# Ginastera



## Guest

I'm wondering what people think about this extraordinary composer, Alberto Ginastera, in particular his "Danzes Argentinas". I have a link here of Danzes Argentinas No. 3, played by Martha Argerich. It's a stunning work and a magnificent performance. I remember my piano teacher and friend playing if for me during one of my "lessons" - I learned more about music listening to him play than I ever did from learning to play myself. (My friend died recently at 45 of lung cancer).


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## joen_cph

Am particularly impressed by his *3 string quartets *and the *2 piano concertos*. Own quite a lot else, including an ambitious violin concerto, a smaller cello concerto, a cello sonata, a piano quintet and a lot of orchestral works, but haven´t really been digging into those until now. 
The degree of development within the oeuvre towards a more modernistic expression is remarkable, as exemplified in the string quartets. Found the Brilliant Classics issue of the string quartets really splendid (Quartetto Latinamericano).


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## Tapkaara

Very good composer. Not familiar with his entire output but at least his most famous orchestral works: the two piano concertos as well as the ballets Panambi and Estancia. 

Good stuff!


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## opus55

Danzas argentinas is the one I listen to the most from this disc. I like the second movement especially. I've been looking to buy one of the Naxos recording of Ginastera. Any recording you'd recommend?


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## Guest

The Argerich seems good, mainly because she is actually Argentinian herself and familiar with that idiom.


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## Weston

I only know the first piano concerto by virtue of being an Emerson, Lake and Palmer fan. It is said he really loved their rendition, though it is a bit dated now. 

Listening to the "Danzes Argentinas" makes me want more of his works. He seems rhythmically rich.


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## Guest

There's a wonderful world of music post-1940 out there, including a stunning Piano Sonata by Aaron Copland. But it seems to me that Ginastera comes from the rhythmic world, not just of Argentinian music but also Bartok and Prokofiev - who wrote very percussive music.


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## elgar's ghost

I heard ELP's Toccata way back in the 70s and never forgot the name Ginastera. Once into classical I eventually bought a CD of the piano concertos and liked them a lot. In addition I've got his first two string quartets on disc which I also like but have yet to buy anything else. Whatever can be said about Keith Emerson and his ex-group's occasional follies there is little doubt the man himself has good taste - Copland was another composer I investigated thanks to ELP's arrangements of Hoedown and FftCM. Oh, and Moussorgsky, of course!


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## Klavierspieler

Funny, one of my fellow students just played these at one of my teacher's studio recitals.


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## Vaneyes

opus55 said:


> I've been looking to buy one of the Naxos recording of Ginastera. Any recording you'd recommend?


Mark Kosower's cello recordings stand out. The Cello Concertos (one of 2011's notable releases), and his earlier rec.


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## starthrower

Can anyone recommend a favorite recording of Ginastera's solo piano, and piano quintet?


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## Guest

This series is excellent for the solo and chamber piano pieces:


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## principe

Interesting and quite substantive composer for Argentina, at least. However, he has to be listened along with at least two more very significant peers of his: Guastavino and Piazzolla. Both contributed the most for the Argentinian music. The latter composed, in the idiom of tango (and the form of tango nuevo) some extraordinary and most beautiful music in the 20th century (maybe on another thread, we can explore his wonderful music).
As for recordings of Ginastera:
There is a fine Cd of Gabriela Montero, on EMI, with composers of the region, including three works of Guinastera. It is called "Solatino" and it is essential listening for Piano Music of the area.
His Harp Concerto has been recorded few times. The most recent is on RCA, with the very fine harpist Xavier de Maistre (first harpist of VPO) along with excellent works of Falla, Granados, Rodrigo and Tarrega.
The complete Piano Music exists in a very good recording on Naxos.
On NEOS, there is a bright performance of his rarely performed Cantata "Popol Vuh". A quite distinctive work.
The famous "Danzas Argentinas" along with the very significant Piano Sonata No.1 has been released in a very interesting CD, along with substantive works of Gottschalk and Lecuona (the impressive Suite Espagnole).
The String Quartets exist in quite good recording with the authoritative Cuarteto Latinoamericano, on Brilliant Classics, while his Piano Concerto no. 1 on Naxos and the Violin Concerto on Dynamic , with Accardo!
For his Songs, there is a fine old CD, on NImbus, called "Argentinian Songs" (it contains songs from Guastavino too), with tenor Raul Gimenez.

Principe


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## starthrower

I ordered the string quartets on Brilliant Classics, and the chamber music disc on Naxos. I'll get to the piano music eventually.


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## Lunasong

An anecdote (source: Wiki)

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, "Diabolico!" 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_.


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## trosado

I also got familiar with Ginastera because of the Toccata, but not through Emerson, Lake & Palmer, but through guitar virtuoso Alex Masi (who I'm sure was influenced by ELP) on his _Attack of the Neon Shark_ album.

I know this thread is under Solo & Chamber Music, but I just found out a few days ago that Ginastera also wrote a few operas: _Don Rodrigo_, _Bomarzo_, and _Beatrix Cenci_. I don't think these have been released on CD yet, but someone uploaded the first two on YouTube (audio only), if interested.


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