Carlos Guastavino , Argentinian Type-setter born the April 5th 1912 and dead the October 28th 2000.

Born in Santa Fe, Carlos Guastavino is one of the musical creators most important of Argentine. He is regarded as one of largest of those which wrote for the voice in its country. Its production exceeds the 200 parts, the majority of them intended for the piano and the human voice. Achieved pianist, endowed for the melody, Guastavino always wrote for the piano, of which it controls the aspect virtuoso and brilliance, but also the capacities intimists and poetic. Its style, tonal and of a luxuriant romanticism, is based entirely on the popular Musique Argentinian. Its parts impress the public inevitably; they became a required passage of the Hispanic music for voice.

Guastavino is perhaps the most important representative of the Argentinian national romanticism. Firmly anchored in the romantic tradition of the end of the XIXe century, its musical language keeps away from the avant-gardes from its country. A distance which holds of the obviousness when one compares his work with that of his quasi-contemporary, Alberto Ginastera (1916-1983). The catch of distance from Guastavino of with the Argentinas avant-gardes and its manner of conceiving an attractive music founded on a romantic language were worth to him a statute of model for the popular type-setters of the years 1960, which more once took again on their account the innovations of Guastavino.

Guastavino studied the music with Santa Fe, in the classes of Esperanza Lothringer and Dominga Iaffei, before improving with Buenos Aires at Athos Palma. Pianist of talent, it occurred in London in 1947,1948 and 1949, invited by BBC; he is also stock exchange remainder of the British Council. It is at that time that the symphony orchestra of BBC creates the orchestral version of its “Very Argentinos Lovesongs”, under the direction of Walter Goehs. In 1956, Guastavino achieves a round in Soviet Union and China, during which he interprets his own works.

The style of Guastavino betrays an undeniable affinity with the Argentinian type-setters of the end of the XIXe century: Alberto Williams, Francisco Hargreaves, Eduardo García Mansilla, Julián Aguirre. In particular, the proximity with the delicate manner and intimist of this last are manifest. Just like that of Julián Aguirre, the treatment of the popular parts by Guastavino never appears constrained. This is why the popular spirit of the musics and the rates/rhythms of origin seems to have kept all its freshness, even when the harmony, the rate/rhythm or the counterpoint are done more complex.

Guastavino composed enormously for the human voice and the piano. Its catalog counts more than one hundred fifty melodies for voice and piano, of many works for piano alone, the parts choral societies, the pieces intended for the schools, and the chamber music. It put in music poems of Rafael Alberty, Leon Benaros, Hamlet Lima Quintana, Atahualpa Yupanqui, Pablo Neruda, Gabriela Mistral, and Jorge Luis Borges, without counting anonymous poems and texts of its own vintage. Among his works for orchestra, one finds “Entertainment; fue una vez”, ordered by Colonel de Basil for his original Russian ballet, created with the Teatro Colón of Buenos Aires in 1942, and “Argentinian Continuation”, played and danced in Paris, London, Barcelona, and Havana by the Spanish Ballet of Isabel Lopez. In addition, Guastavino leaves three sonatas for guitar.

Guastavino received many distinctions throughout its life, among which the Municipal Price of the town of Buenos Aires, rewarding its melodies for room, a price of the Argentinian Ministry of Justice, the Price of the Cultural Commission of the Province of Santa Fe for its melodies, a price of the Vosotras review for its “Canción de Navidad”, and a price of Organization off American States and the Inter-American Music Council in recognition of its exceptional creative activity.

(Source: Fundación Ostinato/http://ostinato.tripod.com)

The melodies “equivocó the paloma” and “the rosa el sauce” are there among its most known compositions.

Several interpreters of reputation, such Teresa Berganza, Martha Argerich, Gidon Kremer, Jose Will square, Kiri You Kanawa, Bernarda Fink, Raúl Giménez, Jorge Chaminé, Agathe Martel, Karina Gauvin, put works of Guastavino at their programs.

partial Discography

Canciones Argentinas (2006)/Bernarda Fink (mezzo-soprano), Marcos Fink (baritone-low), Carmen Piazzini (piano)/Harmonia Mundi, HMC 901892

Vai Azulão (2002)/Agathe Martel (soprano), Marc Bourdeau (piano)/Marquis Classic, MAR 285

Canciones Amatorias (2002)/Bernarda Fink (mezzo-soprano), Roger Flat-bottom (piano)/Hyperion, HALF-VALUE LAYER 67186

Flora Argentinas (1996)/Marcos Fink (baritone-low), Shine Ascot (piano)/Cascavelle, VEL1059

Melodies (1995)/Jorge Chaminé (baritone), Marie-Francoise Bucquet (piano)/Lyrinx 149 (882 149)

Argentinian Songs (1987)/Raúl Giménez (tenor), Nina Walker (piano)/Nimbus Records, NOR 5107

Classics off the Americas, volume 2 (1990)/Margot Avoid-Reyna (soprano), Georges Rabol (piano)/Opus 111, OPS 30-9002

South American Songs (1984)/Teresa Berganza (mezzo-soprano), Juan-Antonio Alvarez-Parejo (piano)/Claves, MINOR ROAD 50-8401

Guitar Music off Argentina, volume 1 /Victor Villandagos (guitar)/Naxos Classical, 8-555058

Guitar Music off Argentina, volume 2 /Victor Villandagos (guitar)/Naxos Classical, 8-557658

Piano Music /Hector Moreno, Norberto Capelli/Marco Polo, 8-223462