Jose Maria Usandizaga
Encyclopedia
José María Usandizaga (18871915) was a Spanish
Basque
composer
.
A native of San Sebastián
, Usandizaga began his musical studies in his hometown before moving to the Schola Cantorum
in Paris. There, he was a composition pupil of Vincent d'Indy
, and he took piano lessons from Gabriel Grovlez
. From 1906 he was back in Spain
, where he won success with his works for the stage and a number of other pieces. Usandizaga succumbed to tuberculosis
in 1915.
Most of Usandizaga's music is based on Basque themes; among his works are several chamber pieces, some rhapsodies, and the opera
s Mendi Mendiyan ("High in the Mountains", a folk opera) and Las golondrinas ("The Swallows", initially a zarzuela
which was arranged as an opera after the composer's death by his brother). A third opera, the lyric drama La llama ("The Flame"), was left incomplete after his death; this, too was completed by his brother.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
Basque
Basque people
The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
.
A native of San Sebastián
San Sebastián
Donostia-San Sebastián is a city and municipality located in the north of Spain, in the coast of the Bay of Biscay and 20 km away from the French border. The city is the capital of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. The municipality’s population is 186,122 , and its...
, Usandizaga began his musical studies in his hometown before moving to the Schola Cantorum
Schola Cantorum
The Schola Cantorum de Paris is a private music school in Paris. It was founded in 1894 by Charles Bordes, Alexandre Guilmant and Vincent d'Indy as a counterbalance to the Paris Conservatoire's emphasis on opera...
in Paris. There, he was a composition pupil of Vincent d'Indy
Vincent d'Indy
Vincent d'Indy was a French composer and teacher.-Life:Paul Marie Théodore Vincent d'Indy was born in Paris into an aristocratic family of royalist and Catholic persuasion. He had piano lessons from an early age from his paternal grandmother, who passed him on to Antoine François Marmontel and...
, and he took piano lessons from Gabriel Grovlez
Gabriel Grovlez
Gabriel Marie Grovlez was an eminent French composer and conductor.He studied with Gabriel Fauré at the Conservatoire de Paris, and taught at the Schola Cantorum. His main work was with the Societé National de l'Opéra, and his compositions were mainly for voice...
. From 1906 he was back in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, where he won success with his works for the stage and a number of other pieces. Usandizaga succumbed to tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
in 1915.
Most of Usandizaga's music is based on Basque themes; among his works are several chamber pieces, some rhapsodies, and the opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
s Mendi Mendiyan ("High in the Mountains", a folk opera) and Las golondrinas ("The Swallows", initially a zarzuela
Zarzuela
Zarzuela is a Spanish lyric-dramatic genre that alternates between spoken and sung scenes, the latter incorporating operatic and popular song, as well as dance...
which was arranged as an opera after the composer's death by his brother). A third opera, the lyric drama La llama ("The Flame"), was left incomplete after his death; this, too was completed by his brother.