Spanish composer and pianist (1901?1999)
In this
Spanish name
, the first or paternal
surname
is
Rodrigo
and the second or maternal family name is
Vidre
.
Joaquin Rodrigo
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Born
| (
1901-11-22
)
22 November 1901
Sagunto
, Spain
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Died
| 6 July 1999
(1999-07-06)
(aged 97)
Madrid
, Spain
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Occupation(s)
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Spouse(s)
|
(
m.
1933; died 1997)
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Musical artist
Joaquin Rodrigo Vidre, 1st Marquess of the Gardens of Aranjuez
(
Spanish:
[xoa?kin
ro?ð?i?o]
; 22 November 1901 ? 6 July 1999), was a Spanish composer and a
virtuoso
pianist. He is best known for composing the
Concierto de Aranjuez
, a cornerstone of the
classical guitar repertoire
.
Life
[
edit
]
Rodrigo was born in
Sagunto
(
Valencia
). At the age of three, he lost his sight completely after contracting
diphtheria
.
[1]
At the age of eight he began to study
solfege
, piano, and violin and from the age of 16 he studied harmony and composition. Although distinguished by having raised the Spanish guitar to dignity as a universal concert instrument and that he is best known for his guitar music, he never mastered playing the instrument. He wrote his compositions in
Braille
and they were
transcribed
for publication.
Rodrigo studied music under Francisco Antich in
Valencia
and under
Paul Dukas
at the Ecole Normale de Musique in Paris. After briefly returning to Spain, he returned to Paris to study
musicology
, first under
Maurice Emmanuel
, and then under
Andre Pirro
. His first published compositions
[2]
date from 1923. From 1947, Rodrigo was a professor of
music history
, holding the
Manuel de Falla
Chair of Music in the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters, at
Complutense University of Madrid
. Notable students include
Yuksel Koptagel
, Turkish composer and pianist.
His most famous work,
Concierto de Aranjuez
, was composed in 1939 in Paris for the guitarist
Regino Sainz de la Maza
. In later life, he and his wife, Victoria, declared that the work was written as a response to the miscarriage of their first child.
[3]
The composition is a concerto for guitar and orchestra. The central
adagio
movement is one of the most recognizable in twentieth-century classical music, featuring the interplay of guitar with
cor anglais
.
[4]
This movement was later adapted by the jazz arranger
Gil Evans
for the 1960 album "
Sketches of Spain
" by
Miles Davis
.
At the request of
Nicanor Zabaleta
, Rodrigo adapted the concerto for the 1974 Harp and Orchestra Concerto and he dedicated the adaptation to Zabaleta.
The success of this concerto led to commissions from a number of prominent soloists, including Nicanor Zabaleta, for whom Rodrigo dedicated his
Concierto serenata
for Harp and Orchestra. For
Julian Lloyd Webber
, Rodrigo composed his
Concierto como un divertimento
for cello and orchestra. For flutist
James Galway
, Rodrigo composed his
Concierto pastoral
for flute and orchestra.
In 1954, Rodrigo composed
Fantasia para un gentilhombre
at the request of
Andres Segovia
. His
Concierto Andaluz
, for four guitars and orchestra, was commissioned by
Celedonio Romero
for him and his three sons.
Of Rodrigo's works, those that have achieved the greatest popular and critical success are his
Concierto de Aranjuez
and
Fantasia para un gentilhombre
. These two works are very often paired in recordings.
Honors
[
edit
]
He was awarded Spain's highest award for composition, the
Premio Nacional de Musica
, in 1983. On 30 December 1991, Rodrigo was raised into the
Spanish nobility
by
King Juan Carlos I
with the hereditary title of
Marques de los Jardines de Aranjuez
[5]
[6]
(English: Marquess of the Gardens of Aranjuez). He received the prestigious
Prince of Asturias Award
? Spain's highest civilian honor ? in 1996. He was named Commander of the
Order of Arts and Letters
by the French government in 1998.
