Alberto Williams
Encyclopedia
Alberto Williams was an Argentine symphonic composer and conductor.
, in 1862. A maternal grandfather, Amancio Jacinto Alcorta
, had been a respected government and banking policy-maker, as well as a well-known composer of sacred music. Williams began attending a local music school in early childhood and, at age 7, he performed in his first public concert. He received a scholarship from the Argentine government in 1882 to study music composition at the Paris Conservatoire, where he was mentored by pianist Georges Mathias
and composer César Franck
.
Williams composed his first piano concerto
s during this interim, which consisted of lullabies
, and he returned in 1889. Instead of settling in Buenos Aires, however, he toured the then-rural pampas and became steeped in the folklorical music of Argentina
. His first composition to earn him notice, The Abandoned Ranch, was an elegy
to the rural pampas in the form of classical music
; after 1893, however, his compositions were modernist adaptations of milonga
s, zambas and other forms of local folklorical music. Williams established the Buenos Aires Conservatory of Music in 1893.
A renowned instructor, as well as composer, Williams became the first prominent composer to infuse Argentine folklore into symphonic music. He composed his only sonata
, Primera Sonata Argentina, in 1917. He created lyrics
for all his compositions and authored numerous texts on music theory
, including an instruction text for children; a collection of his lyrics was published as Versos Líricos, in 1924. Williams was inducted into the National Academy of Fine Arts and National Commission for Culture.
Williams composed 136 works, including nine symphonies. Some of the best-known are:
He lived his final years in the Bridge House, a modern residence in Mar del Plata
designed by his son, architect Amancio Williams
, and completed in 1946. Alberto Williams, the "father of Argentine music," died in Buenos Aires in 1952, at age 89.
Life and work
Alberto Williams was born to in Buenos AiresBuenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, in 1862. A maternal grandfather, Amancio Jacinto Alcorta
Amancio Jacinto Alcorta
Amancio Jacinto Alcorta was an Argentine composer, policy maker and politician.-Musician and representative:Amancio Jacinto Alcorta was born in Santiago del Estero, Argentina, in 1805. His father, a prosperous merchant from Vizcaya, Spain, was the colonial city's Postmaster, at the time...
, had been a respected government and banking policy-maker, as well as a well-known composer of sacred music. Williams began attending a local music school in early childhood and, at age 7, he performed in his first public concert. He received a scholarship from the Argentine government in 1882 to study music composition at the Paris Conservatoire, where he was mentored by pianist Georges Mathias
Georges Mathias
Georges Amédée Saint-Clair Mathias was a French composer, pianist and teacher.Mathias was born in Paris. He studied at the Paris Conservatory with François Bazin, Auguste Barbereau, Augustin Savard and Fromental Halévy, composition with Friedrich Kalkbrenner and piano with Frédéric Chopin. He was...
and composer César Franck
César Franck
César-Auguste-Jean-Guillaume-Hubert Franck was a composer, pianist, organist, and music teacher who worked in Paris during his adult life....
.
Williams composed his first piano concerto
Piano concerto
A piano concerto is a concerto written for piano and orchestra.See also harpsichord concerto; some of these works are occasionally played on piano...
s during this interim, which consisted of lullabies
Lullaby
A lullaby is a soothing song, usually sung to young children before they go to sleep, with the intention of speeding that process. As a result they are often simple and repetitive. Lullabies can be found in every culture and since the ancient period....
, and he returned in 1889. Instead of settling in Buenos Aires, however, he toured the then-rural pampas and became steeped in the folklorical music of Argentina
Music of Argentina
The music of Argentina is known mostly for the tango, which developed in Buenos Aires and surrounding areas, as well as Montevideo, Uruguay. Folk, pop and classical music are also popular, and Argentine artists like Mercedes Sosa and Atahualpa Yupanqui contributed greatly to the development of the...
