# Latin American Composers



## LatinClassics

How many of you have actually spent time exploring the classical music of Latin America? Who are some of your favorite Latin American composers?

Here are a few of mine:

Heitor Villa-Lobos









Alberto Ginastera









Silvestre Revueltas









Carlos Chavez









Manuel Ponce


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## Il Seraglio

I'm quite fond of Ariel Ramirez


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## LatinClassics

In addition to the composers I listed above. I also enjoy the following:

Antonio Estevez









Inocente Carreno









Arturo Marquez









Carlos Lopez-Buchardo









Luis Gianneo









Camargo Guarnieri


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## Air

Villa-Lobos is definitely _my_ favorite, though others are close. I like everything from the neo-baroque _Bachianas brasileiras_ to his _Choros_ (Nos. 8, 9, 10 being my favorite) and the lighter ballets / symphonic poems _Uirapuru_ and _Amazonas_. _Momoprecoce_ and the _Guitar concerto_ also stand out as good works in that category.

As a pianist, I'll admit that Villa-Lobos's solo piano music is _quite_ fun. I've performed the 4th _Bachianas brasileiras_ and it was a huge crowd favorite, though not really being that difficult (strange rhythms though). I've also played around with _Ciclo brasileiro_, _Prole do Bebe_ (which contains the miniature "O Pochinelo"), _Impressões seresteiras_, and perhaps a few others. In addition, I've recently heard the formidable and impressive Rudepoema (recommended by a member on this forum), though I still haven't got my hands on the sheet music yet. 

There may be other works I like by him, but these are the ones that stand out for me right now. One thing I know though is that I absolutely _cannot_ stand his symphonies.


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## LatinClassics

Air said:


> One thing I know though is that I absolutely _cannot_ stand his symphonies.


Yes, of his entire output his symphonies are probably his weakest and most uneven, but he was so prolific there's enough music to go around.  I will say that you should try listening to them again (if you haven't already), but overall they aren't quite up to par with his other output. My question to you is have you heard all of his symphonies?

Villa-Lobos, in my opinion, wrote his best music when he was injecting Brazilian folk music and combining that with a clean, classical sound like in his "Bachianas" and "Choros," which you mentioned. My favorite piece of Villa-Lobos right now is probably "Choros No. 11," scored for piano and orchestra. It's a huge, dynamic piece of music that has a breathtakingly beautiful slow movement. I also enjoy "Choros No. 9" and "Choros No. 10," but they're all really enjoyable, especially the ones written for orchestra. Of the "Bachianas," I enjoy all the ones written for orchestra almost equally, but I have a soft spot the second, third, and eigth, but they're all quite enjoyable.

My favorite Villa-Lobos set is this one on BIS:


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## andruini

LatinClassics said:


> Arturo Marquez


Ah, my teacher! I really wish more people would listen to his music, it's so wonderful! And not just the Danzones!


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## Art Rock

Villa Lobos stands out for me, and I am surprised no-one has mentioned Barrios yet.

EDIT: Oh, and Piazzolla.


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## LatinClassics

Art Rock said:


> EDIT: Oh, and Piazzolla.


I love Piazzolla. Kudos for mentioning him! He wrote some great music, in particular, his orchestral work titled "Oblivion." What a beautiful piece of music.


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## TresPicos

Juan Orrego-Salas (Chile)










I really like his clarinet sextet.


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## StlukesguildOhio

I like Heitor Villa-Lobos, Piazzolla, Carlos Lopez-Buchardo, Manuel Ponce, Roberto Sienna, Osvaldo Golijov, Daniel Catan, and a few others.


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## LatinClassics

andruini said:


> Ah, my teacher! I really wish more people would listen to his music, it's so wonderful! And not just the Danzones!


Arturo Marquez is your teacher? Wow...that's amazing. I would really like to meet him someday. I think he's very underrated.

Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of recordings available of Marquez's music, but hopefully, in time, this will change.


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## andruini

LatinClassics said:


> Arturo Marquez is your teacher? Wow...that's amazing. I would really like to meet him someday. I think he's very underrated.
> 
> Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of recordings available of Marquez's music, but hopefully, in time, this will change.


Yes, I'm studying composition with him . He's really nice and down to earth, though strict when he needs to be. A great teacher.
I, too, hope to see more recordings of his work soon!


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## LatinClassics

andruini said:


> Yes, I'm studying composition with him . He's really nice and down to earth, though strict when he needs to be. A great teacher.
> I, too, hope to see more recordings of his work soon!


It's highly unlikely you will see any of Marquez's other orchestral music outside of the Danzons performed or recorded because there are many orchestras that aren't interested in making a statement anymore. They're in it for the money, so they continue to churn out the same performance of Beethoven's "Symphony No. 9" or Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring." They don't really have an interest in bringing Latin American composers to the forefront. Dudamel is really our only hope right now. Enrique Batiz is also an important conductor for Latin American classical, but it seems recordings of his aren't being released. I wish Eduardo Mata was still alive, because I'm quite certain he would still be bringing this music to the public whether in the form of a recording or live. There are four conductors I'm keeping a lookout for right now in regards to Latin American classical music: Gabriel Castagna, John Neschling, Roberto Minczuk, and of course Dudamel.


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## Sid James

I haven't heard as many Latin American composers' music as some others above, but I have enjoyed what I have heard so far from Villa-Lobos, Guarneri, Chavez, Ginastera & Piazzolla. I like how these composers combined elements of the European tradition, like counterpoint, with aspects of the music of their own native countries. Like LatinClassics above, I too think that there should be more of this music on our concert programmes (here in Australia), mainly because of it's quality and to get more people acquainted with it. I too am tired of the usual warhorses they trundle out at symphony concerts, even if I could, I wouldn't go...


