Gerardo Guevara
Encyclopedia
Gerardo Guevara, Ecuadorian composer born in Quito, 1930 is one of the key composers in Ecuador. His work combines native music with contemporary techniques.
. In 1952, while playing the piano in an orchestra in Guayaquil, he studied composition and the analysis of Bartok's music with the Hungarian musician Jorge Raycki.
From 1959 onwards and thanks to a Unesco
grant, Guevara studied composition with Nadia Boulanger at the École Normale de Musique de Paris
where he graduated as a conductor. While in Paris, he also studied musicology at the University of La Sorbonne. After twelve years in France, he went back to Ecuador where in 1972 he formed the choir of the Central University of Quito. A year later, he created the Sayce (Society for the protection of musicians).
He acted as a conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra from 1974–75 and director of the Conservatorio Nacional (1980–88) where he taught composition and the history of Ecuadorian Music.
Mainly nationalist he nonetheless explored contemporary technics, which led Robert Stevenson to write: “Guevara Viteri has drawn on European styles”. More appropriately Béhague comments: "more advanced techniques of composition appeared in some of the works of Gerardo Guevara". Prolific composer, he has also written essays and articles on music. As a teacher he also had a profound influence on his students.
Biography
Gerardo Guevara showed music ability at an early age. Because his father worked as a caretaker at the Conservatorio Nacional, Guevara used to eavesdrop on the music dictations that were being given to older children and sometimes ventured to shout the answer before running away. When he was fifteen he started studying composition with Luis H. SalgadoLuis H. Salgado
Luis Humberto Salgado Ecuadorian composer regarded as one of the most influential and prolific of his country.-Biography:...
. In 1952, while playing the piano in an orchestra in Guayaquil, he studied composition and the analysis of Bartok's music with the Hungarian musician Jorge Raycki.
From 1959 onwards and thanks to a Unesco
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
grant, Guevara studied composition with Nadia Boulanger at the École Normale de Musique de Paris
École Normale de Musique de Paris
The École Normale de Musique de Paris is a leading conservatoire located in Paris, France. The school was founded by Auguste Mangeot and pianist Alfred Cortot in 1919...
where he graduated as a conductor. While in Paris, he also studied musicology at the University of La Sorbonne. After twelve years in France, he went back to Ecuador where in 1972 he formed the choir of the Central University of Quito. A year later, he created the Sayce (Society for the protection of musicians).
He acted as a conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra from 1974–75 and director of the Conservatorio Nacional (1980–88) where he taught composition and the history of Ecuadorian Music.
Mainly nationalist he nonetheless explored contemporary technics, which led Robert Stevenson to write: “Guevara Viteri has drawn on European styles”. More appropriately Béhague comments: "more advanced techniques of composition appeared in some of the works of Gerardo Guevara". Prolific composer, he has also written essays and articles on music. As a teacher he also had a profound influence on his students.
Works
- Inspiración for piano, 1950 (world premiere 2011 by Alex Alarcon Fabre)
- Despedida, pasillo, 1957
- Apanny Shungo for piano, 1958
- Yaguar shungo ballet for symphony orchestra & choir 1958
- Geografía for baritone & piano (texts by Jorge Enrique AdoumJorge Enrique AdoumJorge Enrique Adoum was an Ecuadorian poet and writer. He was one of the major exponents of Latin American poetry. Social concerns were always present in his work.-Biography:...
), 1960 - Tierras for baritone & piano (text by Jorge Carrera AndradeJorge Carrera AndradeJorge Carrera Andrade was an Ecuadorian poet, historian, author, and diplomat during the 20th century. He was born in Quito, Ecuador in 1902. He died in 1978...
), 1960 - First string quartet, 1960
- El Hombre Planetario for baritone & piano (texts by Carrera Andrade), 1962
- Tres preludios for piano: Recitativo, Albazo & Sanjuanito, 1963
- Cantata de la paz for baritone, orchestra & choir 1963-64
- Second string quartet, 1963–64
- Atahualpa for choir, 1965
- Indios for choir, 1965
- Se va con algo mío, pasillo, 1967
- Danzante del destino, for pingullo, pan flute, harp, bombo, 2 guitars, contralto solo, choir, 1967
- Danzante de la Ausencia, choir, 1967
- Yaraví del desterrado, 1967
- Tuyallay, 1967
- Ismos for violin, viola, cello, oboe, clarinet & piano, 1970
- Ecuador, orchestral suite, 1972
- 5 Miniaturas (Panecillo, Pichincha, La Compañía, Avenida Veinticuatro de Mayo, Quito Norte) for flute, french horn, oboe, clarinet & fagot, 1973
- Quito arrabal del cielo for choir (text by Jorge ReyesJorge ReyesJorge Reyes is a Cuban-born, American author known for authoring books in several genres. He is an honor graduate of Barry University, from which he received a B.A...
