Cuban Choral Music: Historical Development and Modern Influences
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Cuban Choral Music: Historical Development and Modern Infl uences José Rivera Cuba has a rich choral legacy full of musical traditions that extend across centuries, yet most choral conductors in the United States are not familiar with Cuba’s choral tradition. This is due in part to the historical political tension between the two countries and limited professional exchanges. Fortunately, today’s conductors have more opportunities than ever to expand their knowledge of this rich tradition. In fact, Cuban choirs have delighted their North American colleagues with performances at various divisional and national conventions, and in 2012 con- ductors from both countries participated in the first Cuba/US Choral Symposium in Havana, Cuba. The summit was a cross- cultural exchange between composers, José Rivera, Ph. D University of North Carolina at Pembroke directors, and students from the United States and Cuba, showcasing the distinct choral music styles of Cuban tradition 1 and American genres. 6 CHORAL JOURNAL Volume 54 Number 8 Cuban Choral Music: In response to the opportunity to Historical broaden the awareness of and familiar- ity with Latin American choral literature, chapel of the Catedral de Santiago de this article provides a brief overview Cuba in 1682. During that period, choral collected works, which include pas- of the development of Cuba’s choral music was performed primarily by boys sion settings, cantatas, Stabat Maters, tradition, featuring the contemporary and clergy.3 The performance practice of hymns, sequences, antiphons, psalm folk and popular music elements from choral music at the time was unaccom- settings, canticles, motets, vespers, and an historical perspective. panied with the use of continuo. villancicos If one considers the early music be- (carols, primarily written for three voices). ing performed today, it stands to reason 5 His music re European tradition of the Baroquefl ects style, the Historical Developments that Cuba’s choral history began with the arrival of Esteban Salas y Castro although in Latin America it is referred The origins of Cuban ecclesiastical (1725–1803), a Cuban musician, com- to as music of the Colonial period. The music can be traced to the appoint- music of Salas was discovered in 1945 by ment of Miguel Velazquez. Velazquez, poser, and ordained priest who revital- ized the decaying music conditions at Alejo Carpentier, a Cuban novelist and the fi rst Cuban-born choir master of the musicologist. the Catedral de Santiago in 1764. 6 His complete catalogue Catedral de Santiago in 1544. of works is currently published in eight 2 began working at Parroquia Mayor4 in from the second half of the seventeenth Records Salas volumes under the auspices of century show the contributions of Do- Havana before being appointed to La Catedral de Santiago, where he served de Investigación y Desarrollo de laEl Música Centro mingo de Flores, who became the Cubana appointed as chapel master for forty years until his and the work of musicologist Maestro de Capilla fi rst death in 1803. Miriam Escudero. master) at the newly constructed (choir-music His legacy as one of Cuba’s Another notable composer whose great composers lives through his 189 works were conceived on Cuban soil fi rst was Juan Paris (1759–1845). Paris fol- lowed Salas’s footsteps at the Catedral de Santiago (1805–1845), composing mostly sacred vocal music following the European tradition of the late Baroque and early Classical styles. Under Paris’s leadership, the church became a library, academy, a rehearsal and concert hall, and a venue for diverse musical events. Paris’s discovered choral works7 include: Misa a tres, con violines DISCOVER y bajos (Mass for three voices withfl autas vio- lins, fl ute, and bass); and several carols, a nnewew worldworld ofof musicmusic including Respirad mortals ——throughthrough en Belén , Parió María TRAVEL , Oid cielos piadosos la tierra , Produzca Let’sLet’s workwork togethertogether ttoo pplanlan , and Villancico de kalenda four voices, four violins, viola, bass, andfor anan unforgettableunforgettable triptrip andand oboes or fl utes. Paris’s instrumentation givegive youryour ppeperformerserformers tthehe changes from his predecessor’s (Salas) experienceexperience ofof a lifetime.lifetime. times. In his villancicos Vamos Presto a BelénAlbricias Pastores and Meet us at your ACDA Regional , Paris introduces Conference and enter to win idiophones (cymbal and triangles) and membranophones (timpani) to sacred $200 of FREE sheet music compositions in Cuba. of 8 Paris’s www.performingtravel.com/ACDA1 villancicos, written in 1805 andfi rst 1807, sets were recently transcribed by the Cuban musicologist Claudia Fallarero. In the 8 CHORAL JOURNAL summer of 2013, a concert in Havana Volume 54 Number 8 Development and Modern Infl uences featured premiere performances of mu- several symphonies and chamber music century, María Muñoz de Quevedo was sic by Juan Paris and Cayetano