)
 Las horas de una estancia, for voice and piano, Op. 11 (1943)
 Lamentaciones de Jeremias Propheta, for chorus, Op. 14 (1946)
 Cantata para América mágica, for dramatic soprano and percussion orchestra, Op.
27 (1960)
 Cantata Bomarzo, for soloists, narrator, and chamber orchestra, Op. 32 (1964)
 Milena, for soprano and orchestra, Op. 37 (1971)
 Serenata, for baritone, violoncello, wind quintet, percussion, harp, and double bass,
Op. 42 (1973)
 Turbae ad passionem gregorianam, for soloists, chorus, boy's chorus and orchestra,
Op. 43 (1975)
 Canción del beso robado, for voice and piano (19??)
Chamber/solo instrumental[edit]
 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 violoncello and piano, Op. 21 (1950)
 String Quartet No. 2, Op. 26 (1958, Rev. 1968)
 Piano Quintet, Op. 29 (1963)
 String Quartet No. 3, for soprano and string quartet, Op. 40 (1973)
 Puneña No. 1, for flute, Op. 41 (1973, left incomplete at the time of the composer's
death)
 Puneña No. 2 ("Hommage à Paul Sacher"), for violoncello, Op. 45 (1976)
 Sonata for guitar, Op. 47 (1976, Rev. 1981)
 Sonata for cello and piano, Op. 49 (1979)
 Fanfare for four trumpets, op. 51a (1980)
Works withdrawn by the composer (without opus number)[edit]
 Piezas Infantiles, for piano (1934)
 Impresiones de la Puna, for flute and string quartet (1934)
 Concierto argentino, for piano and orchestra (1936)
 El arriero canta, for chorus (1937)
 Sonatina, for harp (1938)
 Symphony No. 1 ("Porteña") (1942)
 Symphony No. 2 ("Elegíaca") (1944)
Incidental/film music[edit]
 Don Basilio malcasado (1940)
 Doña Clorinda la descontenta (1941)
 Malambo (1942)
 Rosa de América (1945)
 Las antiguas semillas (1947)
 Nace la libertad (1949)
 El puente (1950)
 Facundo, el tigre de los llanos (1952)
 Caballito criollo (1953)
 Su seguro servidor (1954)
 Los maridos de mamá (1956)
 Enigma de mujer (1956)
 Spring of Life (1957)
 Hay que bañar al nene (1958)
 El límite (1958)
 A María del corazón (1960)
 La doncella prodigiosa (1961)

Discography[edit]
 Bomarzo, The Opera Society of Washington, Julius Rudel, conductor; 1967
recording[full citation needed] re-released on Sony Classical in 2016.[full citation needed]
 Cantata para América Mágica, Raquel Adonaylo, soprano; Los Angeles Percussion
Ensemble, William Kraft, conductor. With: Carlos Chávez, Toccata for Percussion,
 Henri Temianka, conductor. LP recording, analog, 33⅓ rpm, stereo, 12 in. Columbia
Masterworks MS 6447. New York: Columbia Records, 1963.
 Cantata para America Magica, McGill Percussion Ensemble, P. Béluse, director,
Elise Bédard, soprano, McGill Records CD, 1997.
 Complete works for piano, Andrzej Pikul (piano), Dux Recording Producers, 2007.[4]
 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 and Dos canciones Op. 3.
 Arrangement of Piano Concerto No. 1; fourth movement; as "Toccata", Emerson,
Lake & Palmer, Brain Salad Surgery, 1973.
 Nissman Plays Ginastera: The Three Piano Concertos. Barbara Nissman,
piano; Kenneth Kiesler, conductor; University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra.
(CD) Pierian 0048 (2012)
 Complete piano solo and piano/chamber works, Barbara Nissman (piano) with
Aurora Natola-Ginastera (cello), Ruben Gonzales (violin) and the Laurentian String
Quartet. Three Oranges Recordings (3OR-01)
 Popol Vuh – The Mayan Creation, Estancia, Panambi, Suite de Danzas Criollas
(world premiere of orchestral version), Ollantay. Gisele Ben-Dor, conductor. London
Symphony Orchestra, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of
Wales. Naxos, 2010.[5]
 Panambi, Estancia (complete Ballets), Gisele Ben-Dor, conductor. Luis Gaeta,
narrator/bass baritone. London Symphony Orchestra. Naxos, 1998&2006.[5]
 Glosses on Themes of Pablo Casals, Variaciones concertantes. Gisele Ben-Dor,
conductor. London Symphony Orchestra. Israel Chamber
Orchestra. Naxos 1995&2010.[5]
 John Antill: Corroboree ballet suite and Ginastera: Panambi ballet suite, London
Symphony Orchestra, Sir Eugene Goossens, conductor, Everest stereo LP, SDBR
3003
 String Quartets – "Ginastera: String Quartets," Cuarteto Latinoamericano, with
Claudia Montiel, soprano [Elan 82270]
 Piano Concerto No. 1 and Piano Sonata No. 1, Hilde Somer, piano; Ernst
Märzendorfer, conductor; Vienna Philharmonia Orchestra; Desto (D-402/DS-6402)

References[edit]
1. ^ Deborah Schwartz-Kates, "Ginastera, Alberto (Evaristo)", The New Grove Dictionary of Music and
Musicians, second edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell (London: Macmillan Publishers,
2001); Evett, Robert. 1966. "The South American Way", New Republic 154, no. 12 (19 March): 35;
Anon. "Obituary: Alberto Ginastera". The Musical Times 124, no. 1687, Music of the French Baroque
(September 1983): 568; Aurelio de la Vega, "Trends of Present-Day Latin-American Music", Journal of
Inter-American Studies 1, no. 1 (January 1959): 97–102, citation on p. 10; Norman
 Lebrecht, Companion to Twentieth-century Music (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1992): 134.
Reprint New York: Da Capo Press. ISBN 9780306807343; Levin Houston, "Kennedy Center
Sees Beatrix Cenci", The Free Lance-Star [Fredericksburg, Virginia] 87, no. 215 (13 September
1971); Suzanne Spicer Tiemstra, The Choral Music of Latin America: A Guide to Compositions and
Research, Contributions in Afro-American & African Studies 36 (New York: Greenwood Press, 1992):
2. ISBN 9780313282089.
2. ^ Schwartz-Kates, Deborah (May 3, 2011). Alberto Ginastera: A Research and Information Guide.
Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781136981166 – via Google Books.
3. ^ Schwartz-Kates, Deborah (January 1, 2002). "Alberto Ginastera, Argentine Cultural Construction,
and the Gauchesco Tradition". The Musical Quarterly. 86 (2): 248–281. doi:10.1093/musqtl/gdg009.
4. ^ "Details". Archived from the original on 2011-10-03. Retrieved 2010-10-23.