ALBERTO WILLIAMS (1862-1952)
Argentinian Suite No. 3 for
strings
MOZART
Piano Concerto No. 12 K414
J S BACH
Concerto for Violin and Oboe BMV1060
Susana Agrest (piano) Luis
Roggero (violin) Andrés Spiller (oboe) Matías Targhetta (keyboard)
Youth Chamber Orchestra of National Library of Congress, Argentina cond.
Lucio B Videla
rec April-June 1998 Estudios
Irco Cosentino de Buenos Aires RADIO CLÁSICA CDC 0028
Strange how these reviews lead on to other things.
My review of the Arte Nova CD (74321
43329 2) of Alberto Williams' Symphony No. 7 in D major Eterno Reposo
(1937) and Poema del Iguazu (1943) last year caught the attention
of the conductor and music researcher, Lucio J. Bruno Videla. I am delighted
that Sr Videla was able to send me a review copy of the above disc. He is
the conductor of the performances on the CD.
Both the Bach and Mozart works are given notably ripe and taut performances.
The small ensemble of strings adds to the sense of clarity. These works are
not however likely to make the disc of international interest good though
the performances are. The main interest generated by this disc centres on
the Williams suite here receiving its world premiere recording. There is
no doubt about it, this suite adds valuably to the riches of the world's
concert music for strings. It dates from 1923 and is written in an idiom
which takes part from the grand European tradition (Tchaikovsky and Dvorák
serenades) and part from Latin-American elements. Vidalita, Arroro, Variations
1 2 and 4 are in the European mode although I also noticed a similarity with
Frank Bridge's Suite for Strings. Milonga, Variation 3 and Cielito are instantly
recognisable as Hispanic in accent. The orchestra is gracious and sensitive
to the nostalgic spirit of this music. In the European sections I wondered
whether expatriate contemporary players in the 1920s might have recalled
the urbane charms of Vienna and Prague such is the tilt and turn of Williams'
inspiration.
Williams is certainly a good composer. He may be more, until we hear more
we must reserve judgement. I have been listening to some broadcast tapes
of other works by Williams, Ernesto Drangosch and others and hope to report
further.
Meantime this disc is well worth your attention for the Williams and do not
underestimate the Mozart and Bach performances either.
Reviewer
Rob Barnett
The price of the CD is 10 US dollars or the equivalent in pounds sterling.
For distributors the price is 5 US dollars. For further information, you
can write a fax or e-mail (the numbers above)to Santiago Chotsourian or
Germán Serain.
CD available from
Radio Clasica
Roque Sáenz Peña 615, piso 12
1393 Buenos Aires, Argentina
326-1042/3764/8188/9588
fax 326-284
e-mail: revistaclasica@interlink.com.ar
telephone: (54 11): 4326 8188 4326 0142
fax: (54 11) 4326 6284
POINTS FROM LUCIO VIDELA - WILLIAMS AND OTHER ARGENTINIAN COMPOSERS
The Williams' Suite was a bit difficult for a small youth orchestra since
the composer demands 60 players! But I think the effort is valid. You can
hear that the "Arrorró" (argentinian berceuse) is also in the 7th
symphony.
You can obtain two CDs with piano music by Williams in Naxos (piano:
Valentín Surif). They are very interesting, but pay no attention to
the notes of the booklet. These readings are not in Williams' style, but
we are lucky to have some Argentine music on CD.
The best pianist for Williams' works was the Argentine pianist Lía
Cimaglia-Espinosa (a pupil of Williams), who died in 1998 at a very old age.
She was also a composer.
There is an old ODEON record (78 r.p.m.) made during the forties by Williams
himself of a transcription of his orchestral piece El rancho abandonado
(what a strange reading!).
Another historic recording is the Vidalita by Beniamino Gigli.
Pablo Williams (the composer's son) has a tape recording of the second symphony.
There may also be a broadcast recording of two movements of the seventh symphony
by Toscanini.
About the symphonies, it is important to say that all nine, with the exception
of the first, are a kind of symphonic poem. Each has a text (a poem or a
ballad by Williams himself ). The notes of the ARTE NOVA CD make no mention
of it.
Can anyone provide any information about the English-Argentinian composer,
Ricardo Blamey-Lafone (1880-1946). He was also a diplomat. I think he lived
in London from 1926. His works were often played in Europe (more than Argentina.
It seems that Sir Thomas Beecham played his symphonic poems (BBC). Do recordings
of these works survive?
The Drangosch Group
The Drangosch Group began its activities in 1999 within the frame of the
Instituto Universitario Nacional de Arte (IUNA) coordinated by Prof. Estela
Telerman and Prof. Lucio Bruno Videla. Members of the group are pianists
Gabriela Bernasconi, Juan Silas Bassa, Ramiro Campodónico, Guillermo
Cárdenas, Abel Ghelman, Blas González, Elba Lanata, Ezequiel
Sarubbi, and Estela Telerman, violinist and conductor Lucio Bruno Videla,
and Lucio Bruno Videla and Fernando Daniel Fuenzalida in research activities.
Representative in Germany is pianist and conductor Alejandro Graziani. Gerardo
Delgado is in charge of publications. The purpose of the Group is researching
on , spreading and recording works by important Argentine composers, many
of them unfairly neglected. The Group takes its name after the Argentine
composer, pianist, conductor, teacher Ernesto Drangosch, on the occasion
of the 75th anniversary of his death. One of its first activities is that
of performing Drangosch's complete piano works, chamber works, and songs.
PROJECTS
* Works to be published (by E. Drangosch) : Two Songs for Choir op. 15,
reconstruction of Cap Ortegal March, op.11ª, Four Melodies op.26 for
voice and piano, Two Poems by Amado Nervo , op .28 for voice and piano, Two
Melodies on poems by Rafael Alberto Arrieta ,op. 31 for voice and piano.