), 1974 - Galería siglo XX de pintores ecuatorianos, orchestral suite, 1976*El Panecillo, (texts by Eloy Proaño), 1977
- Solsticio de Verano, san juanito, 1977
- Tres melodías para soprano y orquesta de cámara texts by Ana María Iza (Iba a fugarme, Pasillo, Aquí me paro y grito), 1978
- Tríptico for choir, 1978
- El espantapájaros,
- Jaguay, vocal, 1980
- Combate poético for baritone & piano, 1980
- Otoño for voice & piano, 1980
- Fiesta for piano, 1982
- Diálogos for flute, piano (dedicated to Luciano Carrera), 1982
- Recitativo & Danza for guitar, 1983
- Juegos, 1983
- Suite Ecuatoriana, for flute & piano1985
- Cuaderno pedagógico for piano students, 1985–86
- Et in Terra Pax Hominibus for baritone & y orchestra, text by J. E. AdoumJorge Enrique AdoumJorge Enrique Adoum was an Ecuadorian poet and writer. He was one of the major exponents of Latin American poetry. Social concerns were always present in his work.-Biography:...
, 1987 - Huayra Shina for soprano, baritone & orchestra, 1987
- pasillo for piano, 1988
- Historia for orchestra, 1990.
- Del maíz al trigo (tonada), 1993.
- De mestizo a mestizo for orchestra (in three movements), 1994
Discography
- Gerardo Guevara: Melodías y canciones. Galo Cárdenas, Baritone; Marie Renée Portais, piano. Fediscos
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- Lp 5403, 1982.
- Música de nuestro tiempo, Ifesa (LP 301-0293)
- Lp 5403, 1982.
- Gerardo Guevara: Et in Terra Pax Hominibus for baritone & orchestra, text by Jorge Enrique AdoumJorge Enrique AdoumJorge Enrique Adoum was an Ecuadorian poet and writer. He was one of the major exponents of Latin American poetry. Social concerns were always present in his work.-Biography:...
. - other works by: M. Estévez, D. Luzuriaga, M. MaiguashcaMesías MaiguashcaMesías Maiguashca , is an Ecuadorian composer, an advocate of the new music, especially electroacoustic music.-Biography:...
& A. RodasArturo Rodas- Biography:Rodas studied at the National Conservatory in Quito, took private composition lessons with Gerardo Guevara, and also graduated in Law at the Universidad Central del Ecuador. Between 1978 and 1980 he was assistant to the French composer José Berghmans in Quito and Paris. He studied at... - Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional conducted by Alvaro Manzano
- Despedida, Ifesa Lp-CME. Guayaquil 1958. Piano: Gerardo Gevara.
- Se va con algo mío in: Beatriz Parra, Noche lírica en Canal 2, record no. 2, IFESA Lp-206-B. Guayaquil, 1973.
- Danzante del destino. Victor 45 rpm PB9027. Sweden, 1977.
- Grandes temas de Música Ecuatoriana
- Gerardo Guevara, El Espantapájaros
- oother works by: Sixto María Durán, Benítez & Valencia, etc
- Piano, Marcelo Ortiz
- Souvenir de l'Amérique du Sud CD. Piano: Marcelo Ortiz
- Pasillo (pasillo) (Gerardo Guevara)
- Fiesta (albazo) (Gerardo Guevara)
- Tonada (tonada) (Gerardo Guevara)
- El espantapájaros (pasillo) (Gerardo Guevara)
- Apamuy Shungo (danzante) (Gerardo Guevara)
- Other works by: Luis H. SalgadoLuis H. SalgadoLuis Humberto Salgado Ecuadorian composer regarded as one of the most influential and prolific of his country.-Biography:...
, Enrique Espín YépezEnrique Espín YépezEnrique Espín Yépez was an Ecuadorean composer and violinist. Born in Quito, he moved to Mexico in 1969, where he established himself as a professor of Violin. He was a student of Maestro Henryk Szeryng, who declared him heir of his technique. In December 1975 Szeryng bestowed Espín with a Ceruti...
, Sixto M. Durán, Miguel A. Casares- Piano Music by Ecuadorian Composers CD. Piano: [Alex Alarcon Fabre],http://www.alexalarconfabre.com
- Pasillo (pasillo) (Gerardo Guevara)
- Fiesta (aire tipico) (Gerardo Guevara)
- Albazo (albazo) (Gerardo Guevara)
- Other works by: Luis H. SalgadoLuis H. SalgadoLuis Humberto Salgado Ecuadorian composer regarded as one of the most influential and prolific of his country.-Biography:...
, Claudio Aizaga, Corsino Durán, Juan Pablo Muñoz Sanz
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Writings
- La música coral en Ecuador. In: Diners no. 1, March 1980, pp: 30-33. Quito: Diners Club del Ecuador.
- Segunda Sonata para piano de Luis H. SalgadoLuis H. SalgadoLuis Humberto Salgado Ecuadorian composer regarded as one of the most influential and prolific of his country.-Biography:...
, in Opus, año III, no. 31, enero. pp 48–51, edited by Arturo RodasArturo Rodas- Biography:Rodas studied at the National Conservatory in Quito, took private composition lessons with Gerardo Guevara, and also graduated in Law at the Universidad Central del Ecuador. Between 1978 and 1980 he was assistant to the French composer José Berghmans in Quito and Paris. He studied at...
. Quito: Central Bank of Ecuador. - Vamos a cantar: cancionero popular. Quito: Ministerio de Educación y Cultura, 1991. 205 pages (published again in 1992).
External links
- Homage to Gerardo Guevara Fundación Filarmónica y Casa de la Música
- di-arezzo scores, Spain Six songs by Gerardo guevara
- The Art Song in Latin America: Selected Works by Twentieth-Century Composers Latin-American choral scores.