. His first composition to earn him notice, The Abandoned Ranch, was an elegy
Elegy
In literature, an elegy is a mournful, melancholic or plaintive poem, especially a funeral song or a lament for the dead.-History:The Greek term elegeia originally referred to any verse written in elegiac couplets and covering a wide range of subject matter, including epitaphs for tombs...
to the rural pampas in the form of classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
; after 1893, however, his compositions were modernist adaptations of milonga
Milonga
Milonga can refer to an Argentine, Uruguayan, and Southern Brazilian form of music which preceded the tango and the dance form which accompanies it, or to the term for places or events where the tango or Milonga are danced...
s, zambas and other forms of local folklorical music. Williams established the Buenos Aires Conservatory of Music in 1893.
A renowned instructor, as well as composer, Williams became the first prominent composer to infuse Argentine folklore into symphonic music. He composed his only sonata
Sonata
Sonata , in music, literally means a piece played as opposed to a cantata , a piece sung. The term, being vague, naturally evolved through the history of music, designating a variety of forms prior to the Classical era...
, Primera Sonata Argentina, in 1917. He created lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
for all his compositions and authored numerous texts on music theory
Music theory
Music theory is the study of how music works. It examines the language and notation of music. It seeks to identify patterns and structures in composers' techniques across or within genres, styles, or historical periods...
, including an instruction text for children; a collection of his lyrics was published as Versos Líricos, in 1924. Williams was inducted into the National Academy of Fine Arts and National Commission for Culture.
Williams composed 136 works, including nine symphonies. Some of the best-known are:
- Op.15. Primera obertura de concierto (1889).
- Op.18. Segunda obertura de concierto (1892).
- Op.30. Miniaturas: first suite (1890).
- Op.31. Miniaturas: second suite (1890).
- Op.32. The Abandoned Ranch (1890).
- Op.44. First Symphony, in B minor (1907).
- Op.55. "The Witch of the Mountains." Second Symphony, in C minor (1910).
- Op.56. Centennial March (1910).
- Op.58. "The Sacred Forest." Third Symphony, in F major (1911).
- Op.60. Poem for the Campaniles (1913).
- Op.63. Five Argentine Dances (1921).
- Op.88. Poem for the Southern Seas (1933).
- Op.98. "Eli ataja-caminos." Fourth Symphony, in E flat major (1935).
- Op.100."The Doll's Heart." Fifth Symphony, in E flat major (1936).
- Op.102."The Death of the Comet." Sixth Symphony, in B major (1937).
- Op.103."Eternal Rest." Seventh Symphony, in D (1937).
- Op.104."The Sphinx." Eight Symphony, in F minor (1938).
- Op.107.Las milongas de la orquesta (1938).
- Op.108."Los batracios" (La humorística). Ninth Symphony, in B flat (1939).
- Op.115.Poem for the Iguazú FallsIguazu FallsIguazu Falls, Iguassu Falls, or Iguaçu Falls are waterfalls of the Iguazu River located on the border of the Brazilian State of Paraná and the Argentine Province of Misiones. The falls divide the river into the upper and lower Iguazu. The Iguazu River originates near the city of Curitiba. It flows...
(1943). - Op.117."The Air in the Pampas". Milongas, 2 Suites (1944).
- Milongas: The Bartolomé MitreBartolomé MitreBartolomé Mitre Martínez was an Argentine statesman, military figure, and author. He was the President of Argentina from 1862 to 1868.-Life and times:...
March; First, Second, and Third Argentine Suites.
He lived his final years in the Bridge House, a modern residence in Mar del Plata
Mar del Plata
Mar del Plata is an Argentine city located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, south of Buenos Aires. Mar del Plata is the second largest city of Buenos Aires Province. The name "Mar del Plata" had apparently the sense of "sea of the Río de la Plata region" or "adjoining sea to the Río de la Plata"...
designed by his son, architect Amancio Williams
Amancio Williams
Amancio Williams was an Argentine architect and among his country's leading exponents of modern architecture.-Life and work:...
, and completed in 1946. Alberto Williams, the "father of Argentine music," died in Buenos Aires in 1952, at age 89.