* Texts to be printed : A book with Ernesto Drangosch's biography after a
manuscript by his daughter Delia Drangosch de Gandolfo, The Art of piano
Playing - a treatise- ,a selection of letters and photographs, ? A CD will
be issued containing recitals by Delia Drangosch de Gandolfo, including the
world première of Drangosch's Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in
E major op.12. ? Revista Clásica and La Nacion will publish articles
devoted to Ernesto Drangosch. ? World première of the complete piano
works of Drangosch in three recitals -to be recorded on CD. Concerts will
take place May 4, 11 ,18 at the "CARLOS LOPEZ BUCHARDO" National Conservatory
of Music (IUNA) (Buenos Aires , May 7,14,21 at the Fine Arts Museum, Buenos
Aires , July 26 at the ª1º de mayo" Municipal Theater, Santa Fe
, Argentina. ? World première of Drangosch's complete songs for voice
and piano-to be recorded on CD . ? Performance and recording of Drangosch's
Concerto for piano and orchestra by Ramiro Campodónico (piano) and
Liberator Gral . San Martin Youth Orchestra conducted by Lucio Bruno Videla
. ? Lecture on "Drangosch, genius forgotten", sponsored by BankBoston Foundation
(Lucio Bruno Videla). ? A radio program on Drangosch to be broadcast in April
by Radio Clasica Nacional (Estela Telerman and Lucio Bruno Videla).
Our research group is something totally new in Argentina and we have not
sponsors yet. We are working on it. We must wait for the Drangosch CDs.
The song "Milonga Calabacera" or "No me mires como miran las lechuzas" (Don't
look at me like the owls) takes its melody after the old popular tango "No
me tires con la tapa de la olla" (Don't throw me with the lid of the cooking
pot ! ). Drangosch uses the same theme in the middle section of the "Obertura
Criolla". The tape of the "Milongas de la Orquesta" has - sadly - some pitch
fluctuations, and the volume level of the symphony is very low (I have done
my best...). The old records with the concert by Drangosch are in good condition,
but I have not them. I only have this recording with the beginning and other
parts (movements two and three ) erased. Delia Drangosch (daughter of the
composer) was not satisfied with the conductor's reading, and this recording
was never issued. This work was the first Argentinian concert for piano and
orchestra, dedicated to Siegfried Prager. The premiere was by Drangosch himself
(1913). On that occasion he played four piano concerti, including Beethoven's
Emperor and Liszt's A major. In the third movement we can find some "argentine
milonga airs".
The first performance of the "Obertura Criolla" was in Buenos Aires in 1920
by Felix Weingartner who liked the work very much. It is the first symphonic
work with argentine tango themes, and the first with tango themes applied
to a sonata-form (many years before Astor Piazzolla...). The work by Gilardi
was performed for the first time in the United States under the baton of
the famous pianist And conductor José Iturbi. (I have the idea that
this work was used by Walt Disney in a cartoon during the forties). The two-part
symphonic poem by López Buchardo was premiered by the Vienna Philarmonic
Orchestra and again Weingartner. I think this was in 1922 (Buenos Aires).
Pascual De Rogatis (1880 - 1980, no mistake) was famous for his symphonic
poems and his two operas. The only symphonic work in record is this old version
of the dance from "Huemac".
Now you must know something about the music of our "golden age" period. Perhaps
the 70% of all the works made during this time (1890-1955) were never published.
99% of all the argentinian operas and symphonic works were played only a
few times (and also never printed).
Commercial recordings were very few and private or broadcast recordings are
lost. In 1990, at the beginning of president Carlos Menem goverment, the
director of the National Broadcasting virtually threw out (to the street)
all the old records and tapes. (Recordings since ca.1936).
The archives of the Colón Theatre were despoiled and may have been
sold in Europe: historic recordings by Fritz Busch, Erich Kleiber, Wilhelm
Furtwängler, etc...
The few archives extant are a mess and there is no money to work in them.
But a lot of music treasures are waiting here to be rediscovered, and our
group expects that some day the international recording labels and music
editors will be interest in these works. We know that the problem is that
nobody knows that this music exists...but we, Argentinians, ask ourselves:
why the Argentinians do not play Argentinian music?
Why does Martha Argerich not play a single note of argentinian music? Everybody
knows Ginastera and Piazzolla and everybody plays them. Nobody knows the
others and nobody plays them. However, the importance of our composers of
the past is greater. Do you know that Alberto Williams conducted the Berlin
Philharmonic Orch. in 1900 with works by him? Do you know that Ernesto Drangosch
was perhaps the most significant pianist born in America during his lifetime
and that he was soloist with the Berlin Philharmonic Orch. when he was 23
years old conducted by Joseph Joachim, Ferruccio Busoni and Eugen D'Albert?
The only symphony (Argentine symphony) by Drangosch is lost. Survives only
one page of it! The piano sonatas are three: We have two versions of the
sonata op.2, but the second is a totally different work. Only the initial
motive remains the same. So we have two different works. The first (1895)with
four movements and the third (1913) with three movements. The second sonata
was premiered in Berlin in 1905, but its movements were published as separate
works. The first movement became the Theme and variations op.7, the second
became the Scherzo op.8 no.3, and the third the Fantasia op.10.
see also
ALBERTO WILLIAMS (1862-1952) Symphony
No. 7 in D major Op. 103 Eterno Reposo (1937) 38:48 Poema del Iguazu Op.
115 (1943) 35:11 Orquesta Filarmonica de Gran Canaria/Adrian Leaper recorded
10-13 June 1996 Gran Canaria ARTE NOVA Classics 74321 43329 2 [74:08]
