MANUEL GREGORIO TAVAREZ (1843-1883)
Tavarez was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1843. He was a Puerto Rican composer who studied in Europe beginning in 1856. After getting sick with an illness he became too debilitated and was incapable to continue playing music, so he began to teach students and compose his own music. One of his students was the well known composer John Morel Campos, who you will also read about as an influential musical figure in Puerto Rico. Tavarez published two Puerto Rican collections with the help of other composers, and produced the famous Danza called, Margarita. He died in Ponce, PR in 1883.
Discography:
Album filharmonico (1863)
El delirio puertorriqueno (1867-1869)
Margarita (1870)
Un recuerdito- Danza capricho
Record Label- Klavier, Catalogue # KCD11125. Album Ginastera: Pampeana No.2/Ponce
Bibliography:
Oxford Music Online- June 2011
Naxos Music Library
JUAN MOREL CAMPOS (1857-1896)
Conversación (Conversation)
JOSE IGNACIO QUINTON (1881-1925)
Jose was born in Caguas, Puerto Rico. He was a composer and pianist who learned at a very young age from his father, Don Juan Bautista, who was a church organist and graduate of The Paris Conservatory. He was taught harmony, counterpoint, and composition. He was influenced by Spanish pianist Ernesto del Castillo and Puerto Rican composer, Angel Mislan. He had his first concert at age nine and at age eleven, he played piano accompaniment for famous violinist Brindis de Salas, who was impressed with the boy. Jose went on to teach instrumental music at Coamo Municipal Academy of Music and organized musical groups and a band. As a pianist, he was one of the first to perform Debussy, Ravel and Schoenberg in Puerto Rico. He elevated the danza to a level of concert music. He was a pioneer of his time, always looking for new sound, or "the music of the future" as he called it. His most popular and recognized piece is "El Coqui, " where he simulated the sound of a tiny frog found only in Puerto Rico on his instruments. After his death in 1925, the town of Coamo honored him by naming one of its' principal avenues after him and preserving his childhood home as an historical landmark. There is also The Quinton Academy of Music in Coamo named for him.
Discography
Amor Imposible
Cuarteto para instrumentos de cuerdas
Contia
El Coqui
Mi Estrella
Misa de Requiem
String Quartet in D
Varaciones
Bibliography
Oxford Music Online-Healy Library June 27, 2012
http://www.ladanza.com/quinton.htm#english
JUAN MOREL CAMPOS (1857-1896)
Juan Morel Campos was an Afro-Puerto Rican composer who was born in Ponce and then moved to San Juan. He began his studies at age eight under Prof. Antonio Egipciaco. He was a protege of Manuel G.Tavarez, The Father of Danza, with whom he studied harmony, counterpoint, composition and piano. He learned how to play most brass instruments in his youth. In 1877 he was a baritone player in a San Juan battalion band. When he returned to Ponce, he started a fireman’s band which he conducted until he died. He also was a church organist and founded a small municipal orchestra.
His compositions were influenced by visiting Italian musicians, women and love. He was regaled for his danzas and took this form to its highest level. Of his numerous works, about 300 of them were danzas. In addition to all his many danza pieces he also composed symphonies. On April 26, 1896, during a concert in Ponce, he suffered a stroke which led to his death on May 12, just four days before his 39th birthday.
Discography
Conversación (Conversation)
Felices Días (Happy Days)
Idilio (Idiocy) Monument to
Maldito Amor (Damned Love) Juan Morel Campos
No me toques (Do Not Touch Me) at Plaza Las Delicias
Sin ti jamás (Never without you) in Ponce
Sí te Toco (Yes, I will touch you)
Sueño de Amor (Dream of love)
Ten Piedad (Have pity)
Tormento (Torment)
Un conflicto (A conflict)
Vano empeño (Trying in vain)
Bibliography
Oxford Music Online-Healy Library, June 29, 2012
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Morel_Campos
JOSE IGNACIO QUINTON (1881-1925) Jose was born in Caguas, Puerto Rico. He was a composer and pianist who learned at a very young age from his father, Don Juan Bautista, who was a church organist and graduate of The Paris Conservatory. He was taught harmony, counterpoint, and composition. He was influenced by Spanish pianist Ernesto del Castillo and Puerto Rican composer, Angel Mislan. He had his first concert at age nine and at age eleven, he played piano accompaniment for famous violinist Brindis de Salas, who was impressed with the boy. Jose went on to teach instrumental music at Coamo Municipal Academy of Music and organized musical groups and a band. As a pianist, he was one of the first to perform Debussy, Ravel and Schoenberg in Puerto Rico. He elevated the danza to a level of concert music. He was a pioneer of his time, always looking for new sound, or "the music of the future" as he called it. His most popular and recognized piece is "El Coqui, " where he simulated the sound of a tiny frog found only in Puerto Rico on his instruments. After his death in 1925, the town of Coamo honored him by naming one of its' principal avenues after him and preserving his childhood home as an historical landmark. There is also The Quinton Academy of Music in Coamo named for him.
Discography
Amor Imposible
Cuarteto para instrumentos de cuerdas
Contia
El Coqui
Mi Estrella
Misa de Requiem
String Quartet in D
Varaciones
Bibliography
Oxford Music Online-Healy Library June 27, 2012
http://www.ladanza.com/quinton.htm#english
FELIPE GUTIERREZ ESPINOSA (1825-1899)
Born in Puerto Rico in 1825, he was a Puerto Rican composer that taught himself to compose music. He was best known for his musical creations of opera and sacred music. He won competitions in 1858 for choir master of the San Juan cathedral; prior to that in 1845 he was named a top musician in the Iberia battalion. Espinosa had organized a free music academy in 1875. He was given a grant from the San Juan town council to continue his studies throughout Europe. After a talented musical life with many achievements he was forced to work the last year of his life in concierge with minimal earnings.
Discography:
El amor de un pescador
El Bearnés
Guarionex
Macías
Las siete Palabras
Oxford Music Online- June 2011
Naxos Music Library
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