Personal life
[
edit
]
He married
Victoria Kamhi
in 1933. She was a Turkish-born pianist whom he had met in Paris. They shared professional interests and she documented their life together in
Hand in Hand With Joaquin Rodrigo: My Life at the Maestro's Side
(1992). Their marriage lasted until her death in 1997.
[1]
Their daughter, Cecilia, was born on 27 January 1941.
Rodrigo died at his home in
Madrid
on 6 July 1999, aged 97.
[1]
His daughter succeeded him as Marquesa de los Jardines de Aranjuez. Joaquin Rodrigo and his wife Victoria are buried at the cemetery at
Aranjuez
.
Works
[
edit
]
Orchestral
[
edit
]
- Orchestra
- Juglares
(1923); first public performance: 1924, Valencia
- Cinco Piezas Infantiles
(1928)
- Tres viejos aires de danza
(1929; first performance on 20 January 1930 by the Orquesta Sinfonica de Valencia conducted by
Jose Manuel Izquierdo
)
- Dos miniaturas andaluzas
(1929; first performance on 22 November 1999 at the
Palau de la Musica de Valencia
, Spain, by the
Orquesta de Camara Joaquin Rodrigo
)
- Zarabanda lejana y Villancico
(1930; first performance on 9 March 1931 at the
Ecole Normale de Musique
in Paris, by the
Orquesta Femenina de Paris
, conducted by
Jane Evrard
)
- Per la flor del Lliri Blau
, symphonic poem (1934; First Prize,
Circulo de Bellas Artes
)
- Soleriana
(first performance by the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by
Hans von Benda
, on 22 August 1953 in Berlin)
- Pavana Real
(1955)
- Musica para un jardin
(1957) [Orchestration of his two piano Berceuses]
- A la busca del mas alla
(1976; commissioned by the
Houston Symphony
for the
United States Bicentennial
, Rodrigo was inspired by the thought of space exploration)
- Palillos y panderetas
(1982)
- Rondalla
- Symphonic Wind Ensemble
- Homenaje a la Tempranica
(1939; first performance, 1939, in Paris by the
Orquesta Femenina de Paris
, conducted by Jane Evrard)
- Homenaje a Sagunto
(1955)
- Adagio Para Orquesta de Instrumentos de Viento
(1966; first performance in June 1966 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, by the
American Wind Symphony Orchestra
, conducted by
Robert Austin Boudreau
)
- Pasodoble para Paco Alcalde
(1975)
Concertante
[
edit
]
- Cello
- Dos piezas caballerescas
for four-piece cello orchestra (1945; first performance on 27 May 1945 in Madrid by cello ensemble students of
Juan Ruiz Casaux
) ? later transcribed for four guitars by Peter Jermer
- Concierto en modo galante
(1949; first performance on 4 November 1949 in Madrid by
Gaspar Cassado
, with the
Orquesta Nacional de Espana
, conducted by
Ataulfo Argenta
)
- Concierto como un divertimento
(1981)
- Flute
- Guitar
- Harp
- Concierto serenata
(1954)
- Sones en la Giralda
(1963; written as a wedding present for the harpist
Marisa Robles
) ? later transcribed for guitar and orchestra by Pepe Romero
- Piano
- Concierto heroico
(1943) (revised by the composer as
Piano Concerto
(1995) and first performed in 1999)
- Violin
- Dos esbozos
for violin and piano (1923; Rodrigo's "Opus 1")
- Canconeta
for violin and string orchestra (1923; first performance in 1923 in Valencia, Spain, by the
Orquesta Sinfonica de Valencia
, conducted by
Jose Manuel Izquierdo
)
- Concierto de estio
(1944; first performance on 16 April 1944 by
Enrique Iniesta
, at the
Teatro San Carlos
in Lisbon, Portugal, with the
Orquesta Nacional de Espana
, conducted by
Bartolome Perez Casas
)
- Set Cancons Valencianes
for violin and piano (1982)
Instrumental
[
edit
]
- Bandoneon
- Cello
- Como una fantasia
(1979; first performance on 17 March 1981 by
Carlos Prieto
, in Mexico City)
- Guitar
- Zarabanda lejana
(1926; first performance by
Joaquin Nin-Culmell
, in Paris)
- Toccata para guitarra
(1933; first performance on 1 June 2006 by
Marcin Dylla
, in Madrid)
- En Los Trigales
(1938; first performance by
Regino Sainz de la Maza
; later published as part of
Por los campos de Espana
)
- Tiento Antiguo
(1942; first performance in 1942 by
Regino Sainz de la Maza
)
- Three Spanish Pieces ?
