Gisela Hernández
Encyclopedia
Gisela Hernández Gonzalo (1912−1971) was a Cuban
composer. Aware of political necessity, she established ties with the Castro
government in return for recognition of her activities as a music teacher and composer. She was also a member of the nationalistic Grupo Minorista that led a movement to incorporate Afro-Cuban sounds into larger forms of music.
Hernández taught music at the Hubert de Blanck
Conservatory, and with Olga De Blanck Martín
, director of the conservatory, she developed a music education system that made significant changes in Mexican music education. With de Blanck, she also co-founded Ediciones de Blanck publishing and became instrumental in publishing critical editions of Ignacio Cervantes
' music.
“Palma sola”
“¡Ay, señora mi vencia!”
“Sangres derramadas”
Other solo vocal works include:
“Ay, señora, mi vecina!”
“Canto X” (Cintio Vitier)
“Cómo vendrás”
“Dones” (C. Solis)
Dos cantos de cuna
“Gaucho de oro fino (Retrato del Ché)”
“Iba yo por un camino” (Guillén)
“La palma” (Jiménez)
“Miraba la noche el alma” (Angel Gaztelu)
“Miraba la noche el mar”
“Si, acudiras”
“Víspera” (Mariano Brull)
Hernández also composed chamber music and works for solo piano, orchestra, and choir.
Her works have been recorded and issued on CD, including:
Cubans
Cubans or Cuban people are the inhabitants or citizens of Cuba. Cuba is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
composer. Aware of political necessity, she established ties with the Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
government in return for recognition of her activities as a music teacher and composer. She was also a member of the nationalistic Grupo Minorista that led a movement to incorporate Afro-Cuban sounds into larger forms of music.
Hernández taught music at the Hubert de Blanck
Hubert de Blanck
Hubertus Christiaan de Blanck was a Dutch-born professor, pianist, and composer who spent the better part of his life in Cuba....
Conservatory, and with Olga De Blanck Martín
Olga De Blanck Martín
Olga De Blanck Martín was a Cuban pianist, guitarist and composer. She was born in Havana, the daughter of Hubert de Blanck and Pilar Martín. She studied music in Cuba, and in 1938 in the United States and Mexico....
, director of the conservatory, she developed a music education system that made significant changes in Mexican music education. With de Blanck, she also co-founded Ediciones de Blanck publishing and became instrumental in publishing critical editions of Ignacio Cervantes
Ignacio Cervantes
Ignacio Cervantes Kawanagh was a Cuban virtuoso pianist and composer. He was influential in the creolization of Cuban music....
' music.
Works
Hernández often used Afro-Cuban elements in her compositions. Selected works include:- Triptico, song cycle, 1967 (Text: Guillén, poet)
“Palma sola”
“¡Ay, señora mi vencia!”
“Sangres derramadas”
- Deprisa tierra, deprisa (in Nueve canciones) (Text: Juan Ramón Jiménez Mantecón)
- Diálogo (in Nueve canciones) (Text: Dulce María LoynazDulce María LoynazDaughter of the famous General Enrique Loynaz del Castillo, a hero of the Cuban Liberation Army and author of Cuban National Anthem lyrics; and sister of poet Enrique Loynaz Muñoz...
) - Huerto de marzo (in Nueve canciones) (Text: Federico García LorcaFederico García LorcaFederico del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús García Lorca was a Spanish poet, dramatist and theatre director. García Lorca achieved international recognition as an emblematic member of the Generation of '27. He is believed to be one of thousands who were summarily shot by anti-communist death squads...
) - Mi corazón lo tragó el mar (in Nueve canciones) (Text: Mirta Aguirre Carreras)
- Romancillo (in Nueve canciones) (Text: Federico García Lorca)
- Sólo por el rocío (in Nueve canciones) (Text: Federico García Lorca)
- Tránsito (in Nueve canciones) (Text: Rabindranath TagoreRabindranath TagoreRabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
) - Única mar (in Nueve canciones) (Text: Mirta Aguirre Carreras)
- Voy a medirme el amor (in Nueve canciones) (Text: Dulce María Loynaz)
Other solo vocal works include:
“Ay, señora, mi vecina!”
“Canto X” (Cintio Vitier)
“Cómo vendrás”
“Dones” (C. Solis)
Dos cantos de cuna
“Gaucho de oro fino (Retrato del Ché)”
“Iba yo por un camino” (Guillén)
“La palma” (Jiménez)
“Miraba la noche el alma” (Angel Gaztelu)
“Miraba la noche el mar”
“Si, acudiras”
“Víspera” (Mariano Brull)
Hernández also composed chamber music and works for solo piano, orchestra, and choir.
Her works have been recorded and issued on CD, including:
- Juana Zayas:A Treasury of Cuban Piano Classics Audio CD (January 1, 2006) Music & Arts Programs of America, ASIN: B000050HYQ