# Alberto Ginastera (1916-1983)



## ComposerOfAvantGarde

Searched for this thread and I could not find it.....so here it is, ready made and ready to go!









From Boosey and Hawkes:

_Long Biography: Alberto Ginastera was the leading Argentinian composer of the twentieth century, as important in giving the Argentinian folk heritage a voice in art music as Bartók was in Hungary. Ginastera was born in Buenos Aires on 11 April 1916 (his father being Catalan, he preferred to pronounce his surname with a soft 'g'). He studied musical privately as a child, later enrolling at the National Conservatoire of Music in his home city. His first compositions date from his early youth; he was 22 when his Piezas infantiles for piano won first prize in a competition. The works which followed initially developed the nationalist tendencies announced in the Piezas infantiles, as such titles as Concierto argentino and Sinfonía Porteña reveal - both scores later withdrawn by the composer, as were a number of other early pieces.

In 1946-47 Ginastera spent a year in the United States on a Guggenheim fellowship, joining the teaching staff of the National Conservatory upon his return home; he was later the Dean of the Faculty of Musical Arts and Sciences at the Catholic University. His first opera, Don Rodrigo, was premiered to immediate acclaim in 1966 and was soon followed by two others, Bomarzo (1967) and Beatrix Cenci (1971). Bomarzo attracted attention through what Nicolas Slonimsky calls 'its unrestrained spectacle of sexual violence' though, as Slonimsky further points out, it also 'reveals extraordinary innovations in serial techniques, with thematic employment not only of different chromatic sounds but also of serial progressions of different intervals'. (A fourth opera, Barrabas, was unfinished at the time of his death.) In 1969, finding himself out of sympathy with the prevailing political climate in Argentina (indeed, he was twice ejected from his academic posts because of his protests against the repressive regime), Ginastera left the country, settling in Geneva with his second wife, the cellist Aurora Natola.

In the early 1950s the nationalist element in his music gradually lost its dominance, and more explicitly modernist characteristics began to make their presence felt in what Ginastera called his 'neo-expressionistic period'. He actively adopted the twelve-tone technique and his works also incorporated microtones and polytonality. By the time of his death, on 25 June 1983, his modernism had softened, and he began to look again at the tonality and folk-music inflexions of his early output._

Anyone recommend any recordings? Favourite works?


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## Guest

I just have the album with the Harp Concerto, Piano Concerto No. 1, and Estancia Suite.


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## Selby

Señor Ginastera.

Although far from an expert there are 3 recordings I listen to relatively regularly, and I recommend:

The tragically under-rated ballets Panambi, Op. 1 and Estancia, Op. 8 recorded by Luis Gaeta (narrator, bass-baritone) with Gisele Ben-Dor and the London Symphony Orchestra. These are often compared to Stravinsky.









Probably the best Latin American string quartet cycle, Opp. 20/26/40 recorded by the Enso Quartet with Lucy Shelton (soprano). The third is more-or-less a song cycle with string quartet. The closest comparison would probably be Revueltas' cycle.









And the wonderful Concerto for Harp and Orchestra, Op. 25 recorded by Rachel Masters (harp) with Richard Hickox and the London Sinfonia, which is paired with the equally riveting harp and coloratura soprano concertos by Reinhold Gliere - this is an essential recording.









There are also the Danzas argentinas, Op. 2 for solo piano, which I apparently no longer have a recording of - somehow it is MIA. Nonetheless, here is a link to Martha Argerich playing the second.






buen dia, amigo, y feliz escuchando


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## arpeggio

*Emerson, Lake & Palmer-Ginastera Toccata*

The British rock group, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, created an arrangement of the finale movement ("Toccata concertata") of the Ginastera's _First Piano Concerto_ back in the early 1970's.

