CHAVEZ, Carlos
b Mexico City, 13 June 1899
d Mexico City, 2 August 1978, aged seventy-nine
His grandfather was Indian, and his father a government official. He first studied music under his elder brother, then from 1910 to 1914 with Ponce. His training was as a pianist; he took no lessons in composition. In 1921 he made his debut as a composer with a concert of his works. In 1923 he went to the USA where he formed strong musical associations and friendships. In 1928 he became director of the new Mexico Symphony Orchestra, a position he held for twenty years. Also in 1928 he became director of the National Conservatory. He was director-general of the National Institute of Fine Arts from 1947 to 1952. He gained many international honours.
1920 (21)
Symphony
Piano Sonata No 1
1921 (22)
El Fuego Nuevo, ballet
String Quartet No 1
1923 (24)
Piano Sonata No 2
1924 (25)
Sonatina for violin and piano
Sonatina for cello and piano
1925 (26)
Energia, for nine instruments
1926 (27)
Los cuatro soles, ballet
1927 (28)
HP (ie, Horsepower), ballet
1930 (31)
Sonata for horns
1932 (33)
String Quartet No 2
1933 (34)
Symphony No 1, Sinfonia di Antigona
Cantos de Mexico
Soli No 1, for oboe, clarinet, trumpet and bassoon
1935 (36)
Symphony No 2, Sinfonia India
Obertura Republicana
1938 (39)
Concerto for four horns
1939 (40)
Four Nocturnes for voice and orchestra
1940 (41)
Piano Concerto
Antigona, ballet
Xochipili-Macuilxochitl (the Aztec God of Music), for Mexican
orchestra
1942 (43)
Toccata for percussion instruments
1944 (45)
Hija de Colquide (Daughter of Colchis), ballet
1945 (46)
String Quartet No 3
Piramide, ballet
1948-50 (49-51)
Violin Concerto, in eight sections played without a break
(revised 1962)
1951 (52)
Symphony No 3
1953 (54)
Symphony No 4, Sinfonia Romantica
Symphony No 5, Symphony for Strings
1958 (59)
Inventions No 1, for piano
1960 (61)
Love Propitiated, opera
1961 (62)
Symphony No 6
Soli No 2, for wind quintet
1964 (65)
Resonancias, for orchestra
Tambuco, for six percussion
1965 (66)
Soli No 3, for bassoon, trumpet, viola, timpani and orchestra
Violin Concerto No 2
Inventions No 2, for violin, viola and cello
1966 (67)
Soli No 4, for brass trio
1967 (68)
Inventions No 3, for harp
1969 (70)
Clio, symphonic ode
Discovery for orchestra
Fuego Olimpico, suite for orchestra
Variations for violin and piano
1974 (75)
Estudio a Rubinstein, for piano
1975-6 (76-7)
Five Caprichos for piano