Tres Piezas Espanolas (Fandango, Passacaglia, Zapateado
) (1954; dedicated to
Andres Segovia
)
- Bajando de la meseta
(1954; first performance by
Nicolas Alfonso
in Brussels; later published as part of
Por los campos de Espana
)
- Entre olivares
(1956; dedicated to
Manuel Lopez Ramos
; later published as part of
Por los campos de Espana
)
- En tierras de Jerez
(1957; dedicated to
Luise Walker
)
- Tonadilla
(1959; first performance by the guitar duo of
Ida Presti
and
Alexandre Lagoya
)
- Junto al Generalife
(1959; first performance by
Siegfried Behrend
)
- Sonata Giocosa
(1960; dedicated to
Renata Tarrago
)
- Invocacion y danza
(1961; first performance on 12 May 1962 by
Alirio Diaz
at the
Chateau de la Brede
near Bordeaux, France?First prize,
Coupe International de Guitare,
awarded by
Office de Radiodiffusion-Television Francaise
[ORTF])
- Sonata a la Espanola
(1963; dedicated to Ernesto Bitetti)
- Tres pequenas piezas (Ya se van los pastores, Por caminos de Santiago, Pequena Sevillana)
(1963)
- Elogio de la guitarra
(1971; written for the guitarist
Angelo Gilardino
, who gave the first performance)
- Pajaros de primavera
(1972; commissioned by Dr. Isao Takahashi, a promoter of classical guitar in Japan, for his wife Take Takahashi; first performed in 1972 at the hospital bedside of Take Takahashi in Japan, "interpreted by a guitarist friend," as she was dying of cancer
[7]
?
Christopher Parkening
gave the first public performance, also in Japan)
- Dos preludios
(1976; first performance in 1989 by
Celedonio Romero
in Los Angeles, CA, and first recording by
Wolfgang Lendle
)
- Triptico
(1978; first performance in 1978 by
Alexandre Lagoya
at the Chateau de Rougerie in France)
- Un tiempo fue Italica famosa
(1981; first performance in 1989 by
Randy Pile
in San Diego, CA)
- Ecos de Sefarad
(1987; first performance in 1989 by
Sherri Rottersman
at the Circulo Medina in
Madrid
)
- ¡Que buen caminito!
