Amadeo Roldán y Gardes (Paris, 12 June 1900 – Havana, 7 March 1939) was a Cubancomposer and violinist. Roldán was born in Paris to a Cuban mulatta and a Spanish father. It was his mother, the pianist Albertina Gardes, who initiated her children to music (his sister María Teresa was a mezzo-soprano and his brother Alberto a cellist).
Amadeo Roldán
Roldán came to Cuba in 1919 after studying music theory and violin at the Madrid Conservatory, graduating in 1916. He became the concertmaster (leader of the first-violin section) of the new Orquesta Sinfónica de la Habana in 1922. In the mid-1920s he was appointed concertmaster of the Orquesta Filarmónica of Havana (he would assume the position of conductor in 1932) and founded the Havana String Quartet.
During this period, Roldán, one of the leaders of the Afrocubanismo movement, wrote the first symphonic pieces to incorporate Afro-Cuban percussion instruments.[1] Roldán's best-known composition[2] is the 1928 ballet La Rebambaramba, described by a critic of the era as "a multicolored musicorama ... depicting an Afro-Cuban fiesta in a gorgeous display of Caribbean melorhythms, with the participation of a multifarious fauna of native percussion effects, including a polydental glissando on the jawbone of an ass."[1]
Roldán's compositions included Overture on Cuban Themes (1925), three little poems: (Oriente, Pregón, Fiesta negra: 1926), and two ballets: La Rebambaramba (a ballet colonial in two parts: 1928) and El milagro de Anaquille (1929). There followed a series of Rítmicas (1930), Poema negra (1930) and Tres toques (march, rites, dance) (1931). The fifth and sixth of his Rítmicas, composed around the same time as Edgard Varèse's Ionisation, were among the first works in the Western classical music tradition scored for percussion ensemble alone.[3] In Motivos de son (1934) he wrote eight pieces for voice and instruments based on the poet Nicolas Guillen's set of poems with the same title. His last composition was two Piezas infantiles for piano (1937). His work was regularly featured in concerts sponsored by the Pan-American Association of Composers, founded by Henry Cowell, including the inaugural, March 1929 performance in New York.[4][5]
Roldán died at the peak of his creative powers at 38, of a disfiguring facial cancer (he had been an inveterate smoker). His career followed a similar path to Alejandro García Caturla, and the two men are considered to be pioneers of modern Cuban symphonic art.
^Carpentier, Alejo (2001). Music in Cuba. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. pp. 273. ISBN9780816632305.
^de la Vega, Aurelio. "Roldán, Amadeo". Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Retrieved 16 April 2015. (subscription required)
^Carpentier, Alejo 2001 [1945]. Music in Cuba. Minneapolis MN.
^Orovio, Helio 2004. Cuban music from A to Z. Revised by Sue Steward. ISBN0-8223-3186-1 A biographical dictionary of Cuban music, artists, composers, groups and terms. Duke University, Durham NC; Tumi, Bath. p185
External linksedit
Amadeo Roldán y Gardes – Composer's page at AfriClassical.com
January 01, 1970
amadeo, roldán, gardes, paris, june, 1900, havana, march, 1939, cuban, composer, violinist, roldán, born, paris, cuban, mulatta, spanish, father, mother, pianist, albertina, gardes, initiated, children, music, sister, maría, teresa, mezzo, soprano, brother, al. Amadeo Roldan y Gardes Paris 12 June 1900 Havana 7 March 1939 was a Cuban composer and violinist Roldan was born in Paris to a Cuban mulatta and a Spanish father It was his mother the pianist Albertina Gardes who initiated her children to music his sister Maria Teresa was a mezzo soprano and his brother Alberto a cellist Amadeo Roldan Roldan came to Cuba in 1919 after studying music theory and violin at the Madrid Conservatory graduating in 1916 He became the concertmaster leader of the first violin section of the new Orquesta Sinfonica de la Habana in 1922 In the mid 1920s he was appointed concertmaster of the Orquesta Filarmonica of Havana he would assume the position of conductor in 1932 and founded the Havana String Quartet During this period Roldan one of the leaders of the Afrocubanismo movement wrote the first symphonic pieces to incorporate Afro Cuban percussion instruments 1 Roldan s best known composition 2 is the 1928 ballet La Rebambaramba described by a critic of the era as a multicolored musicorama depicting an Afro Cuban fiesta in a gorgeous display of Caribbean melorhythms with the participation of a multifarious fauna of native percussion effects including a polydental glissando on the jawbone of an ass 1 Roldan s compositions included Overture on Cuban Themes 1925 three little poems Oriente Pregon Fiesta negra 1926 and two ballets La Rebambaramba a ballet colonial in two parts 1928 and El milagro de Anaquille 1929 There followed a series of Ritmicas 1930 Poema negra 1930 and Tres toques march rites dance 1931 The fifth and sixth of his Ritmicas composed around the same time as Edgard Varese s Ionisation were among the first works in the Western classical music tradition scored for percussion ensemble alone 3 In Motivos de son 1934 he wrote eight pieces for voice and instruments based on the poet Nicolas Guillen s set of poems with the same title His last composition was two Piezas infantiles for piano 1937 His work was regularly featured in concerts sponsored by the Pan American Association of Composers founded by Henry Cowell including the inaugural March 1929 performance in New York 4 5 Roldan died at the peak of his creative powers at 38 of a disfiguring facial cancer he had been an inveterate smoker His career followed a similar path to Alejandro Garcia Caturla and the two men are considered to be pioneers of modern Cuban symphonic art See also editAmadeo Roldan TheaterReferences edit Cuba MSN Encarta Archived from the original on 2009 10 29 Carpentier Alejo 2001 Music in Cuba Minneapolis University of Minnesota Press pp 273 ISBN 9780816632305 de la Vega Aurelio Roldan Amadeo Grove Music Online Oxford Music Online Retrieved 16 April 2015 subscription required Carpentier Alejo 2001 1945 Music in Cuba Minneapolis MN Orovio Helio 2004 Cuban music from A to Z Revised by Sue Steward ISBN 0 8223 3186 1 A biographical dictionary of Cuban music artists composers groups and terms Duke University Durham NC Tumi Bath p185External links editAmadeo Roldan y Gardes Composer s page at AfriClassical com Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Amadeo Roldan amp oldid 1217484405, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