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## tjohanning

Costa Rica: Benjamin Gutierrez

http://www.benjamingutierrez.com/premios_ing.html

In 2000, he received a recognition of the most important for any artist's career, as was the unveiling of his bust in the National Theater of Costa Rica.


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## Head_case

I'm really liking Villas-Lobos & Ginastera's string quartets:



















I'd hestitated for years, after owning a single disc by the Danubius Quartet of some of Villa-Lobos's works. I wasn't quite convinced by the Naxos/Marco Polo recording.

Someone on the forum recommended the Cuarteto Latinoamericano: make no mistake - their complete string cycle they really bring Villa-Lobos' work to top form and definition. This is true for the Ginastera string quartets too, which someone on the forum endowed me with (thank you!).

I'll explore Revueltas, Vali, Halffter, Amaya and Chavez later.

Much later! Too much good music in the Villa-Lobos & Ginastera cycles


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## jurianbai

Again I try to gather information on this Chilean composer, Gustavo Becerra Schmidt. Pagina de Espanol http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustavo_Becerra-Schmidt


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## StlukesguildOhio

Beyond some of the composers already listed, I have a few more works by Latin-American composers on the way:



















I am also quite fond of Daniel Catan's work:


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## TWhite

I like Ginastera. A LOT! Especially his piano solo music, which is beautifully and very effectively laid out for the instrument. Not at all easy, but once under the hand, extremely gratifying to play, especially the "Danzas Argentinas" "Suite de Danzas Criollas", "Malambo" , "Tres Piezas" and his first Piano Sonata. On the other hand, his First Piano Concerto is one of the most daunting looking scores I've ever come across. And as far as his orchestral music, the ballets "Estancia" and "Panambi" are still exciting as all get-out, even after almost fifty years of listening to them. 

Like a lot of the rest of you, I like most of the Villa-Lobos I've heard. I haven't played much of his piano music, but several of the pieces I've worked on, including "Danso do Indio Branco" are enormous fun and sound much harder than they actually are. 

Chavez and Revueltas are still an 'acquired' taste for me, but from what I've heard of Marquez, I find him to be a particularly fine composer. I'd like to hear more of his works. 

And we do seem to have a very good champion of Latin-American orchestral music these days in the person of Gustavo Dudamel. Good Lord, that's an exciting and musical young conductor!

Tom


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## tortkis

*Carlos Chávez, Mexican Modernist* By WILLIAM ROBIN









I listened to the music of Chávez for the first time. The earlier pieces are rather conservative and nationalistic (very nice), but the later compositions are quite modernistic. The Inventions (1958-67) are especially impressive. Cambria released his complete chamber works in 4 volumes.

Complete Chamber Works of Carlos Chávez, Vol. 1 - Southwest Chamber Music (Cambria)








Invention I (1958) for Piano
Invention II (1965) for String Trio
Invention III (1967) for Harp
Suite (1943) for Double Quartet
Upingos (1957) for Oboe

The Complete Symphonies - London Symphony Orchestra / Eduardo Mata (Vox)








Sinfonía de Antígona (Symphony No. 1) (1933)
Sinfonía india (Symphony No. 2) (1935/36)
Symphony No. 3 (1951)
Symphony No. 4 (1953)
Symphony No. 5 (1953)
Symphony No. 6 (1961)


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## starthrower

^^^
I'd like to pick up that Vox Box. Great photo w/ Frida Kahlo!


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## Becca

Jose Moncayo is worth checking out beyond his _Huapango_. I recently discovered his _Tierra de Temporal_ on an obscure label in Spotify and was very taken by it. The only problem is that I know next to nothing about the piece.

Regarding Chavez, I recently encountered his intriguing Symphony #4.


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## Heliogabo

tortkis said:


> *Carlos Chávez, Mexican Modernist* By WILLIAM ROBIN
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I listened to the music of Chávez for the first time. The earlier pieces are rather conservative and nationalistic (very nice), but the later compositions are quite modernistic. The Inventions (1958-67) are especially impressive. Cambria released his complete chamber works in 4 volumes.
> 
> Complete Chamber Works of Carlos Chávez, Vol. 1 - Southwest Chamber Music (Cambria)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Invention I (1958) for Piano
> Invention II (1965) for String Trio
> Invention III (1967) for Harp
> Suite (1943) for Double Quartet
> Upingos (1957) for Oboe
> 
> The Complete Symphonies - London Symphony Orchestra / Eduardo Mata (Vox)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sinfonía de Antígona (Symphony No. 1) (1933)
> Sinfonía india (Symphony No. 2) (1935/36)
> Symphony No. 3 (1951)
> Symphony No. 4 (1953)
> Symphony No. 5 (1953)
> Symphony No. 6 (1961)


I've been listening some Chavez's works too. His chamber music is well worth exploring. The piano sextet is awesome.

Here's with Stravinsky, to whom he invited to Mexico to conduct the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional.


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## Gaspard de la Nuit

Never noticed this thread before.

I'm like the person who says they like anime and all they've seen are naruto and one piece. The hits of Chavez and revueltas (Xochipilli, Sinfonia India, sensemaya, night of the Mayans) are some of my _very_ favorite pieces, but I haven't listened to much else of theirs.....ginastera's popol vuh and his cello concerto (I've only heard one, forget if it was his first or second) are pretty striking to me as well.

I tend to go for depth over breadth but all I have to say is, they should really be played more often outside of where they are already popular.


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## ghatam

Manuel de Sumaya


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## Lyricus

I'm glad this thread was resurrected because I was only familiar with a couple of these composers. Thanks to all who contributed so far!


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## Pugg

Lyricus said:


> I'm glad this thread was resurrected because I was only familiar with a couple of these composers. Thanks to all who contributed so far!


I second this :tiphat:


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