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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 – IPA: [dʒinaˈsteːra], with an initial soft 'G' like that of English 'George' – rather than with a Spanish 'J' sound (IPA: [xinaˈsteɾa]). [2]
Alberto Ginastera was a leading 20th-century Latin-American composer, known for his use of local and national musical idioms in his compositions. Ginastera was musically talented as a child and studied in Buenos Aires at the Conservatorio Williams and the National Conservatory.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Alberto Ginastera: 1916-1983: Argentine composer "His music drew nourishment from folklore but was cast in an advanced harmonic idiom," wrote music historian Joseph Machlis of composer Alberto Ginastera in his book Introduction to Contemporary Music.
Aug 31, 2023 · Regarded as Argentina’s leading composer of the 20th century, Alberto Ginastera (1916-1983) first became known for his ballets Panambi and Estancia that reflect the folkloric roots and rhythms of Latin America.
- Not Always Politically Correct
- Identified as Musical Nationalist
- Second Opera Made Headlines
- Further Reading
In his early years, Ginastera was not widely known outside Argentina, and even there, his political views sometimes got him into trouble with the country's leaders. The composer was particularly critical of the country's military governments, which he felt inhibited artistic expression. Twice, he was forbidden to teach, even at a music school he ha...
Ginastera was early identified with musical nationalism. Such works as Overture for the Creole Faust (1943), Pampeana No. 1 for violin and piano (1946), Pampeana No. 2 for cello and piano, Pampeana No. 3for orchestra (1954), as well as his piano pieces and Argentine songs, reflect national characteristics. However, the First String Quartet (1948) a...
Ginastera's second opera, Bomarzo made headlines upon its international debut in Washington, D.C., in 1967. Like the composer's first opera Don Rodrigo, it was atonal, but there the resemblance ended. The story line for the second opera was based on the final 15 seconds of life of the Duke of Bomarzo and featured scenes of sex, voyeurism, impotence...
A doctoral dissertation by David Edward Wallace, Alberto Ginastera: An Analysis of His Style and Techniques (1964), is available in duplicated book form. David Ewen, World of Twentieth Century Music (1968), has a short biography of Ginastera and a valuable analysis of 11 compositions. Otto Deri, Exploring Twentieth Century Music (1968), evaluates t...
Biography. Ginastera was born in Buenos Aires to a Catalan father and an Italian mother. He preferred to pronounce his surname in its Catalan pronunciation, with a soft "G" (i.e., JEE'-nah-STEH-rah rather than the Castilian Spanish KHEE'-nah-STEH-rah). He studied at the conservatory in Buenos Aires, graduating in 1938.
Ginastera was born in Buenos Aires on April 11, 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.
