Alberto Ginastera


Alberto Evaristo Ginastera was an Argentine composer of classical music. He is considered to be one of the most important 20th-century classical composers of the Americas.

Biography

Ginastera was born in Buenos Aires to a Spanish father and an Italian mother. During his later years, he preferred to use the Catalan and Italian pronunciation of his surname –, with an initial soft 'G' like that of English 'George' – rather than with a Spanish 'J' sound.
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, Alcides Lanza, Jorge Antunes, Waldo de los Ríos, Jacqueline Nova, Blas Atehortua, Rafael Aponte-Ledée.
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

Ginastera grouped his music into three periods: "Objective Nationalism", "Subjective Nationalism", and "Neo-Expressionism". 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.
His Cantata para América Mágica, 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

Opera

Don Rodrigo, Op. 31 Bomarzo, Op. 34, banned in Argentina until 1972Beatrix Cenci, Op. 38, based on the play The Cenci by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Ballet

Panambí, Op. 1 Estancia, Op. 8

Orchestra

  • Suite from Panambí, Op. 1a
  • Dances from Estancia, Op. 8a Obertura para el "Fausto" criollo, Op. 9 Ollantay: 3 Symphonic Movements, Op. 17 Variaciones concertantes, Op. 23 Pampeana No. 3, Op. 24 Concerto per corde, Op. 33 Estudios Sinfonicos, Op. 35 Popol Vuh, Op. 44 Glosses sobre temes de Pau Casals for string orchestra, Op. 46 Glosses sobre temes de Pau Casals for full orchestra, Op. 48 Iubilum, Op. 51

Concertante

Chamber/Instrumental

  • Duo, for flute and oboe, Op. 13 Pampeana No. 1, for violin and piano, Op. 16
  • String Quartet No. 1, Op. 20 Pampeana No. 2, for violoncello and piano, Op. 21
  • String Quartet No. 2, Op. 26
  • Piano Quintet, Op. 29
  • String Quartet No. 3, for soprano and string quartet, Op. 40 Puneña No. 1, for flute, Op. 41 Puneña No. 2, for violoncello, Op. 45
  • Sonata for guitar, Op. 47
  • Sonata for cello and piano, Op. 49
  • Fanfare for four trumpets, op. 51a

Piano

Danzas argentinas, Op. 2 Tres piezas, Op. 6 Malambo, Op. 7
  • "Pequena Danza" 12 Preludios americanos, Op. 12 Suite de danzas criollas, Op. 15 Rondó sobre temas infantiles argentinos, Op. 19
  • Piano Sonata No. 1, Op. 22
  • Arrangement of an Organ Toccata by Domenico Zipoli
  • Piano Sonata No. 2, Op. 53
  • Piano Sonata No. 3, Op. 54 Danzas argentinas para los ninos
  • # Moderato: para Alex
  • # ''Paisaje: para Georgina''

Organ

  • Toccata, Villancico y Fuga, Op. 18
  • Variazioni e Toccata sopra Aurora lucis rutilat, Op. 52, dedicated to W. Stuart Pope, premiered by Marilyn Mason at the 1980 national convention of the AGO in Minneapolis.

Vocal/Choral

  • 2 Songs, for voice and piano, Op. 3 Cantos del Tucumán, for voice, flute, harp, percussion, and violin, Op. 4 Psalm 150, for mixed choir, children's choir and orchestra, Op. 5 5 canciones populares argentinas, for voice and piano, Op. 10 Las horas de una estancia, for voice and piano, Op. 11 Lamentaciones de Jeremias Propheta, for chorus, Op. 14 Cantata para América mágica, for dramatic soprano and percussion orchestra, Op. 27 Cantata Bomarzo, for soloists, narrator, and chamber orchestra, Op. 32 Milena, for soprano and orchestra, Op. 37 Serenata, for baritone, violoncello, wind quintet, percussion, harp, and double bass, Op. 42 Turbae ad passionem gregorianam, for soloists, chorus, boy's chorus and orchestra, Op. 43 Canción del beso robado, for voice and piano

Works withdrawn by the composer (without opus number)

Piezas Infantiles, for piano Impresiones de la Puna, for flute and string quartet Concierto argentino, for piano and orchestra El arriero canta, for chorus
  • Sonatina, for harp
  • Symphony No. 1
  • Symphony No. 2

Incidental/film music

Don Basilio malcasado Doña Clorinda la descontenta Malambo Rosa de América Las antiguas semillas Nace la libertad El puente Facundo, el tigre de los llanos Caballito criollo Su seguro servidor Los maridos de mamá Enigma de mujer Spring of Life Hay que bañar al nene El límite A María del corazón
  • ''La doncella prodigiosa''

Discography