You Tube of the original:






You Tube of Emerson, Lake & Palmer version:


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## Vaneyes

Orchestral Works, w. Grohs (Arte Nova)
Cello Concerti 1 & 2, w. Kosower (Naxos)
String Quartets 1 & 2, w. Henschel Qt. (Arte Nova)
Music for Cello & Piano, w. Kosower & Oh (Naxos)
Danzas Argentinas, w. Argerich (EMI)


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## Selby

Can anyone speak to his concertos? Cello or piano or otherwise?


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## Vaneyes

Mitchell said:


> Can anyone speak to his concertos? Cello or piano or otherwise?


I think Kosower's (Cleveland O. principal) Cello Concerti are essential. I'm less enamored with Ginastera PCs. Noguera does PC1 on the Grohs orchestral rec. I listed. :tiphat:


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## Ravndal

Listening to his Harp concerto. 10/10


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## starthrower

I'm not too crazy about the 1st cello concerto. Too much sawing action in the solo part. I do like no. 2 by Kosower. I need to revisit the piano concertos.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

Mitchell said:


> Can anyone speak to his concertos? Cello or piano or otherwise?


Violin concerto is easily one of my favourites, as well as the first cello concerto (I'm not too crazy about the second one). The Concerto for Strings is a mixture of the most beautiful and most exciting things I've ever heard!


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

I just listened to Estancia, a lot it was nice but it doesn't seem to have to depth and passion and drama of the other works I've heard. It's probably my least favourite work of his so far......oh well. I'm going to listen to his awesome Concerto for Strings now!


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## aleazk

Another masterpiece is his Cello Sonata: 



As always, pretty intense music.


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## Neo Romanza

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> I just listened to Estancia, a lot it was nice but it doesn't seem to have to depth and passion and drama of the other works I've heard. It's probably my least favourite work of his so far......oh well. I'm going to listen to his awesome Concerto for Strings now!


Are you talking about _Estancia_ the full ballet or the suite? There's a lot of music in the complete ballet that the suite doesn't contain. There's also plenty of emotional depth in the work, so I don't really understand your opinion at all. There's a section titled _Twilight Idyll_ that will absolutely melt your heart once you hear it. So forgive me in saying that until you've the complete ballet, you haven't heard _Estancia_ yet.


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## Guest

A really interesting and talented composer: "Danzas Argentinas". Argerich:






Twelve Preludes:


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## 96 Keys

I love Martins' recording of the First Piano Concerto--this live recording might be even more hair-raising!


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## Rogerx

Alberto Ginastera (1916-1983): Panambí, balletto op.1 (1937) -- London Symphony Orchestra diretta da Gisèle Ben-Dor
Gives me the chills.


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## vincula

Rogerx said:


> Alberto Ginastera (1916-1983): Panambí, balletto op.1 (1937) -- London Symphony Orchestra diretta da Gisèle Ben-Dor
> Gives me the chills.


Stunningly beautiful music. Thanks for sharing, Rogerx. I had only listened to a few fragments, but the entire ballet's a work of art!

Regards,

Vincula


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## Rogerx

Alberto Ginastera (1916-1983): Estancia, balletto in cinque quadri op.8 (1941) --
Luis Gaeta, voce -- London Symphony Orchestra diretta da Gisèle Ben-Dor -


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## Rogerx

A. Ginastera - Harp Concerto Op. 25 / Xavier de Maistre, Jurek Dybał, Sinfonietta Cracovia
I do hope you like it.


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## Nawdry

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> lberto Ginastera (1916-1983)
> ... Alberto Ginastera was the leading Argentinian composer of the twentieth century, as important in giving the Argentinian folk heritage a voice in art music as Bartók was in Hungary.
> ...
> Anyone recommend any recordings? Favourite works?


A particular favorite of mine is his _Variaciones concertantes_, Op 23. Musical Heritage Society.


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## Vasks

His first Piano Concerto is a powerful tour-de-force. This recording is great


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## Rogerx

Danzes argentinas & Piano Sonata 1
I love this disc. Must give it spin today.


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