Homenaje a García Lorca, A Conductors Approach

• Main Author: Larumbe Martínez, Alejandro Artemio
• Other Authors: Riazuelo, Carlos
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: LSU 2016
• Subjects: Music
• Online Access: http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-01062016-145336/

The purpose of this dissertation is to provide a conductors analysis of the Mexican composer Silvestre Revueltass Homenaje a García Lorca from research of his work and life. Revueltas wrote Homenaje a García Lorca, a chamber orchestral piece, in response to the murder of the Spanish poet Federico García Lorca in 1936 during the Spanish Civil War. Homenaje is orchestrated for twelve instruments in three contrasting movements: Baile (dance), Duelo (mourning), and Son (son is the name of a genre of traditional Mexican music). Homenaje is widely regarded as one of Revueltass most compelling works. It combines a highly personal and modernist approach with the juxtaposition of elements originating from folk, popular, and indian music. To provide a comprehensive study of this piece, the monograph is divided into three chapters: Biography, Analysis, and Conductors Considerations. The Biography -Chapter One- provides insight into Revueltass life from personal, professional, and political perspectives, as well as the historical context of Méxicos post-Revolutionary era in which Revueltas lived. Revueltas was intricately connected to his wider environment, which is vital in understanding his music and his motivations to compose it. The Analysis -Chapter Two- provides a musical analysis to Homenaje, based in objective and theoric foundations. The chapter provides methods for understanding the compositional aspect of Homenaje and the majority of Revueltass mature work. The Conductors Considerations -Chapter Three- provides an integration of the findings of the previous two chapters in a narrative of Homenaje, discussing solutions to interpretative and technical challenges. This section compares different versions of Homenaje, provides performance suggestions, adds insight into the meaning of music, and gives technical advice for conducting the piece.