Alberto Evaristo Ginastera (Catalan pronunciation: [alˈβeɾto eβaˈɾisto dʒinaˈsteɾa]) was born in Argentina on April 11, 1916, and passed away on June 25, 1983. He was a classical music composer who is regarded as one of the most important 20th-century classical composers from the Americas.

Biography

Alberto Ginastera was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to a father from Spain and a mother from Italy. Later in life, he chose to pronounce his last name using the Catalan and Italian sounds, which begin with a soft "G" like the "G" in "George" (IPA: [dʒinaˈsteːra]), instead of the Spanish "J" sound (IPA: [xinaˈsteɾa]).

Ginastera studied music at the Williams Conservatory in Buenos Aires and graduated in 1938. He later taught at the Liceo Militar General San Martín. In 1945–47, he traveled to the United States, where he studied with composer Aaron Copland at Tanglewood. After returning to Buenos Aires, he held several teaching positions. Some of his well-known students included Ástor Piazzolla (who studied with him in 1941), Alcides Lanza, Jorge Antunes, Waldo de los Ríos, Jacqueline Nova, Blas Atehortua, and Rafael Aponte-Ledée.

In 1968, Ginastera moved to the United States, and in 1970, he relocated to Europe. He died in Geneva, Switzerland, at the age of 67 and was buried in the Cimetière des Rois in the Plainpalais district.

Music

Ginastera divided his music into three time periods: "Objective Nationalism" (1934–1948), "Subjective Nationalism" (1948–1958), and "Neo-Expressionism" (1958–1983). These periods differ in how they use traditional Argentine music. His "Objective Nationalism" works often include simple Argentine folk themes, while his later works use traditional elements in more complex ways.

Many of Ginastera’s compositions were influenced by the Gauchesco tradition. This tradition says that the gaucho, a horseman from Argentina’s plains who lived without land, represents Argentina.

His work Cantata para América Mágica (1960), written for a dramatic soprano and 53 percussion instruments, was inspired by ancient pre-Columbian legends. The first performance on the West Coast of the United States was given by the Los Angeles Percussion Ensemble, led by Henri Temianka and William Kraft, at UCLA in 1963.

Works

• Don Rodrigo, Op. 31 (1963–64)
• Bomarzo, Op. 34 (1966–67), banned in Argentina until 1972
• Beatrix Cenci, Op. 38 (1971), inspired by the play The Cenci (1819) by Percy Bysshe Shelley

• Panambí, Op. 1 (1935)
• Estancia, Op. 8 (1941)

• Suite from Panambí, Op. 1a (1937)
• Dances from Estancia, Op. 8a (1943)
• 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)

• Piano Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 28 (1961)
• Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 39 (1972)
• Violin Concerto, Op. 30 (1963)
• Cello Concerto No. 1, Op. 36 (1968)
• Cello Concerto No. 2, Op. 50 (1980–81)
• Harp Concerto, Op. 25 (1956–65)

• 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)

• 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) Moderato: para Alex Paisaje: para Georgina

• Toccata, Villancico y Fuga, Op. 18 (1947)
• Variazioni e Toccata sopra Aurora lucis rutilat, Op. 52 (1980), dedicated to W. Stuart Pope (president of

Discography

• Bomarzo, performed by The Opera Society of Washington with Julius Rudel as conductor; the 1967 recording was re-released by Sony Classical in 2016.
• Cantata para América Mágica, performed by Raquel Adonaylo (soprano) and the Los Angeles Percussion Ensemble with William Kraft as conductor. Includes: Carlos Chávez’s Toccata for Percussion conducted by Henri Temianka. LP recording, analog, 33 + 1⁄3 rpm, stereo, 12 in (300 mm), Columbia Masterworks MS 6447. New York: Columbia Records, 1963.
• Cantata para America Magica, performed by the McGill Percussion Ensemble with P. Béluse as director and Elise Bédard (soprano). McGill Records CD, 1997.
• Complete works for piano, performed by Andrzej Pikul (piano). Dux Recording Producers, 2007.
• Quartet No. 1, performed by the Paganini Quartet. Decca Gold Label.
• Art Songs of Latin-America, performed by Patricia Caicedo (soprano) and Pau Casan (piano). Albert Moraleda Records, Barcelona, 2001. Includes: Cinco canciones populares argentinas by Ginastera and Canción al árbol del olvido.
• 2007 – Flores Argentinas: Canciones de Ginastera y Guastavino, performed by the 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”, performed by Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Brain Salad Surgery, 1973.
• Nissman Plays Ginastera: The Three Piano Concertos, performed by Barbara Nissman (piano) and Kenneth Kiesler (conductor) with the University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra. (CD) Pierian 0048 (2012).
• Complete piano solo and piano/chamber works, performed by Barbara Nissman (piano) with Aurora Natola-Ginastera (cello), Ruben Gonzales (violin), and the Laurentian String Quartet. Three Oranges Recordings (3OR-01).
• Alberto Ginastera, “A Man of Latin America”, A Masterclass with Barbara Nissman. Three Oranges Recordings (3OR-30).
• Popol Vuh – The Mayan Creation, Estancia, Panambi, Suite de Danzas Criollas (world premiere of orchestral version), Ollantay. Performed by Gisele Ben-Dor (conductor), London Symphony Orchestra, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, and BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Naxos, 2010.
• Panambi, Estancia (complete Ballets), performed by Gisele Ben-Dor (conductor) and Luis Gaeta (narrator/bass baritone) with the London Symphony Orchestra. Naxos, 1998 & 2006.
• Glosses on Themes of Pablo Casals, Variaciones concertantes, performed by Gisele Ben-Dor (conductor) with the London Symphony Orchestra and Israel Chamber Orchestra. Naxos, 1995 & 2010.
• John Antill: Corroboree ballet suite and Ginastera: Panambi ballet suite, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra with Sir Eugene Goossens as conductor. Everest stereo LP, SDBR 3003.
• String Quartets – “Ginastera: String Quartets”, performed by Cuarteto Latinoamericano with Claudia Montiel (soprano). [Elan 82270]
• Piano Concerto No. 1 and Piano Sonata No. 1, performed by Hilde Somer (piano), Ernst Märzendorfer (conductor), and the Vienna Philharmonia Orchestra. Desto (D-402/DS-6402).
• 2022 – Eclipse, performed by Hilary Hahn (violin) with Andrés Orozco-Estrada and the Frankfurt Radio Symphony. Various composers. Deutsche Grammophon, 486