Alberto Ginastera Suite de Danzas Criollas Opus 15

Alberto Ginastera (1916-1983)
- Suite de Danzas Criollas Opus 15 (1946)
*Adagietto pianissimo
*Allegro rustico
*Allegretto cantabile
*Calmo e poetico
*Scherzando - Coda: Presto ed energico
Piano: Alberto Portugheis

Ginastera was born in Buenos Aires in 1916, and even in his childhood showed early promise as a performer and composer. His adolescent years were spent in formal studies at the Williams Conservatory, and within a few years of his admittance to the National Conservatory as an undergraduate, his music was receiving national acclaim in prominent performance venues. His initial reputation rested largely on his creative interpretations of and allusions to Argentinean folk materials, as realized in short-form pieces and suites, but by the late '40s and early '50s he had completed a number of more imposing works, such his Piano Sonata No. 1 and his first two string quartets. He had also ventured abroad, first to Tanglewood in 1941, where he became fast friends with Copland, then to other destinations throughout the U.S. in the late '40s, and finally to several venues in Europe during the early '50s, where works such as the Variaciones concertantes and Pampeana No. 3 enjoyed warm receptions. He likewise introduced internationally acclaimed composers to Argentina; he oversaw an ambitious department at Catholic University (1958-1963), and during his tenure as director of the Latin American Centre for Advanced Musical Studies (1963-1971) his invited guests included Messiaen, Nono, Dallapiccola, and Xenakis. Ginastera's works from the '60s, including the opera Don Rodrigo (1963-1964), grew more varied in their methods and ambitious in their scope.

Ginastera worked actively as a composer and champion of new music despite considerable external obstacles; his political views twice put him at odds with the Perón government, which forced his resignation from positions at the National Military Academy and the National University of La Plata (he regained the latter position after Perón's defeat). Personal problems, including marital strife, stifled his productivity in the late '60s, but his divorce and subsequent marriage to cellist Aurora Natola, and his retirement to Switzerland after decades of teaching in Argentina's most prominent musical institutions, gave Ginastera his second wind; his last years were among his most fruitful.

Alberto Portugheis was born in La Plata, Argentina, to parents of Russian and Rumanian descent. He studied in Buenos Aires with the celebrated Vincenzo Scaramuzza (who also taught Martha Argerich), in Geneva with Madeleine Lipatti, Louis Hiltbrand and Youra Güller.

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Music

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• Ginastera
• Portugheis
• Suite
• de
• Danzas
• Criollas
• piano

[Pianist46]

I am playing this piece, and I'm sorry, but it was not good. The first movement is too slow for Ginastera, and there is too much rubato to be rhythmic.

Second dance *ahem* Just sloppy and unrhythmic. Yes, Ginastera actually intended for the correct notes to be played, despite what you may think.

Third dance: Tempo could have worked, but there is too much rubato in places where it is not marked.

Fourth: Just too slow and romantic for Ginastera.

Fifth was fairly clean, but once again slow.

[Starwalker6978]

@Pianist46 If I have to listen to Portugheis or to you, I probably trust more Portugheis. That you play the piece means nothing! I played it too! Enfin, I would say; upload your version and we'll see what is better. I play this very different from this version, but I like this nevertheless, I don't know about your version.

[CelloBoy13913]

Sure, the second movement notes aren't supposed to be exact but you did miss a few, INCLUDING THE LAST NOTE (it's an E on the top I think). The rhythms were a little sloppy, just calm down, it's not supposed to go that fast.

[Starwalker6978]

To whom you address? I hope not me... you'd better write Alberto Portugheis a letter!

Besides, I don't think the rhythms are sloppy. The piece is not written very pianistically, it isn't Portugheis' mistake not to play those clumsy clusters in octaves "exact".

[ytfarmer90]

good lord, the second dance was horrible

[Starwalker6978]

The second dance is excellent!

[shokinaful]

Excellent !!! Music and playing are tuching me and love also images depict .

[4024242]

I LOVE THE THIRD DANCE!!!!! I LOVE THIS OP.!!

[Pianist46]

@mjmcpherson Will do. Just waiting on a video camera. I will also begin practising it again as I have not done so for quite some time.

[mjmcpherson]

@Pianist46 with this kind of criticism - please post your rendition.

[mjmcpherson]

@Pianist46 with this kind of criticism - please post your rendition.

[ytfarmer90]

@andyng85 hmmm listening to it a year later, my thoughts have changed. it's quite good.

[andyng85]

@ytfarmer90 I actually like the second dance a lot.

[Pianist46]

@Starwalker6978 I think I just will upload my interpretation, just as soon as I get a new video camera...

Thank you for suggesting it

[danielbream]

bellissimo