(1987; first performance in 1987 by
Maria Esther Guzman
at the Conservatorio de Musica de Sevilla)
- Aranjuez, ma pensee
(1988) (arranged by the composer from his 'Concierto de Aranjuez')
- Harp
- Piano (solo), and harpsichord
- Suite pour piano
(1923)
- Berceuse d'automne
(1923)
- Preludio al Gallo mananero
(1926)
- Zarabanda lejana
(1926)
- Pastorale
(1926)
- Bagatela
(1926)
- Berceuse de printemps
(1928)
- Air de Ballet sur le nom d'une Jeune Fille
(1930)
- Serenata Espanola
(1931)
- Sonada de adios ('Homenaje a Paul Dukas')
(1935)
- Cuatro Piezas (Caleseras, Fandango del ventorrillo, Prayer of the Princess of Castile, Danza Valenciana)
(1936?1938)
- Tres Danzas de Espana (Rustica, Danza de los tres doncellas, Serrana)
(1941)
- A l'ombre de Torre Bermeja
(1945)
- Cuatro Estampas Andaluzas
(1946?1952)
- El Album de Cecilia (Maria de los Reyes, Jota de las Palomas, Cancion del Hada rubia, Cancion del Hada morena, El negrito Pepo, Borriquillos a Belen)
(1948)
- Cinco Sonatas de Castilla, con Toccata a modo de Pregon
(1950?1951)
- Aranjuez, ma pensee
(1968) (arranged by the composer from his 'Concierto de Aranjuez')
- Danza de la Amapola
(1972)
- Preludio y Ritornello
(1979) (for HARPSICHORD)
- Tres Evocaciones (Tarde en el parque, Noche en el Guadalquivir, Triana)
(1980?1981)
- Preludio de Anoranza
(1987)
- Piano (duet and two pianos)
- Juglares
(1923) (PIANO DUET) (arranged by the composer from his first work for orchestra)
- Cinco Piezas Infantiles (Son chicos que pasan, Despues de un cuento, Mazurka, Plegaria, Griteria)
(1924) (TWO PIANOS) (arranged by the composer from his second work for orchestra)
- Gran Marcha de los Subsecretarios
(1941) (PIANO DUET)
- Atardecer
(1975) (PIANO DUET)
- Sonatina para dos Munecas
(1977) (PIANO DUET)
- Violin
- Capriccio
(1944; first performance on 8 January 1946 by
Enrique Iniesta
in Madrid)
Vocal and choral
[
edit
]
- Ave Maria
for unaccompanied choir (1923)
- Ausencias de Dulcinea
(1948); First prize, Cervantes Competition
- Cuatro Madrigales Amatorios
(1948)
- De las doce canciones espanolas (Textos populares adaptados por Victoria Kamhi)
(1951)
- Villancicos y canciones de navidad
(1952);
Ateneo de Madrid
Prize
- Musica para un codice salamantino
(1953), lyrics by
Miguel de Unamuno
- Cuatro canciones sefardies
(1965)
- El Hijo Fingido
, Zarzuela
- Porque toco el pandero
- Cantico de San Francisco de Asis
(1982)
- Tres canciones
[8]
Guitar and voice
[
edit
]
- Coplas del Pastor Enamorado
(1935)
- Tres Canciones Espanolas
(1951)
- Tres Villancicos
(1952)
- Romance de Durandarte
(1955)
- Folias Canarias
(1958)
- Aranjuez, ma pensee
(1988)
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
Goodman, Al (8 July 1999).
"Joaquin Rodrigo, 97, Master Of Spanish Classical Music"
.
The New York Times
. p. B9
. Retrieved
16 May
2023
.
- ^
A suite for piano, and "
Dos esbozos
", suite for piano and violin and Siciliana, for cello
- ^
The Sound of Magnolias
, BBC Radio 4, 20 October 2009.
Irma Kurtz
investigates Spanish composer Rodrigo's Concerto de Aranjuez. (Downloadable audio documentary)
- ^
Koh, Francois Youngjoon (June 2020).
A Conductor's Guide to Joaquin Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez
(Thesis thesis).
- ^
"
Marquess
of the
Gardens of Aranjuez
"; since 1999, his daughter Cecilia Rodrigo Camhi, has been 2nd
Marquesa de los Jardines de Aranjuez
.
- ^
"boe.es"
(PDF)
.
- ^
Victoria Kamhi de Rodrigo,
Hand in Hand With Joaquin Rodrigo: My Life at the Maestro's Side
, trans. Ellen Wilkerson (Pittsburgh: Latin American Literary Review Press, 1992), 231.
- ^
Graham Wade,
Joaquin Rodrigo: A Life in Music: Travelling to Aranjuez
, 2006, p. 156: " ... He has also completed for voice, Tres canciones, with classical texts".
Bibliography
[
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]
External links
[
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]
Articles
[
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]
Recordings
[
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]
Videos
[
edit
]
- DVD containing:
Shadows and Light
documentary,
Concierto de Aranjuez
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Compositions
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