Pragueras, written in classical style. an infl uential choral fi gure who made two composers of Spanish origin born Later, Laureano Fuentes Matons signifi cant contributions to the devel- at the end of the eighteenth century (1825–1898) continued the sacred opment of choral music in Cuba. The who remained working in the island tradition in Santiago de Cuba. Matons’s Spanish-born musician, educator, and through the nineteenth century. works refl ected the changing composi- cultural icon arrived in Cuba in 1919. Soon after Paris’s departure, Cratilio tional styles in the country. For instance, She eventually became a naturalized Guerra Sardá (1835–1896), consid- his Stabat Mater was written in a more Cuban citizen and was responsible for ered another important musician and classical style, while Misa de Difunctis founding and directing Havana’s Choral liturgical composer of the nineteenth for three voices and orchestra, two Re- Society, an important organization of century, followed in Paris’s footsteps quiems, and Liberame Domine for choir its time. at the Catedral de Santiago. Guerra’s and orchestra all resembled music of Muñoz’s choir performed classic works include a Mass in C and a Mass the Romantic style. The Misa Nupcial by repertoire of the western European in D, each for three-part chorus, fl ute, Gaspar Villate (1851–1891) and a Misa choral tradition and new music written clarinet, and strings (no viola). In addition, Solemne written by Cristobal Martinez by Cuban composers. Her vision for Guerra composed a Misa de pastorella Corres (1823–1842) were other impor- the art of choral music marked a new (mass for nativity), Misa sobre motivos del tant masses written during this period. era in the advancement of choral music Himno de Santiago, several Stabat Maters, It is almost impossible to ignore the in the island. She fi rst sought help from and carols. apparent disparity between the exist- her friend Alejandro García Cartula, an Much of what is known today about ing timeline delineation of the Baroque infl uential orchestral composer who Sardá’s music stems from the work and Classical periods in western clas- became the fi rst to write a polyphonic initiated by musicologist Pablo Hernán- sical music and the dates these styles work for choir in son style.13 dez Balaguer in 1961. Presently, Sardá’s of music actually reached Cuba (Latin The son is a sung and danced musical works are being performed because America). This chronological disparity— genre born in the eastern provinces and of the work of musicologist Franch- likely caused by the distance between transformed in Havana. Today, it is known esca Perdigón Milá. Her recent book on both continents and the time it took as salsa and is a widespread dance form Sardá’s sacred works reveal traces of to reach the masses—can account for practiced throughout the world. The popular rhythmic idioms in his Mass in the type and style of music being heard son exemplifi es the mixture of Spanish C, including mazurkas, vals, salon songs, in churches across Cuba during this infl uences (melodies and guitar accom- and operatic themes.9 This practice is still Colonial period. paniment and African rhythms) and is observed by contemporary composers, By the end of the nineteenth cen- considered one of the major types of including Villa-Lobos, Alberto Ginastera, tury, several sacred and secular musical popular music of Cuba. Cartula’s Canto Osvaldo Golijov, Roberto Sierra, and entities began to emerge in Cuba. These de los Cafetales and Caballo Blanco, along Cuba’s own José María Vitier in his Misa included opera and zarzuela, religious with Amadeo Roldan’s Curujuey, were Cubana (Laudamus te).10 choirs, provincial Spanish choral societ- both premiered by La Coral de la Ha- Cuba’s sacred choral tradition contin- ies of Basque, Galician, Asturian, and bana in 1932.14 ued to fl ourish at other chapels in and Catalonian descent (dissolved by 1915), Cartula’s and Roldán’s unaccompa- around Havana, including the Parroquia and several amateur choirs organized nied compositions became the turning Mayor de la Habana and at the Capilla throughout Havana and the interior point in the evolution of Cuban choral de Música de Bayamo. One of the most provinces of the island.12 By the begin- music. Other composers to follow were recognizable nineteenth-century Cuban ning of the twentieth century, national- Harold Gramatges, Nilo Rodríquez, and composers, Antonio Raffelin (1776– istic infl uences began to make their way Gisela Hernández. Since then, many 1882), composed many sacred works, through music. There is a similar quest in folk and popular melodies of diverse including several masses, motets, and the music of Spanish nationalistic com- popular genres, originally conceived for hymns. According to Suzanne Tiemstra, posers (Albeñiz, Granados, and de Falla). popular music, have gradually become Raffelin’s compositions best represented We also fi nd these traits in the music of part of the standard choral tradition in the music of the classical period in Alejandro Cartula and Amadeo Roldán.